Good day! I would like to ask how to make fragrance last on my body/skin throughout the day. Thanks.—Diane Torino

While more of us have already decided which particular fragrances appeal to us, the matter of how to make our favorite scents last longer always comes to mind.

That’s because no matter how good your favorite perfume smells, if it lasts only a few minutes, that bottle may not be worth it.

We want bang for our buck, which we hope we get in the form of fragrance that lasts six to eight hours.

Of course, most perfumes are made to last this long, but because of our humid weather, or a few other reasons, their life span may be cut short.

You must know that fragrances are made differently, and some may last longer than others. I think that in order to know how to extend the scent life of our fragrance, we must first know how it works.

Let’s break down the fragrance:

A perfume has at least 150 ingredients in every bottle; when sprayed, they create a symphony of smells.

Each scent is made up of top, heart and base notes, and these deliver complementing smells at different times. The top note, which is the first scent you smell when you spray on your perfume, is the lightest and sweetest. This lasts around five to 15 minutes.

Then, the heart note takes over, which is typically composed of flowers, herbs and leaves. This will last for about two to three hours.

After this dissipates, the scent of the base will be left, which is generally made of amber, musk and wood. This will stay on for about three to four hours.

So, you don’t just smell one scent when you spray on your favorite fragrance. You might actually be running after the scent of your fragrance’s top note, which doesn’t last so long.

Still, there are ways to make your fragrance last longer. You can follow these easy tips.

Least diluted

Go for perfume rather than eau de toilette. When shopping for your go-to fragrance, you may notice how it comes in eau de toilette, eau de parfum and perfume, all of which have different prices. Its price depends on the strength of the perfume oils used to create it, which makes the least diluted formulation of fragrance more expensive because it has higher staying power.

Buy eau de parfum or the perfume version of it. This will guarantee your fragrance will stay on longer, as it has the highest concentration of oil.

Know when to spray your scent. Humidity is the vampire of fragrance. The moisture in the air robs you of your scent as it absorbs it quicker than your skin can. This makes it ideal to wear your perfume in a dry environment, like an air-conditioned room, or maybe inside your car or office.

You can keep a little bottle in your handbag to make it easier to spray when you arrive at a place. Doing this also ensures you smell great at the right place and time so you don’t waste your fragrance.

Never rub your fragrance when you spray. You know how you’re supposed to rub your wrists together when you apply perfume? Well, that isn’t the right way to do it, apparently. Fragrance should be left to dry on its own when you spray it, so you don’t disrupt how it’s supposed to smell.

Perfume smells different on different skin or people. Rubbing your fragrance may cause it to have a different smell.

Moisturize. You know how humidity can absorb fragrance faster than our skin can? Well, this is especially true when you have very dry skin. Scents will never last because there is nothing for your perfume to grab. The fragrance will simply evaporate in a matter of minutes. Using a moisturizing soap or shower gel helps, as will using body lotion after showering.

E-mail the author at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram at @kellymisa and visit her blog www.kellymisa.com.