The body part you should be spraying perfume on - if you want it to last

Wondering where to spray your perfume to ensure it lingers all day? While most of us spritz on our wrists and neck, there is actually another body part that can help our signature scent endure...

When it comes to the best perfumes for women, they are often the most premium buys in our beauty arsenals and thus, we tend to look for long-lasting perfumes that make the spend feel like a worthwhile investment. That being said though, where you spray your perfume can also have a big impact on the longevity of your go-to scents.

Pulse points are likely the most well-known places to spray perfume, but according to the fragrance experts - and our woman&home beauty team - there are a few other areas to consider, one of which, might surprise you...

Michelle Feeney

Michelle Feeney is the founder of the popular and affordable fragrance brand, Floral Street - who has shared expertise on the best places to spritz your signature scent to ensure they linger all day...

Where the experts say to spray your perfume for lasting scent

As mentioned, the most common places to spritz your favourite milk perfumes or floral fragrances are your neck and wrists - which are pulse points. As the name suggests, these spots are where you can feel your pulse through the skin and are typically, very warm. Perfume reacts to warmth and when applied to these areas, in particular, the slight...well, pulse of the skin helps the scent to emanate. 

But while many of us usually aim a spray onto the base or centre of our necks, by doing so we're missing another key area: the back of our ears.

Floral Street's founder, Michelle Feeney says: "Spraying perfume behind your ears is a popular technique because the area behind the ears tends to stay relatively warm and produces natural body heat, which can enhance the fragrance of the perfume. Additionally, the skin behind the ears is often less exposed to harsh environmental factors, so the scent may last longer there compared to other parts of the body." The area can also be quite oily, which is another pro for ensuring your scent lasts, as perfumes perform best when applied to damp skin.

Feeney does remind us though, that there are no rules on where to apply your perfume (it comes down to personal preference) but notes that the pulse points are best - and recommends, "behind the ears, on the wrists and even behind your knee!"

We would also recommend initially spraying your perfume onto your finger, before dabbing it behind your ears, to test how your skin and scent react. Also, when applying fragrance to your neck area in general, be mindful of your jewellery - as some metals can become discoloured.

Where to spray your perfume for a long-lasting impression

As mentioned, your pulse points are the best places to apply your go-to fragrances, which are located on the:

• Neck
• Wrists
• Behind the ears
• Insides of elbows
• Behind the knees

If you've tried out all of these locations and are seeking other suggestions, our team have also shared their favourite places to spritz their signatures...

• "I tend to do 3-4 sprays - mostly around my décolletage and mostly out of habit," says woman&home's Senior Beauty Editor, Rhiannon Derbyshire. "I always do an extra spritz towards the back of my shoulders, so whenever I get hugged, the hugger gets a whiff of the scent. Excessive? Maybe, but I don't think there's a better compliment than being told you smell nice."
• Naomi Jamieson, Digital Beauty Writer at w&h says that in prep for a long day or evening out, the back of her neck gets a dousing: "Day-to-day, I typically spray my perfumes on my wrists and neck (really original, I know) but when I want to make sure it lasts, I also apply some to the back of my neck and let my hair fall over the spot before it dries. This allows some of the liquid to transfer into the ends of my hair and so, every time I move, the scent whips around me. Being at the back of my neck also means that when people hug me, they get a good nose-full."
• Aleesha Badkar, woman&home's Digital Beauty Editor on the other hand, likes to mist her perfume on her clothes and hair: "When I really want to leave a good-smelling impression, I like to mist my perfumes on my clothes and hair. I find this helps the notes emanate throughout the day - and it usually works as I always get asked what scent I'm wearing. But I suggest doing a very light mist, from quite far away so it doesn't impact the fabric too much. And I never do it when I wear delicate fabrics or ones that show up liquid easily - like silk or satin."

Our team's go-to perfume picks