I’m A Perfume Artist & Professional Nose: These Hacks Make You Smell Delectable

Smell sensational all day long.

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Jun 22, 2023 - 21:02

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I’m A Perfume Artist & Professional Nose: These Hacks Make You Smell Delectable

mbg Beauty & Wellness Editor

By Jamie Schneider

mbg Beauty & Wellness Editor

Jamie Schneider is the Beauty & Wellness Editor at mindbodygreen. She has a B.A. in Organizational Studies and English from the University of Michigan, and her work has appeared in Coveteur, The Chill Times, and Wyld Skincare.

Image by Ivan Gener / Stocksy

June 22, 2023

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Every beauty professional has their nonnegotiable steps. In our series Like a Pro, we tap experts for the top three techniques they absolutely swear by. Here, you'll hear from a variety of industry insiders on the fail-safe tricks they always keep in their back pockets. We're all about simplifying your beauty regimen wherever you can, and sometimes the best routines are as easy as 1, 2, 3.

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Ever wondered what a master nose knows? Yes, it’s a real profession: A nose (or the French word nez) is a term used to describe a perfume artist, due to their ability to craft and differentiate between the most sophisticated, complex scents.

A professional nose not only understands how to navigate the intricacies of fragrance vocab (Perfumes are the strongest fragrance, for example, while an eau de toilette is akin to a light body mist), but they also know how to get the most out of the juice—to spray just right and nail the most elegant, long-lasting aroma.

Here, we have Nicole Eckels, founder, CEO, and nose of Glasshouse Fragrances, to shed some light on fragrance longevity. Ahead, she bestows us with her tips to smell sensational all day long.

Start fragrance layering in the shower

Great skin and hair starts in the shower with a thorough (yet non-stripping) wash. Well, you can apply the same logic to perfumery: “By layering the same perfume onto your skin multiple times, you’ll be able to boost its sillage (fragrance-talk for the olfactory trail created by a perfume when you wear it),” says Eckels. “It’s really easy to do this, and it usually starts in the shower with the products you use to wash your body.”

For example, you can lather up with a scented body wash, then follow up with a matching or complementary body lotion. Finally, top off your scent with your actual perfume. “Once you learn how to layer scent, you can amplify the effects of any perfume,” Eckels notes. And beginning with body care can help you build up that intensity.

That’s why she offers shower gel and body wash bundles, so you can cocktail your favorite fragrance and enhance the aroma. This Midnight In Milan shower combo, for example, envelops your skin with sweet and sultry rose, saffron and moss. When you spray the proper Eau de Parfum on top, it’s an even dreamier, more dynamic scent experience.

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“Skin that is dry does not cling to scent as well as hydrated skin,” says Eckels. “Hydrating the skin (while your skin is damp) creates the right foundation for the fragrance to adhere to so that it lasts all day.”

Consider it another reason why you should lather on body lotion pre-perfume, be it scented or fragrance-free. Not only does it help you layer fragrance, but the extra hydration also helps your perfume last longer.

See here for our favorite best-smelling body moisturizers if you need a restock.

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Finally, consider how you spray your perfume. The biggest mistake people make, says Eckels, is the common “mist and walk” technique. “The ‘mist and walk’ is not a thing,” she declares. “You’re wasting far more fragrance than what is actually landing on your skin and clothes.”

While you may know to apply on your pulse points (as that’s where the skin is thinnest, which means it's closer to your blood and body heat), you might be surprised to find out that you shouldn’t vigorously rub it into your skin.

“Rubbing your wrists together, for example, causes the top notes of the fragrance to dissipate and so you never really get the full scent experience (top, middle, and bottom notes) of a fragrance,” says Eckels. “Instead, just tap your wrists together to disperse the fragrance.”

To elevate your fragrance longevity even further, you may even want to spray your strands: “Spraying on your hair as well is a great place for fragrance to stick and last throughout the day, because the strands hold fragrance well and leave a trail of scent as you move from place to place,” Eckels explains.

Especially if you have high porosity hair, your strands have an easier time absorbing and latching onto products—perfume included.

The takeaway

Fragrance is sophisticated and delectable (and one of the mbg beauty team’s favorite topics, FYI!). So why have it wear off within the hour? With Eckels’ tips, your perfume will last you all day or night long, no reapplication necessary—but if you’d like to touch up with an on-the-go fragrance oil, by all means, layer away.