3 Hacks To Smell Good All Day, From A Perfume Artist & Professional Nose

Ever wondered what a master nose knows? Yes, it's a real profession: 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. 

Great skin and hair start 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. 

"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 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.

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.