There is a particular kind of betrayal involved in applying your favorite perfume at 8 a.m. only to find it has apparently left the building before lunch. And while some fragrances naturally have more staying power than others—an eau de parfum will generally linger longer than a lighter eau de toilette—the way you apply and store your scent can make a surprisingly big difference. Making perfume last longer has less to do with spraying half the bottle and more to do with giving the fragrance something to hold onto. Consider it perfume strategy, only considerably prettier.

Moisturize Before Applying Your Perfume

Fragrance tends to cling better to hydrated skin, so timing matters. Apply an unscented body lotion before spraying your perfume, particularly on areas where you want the scent to linger. If your skin runs dry, a tiny amount of petroleum jelly on your pulse points can create an even more occlusive base. Then comes placement. Wrists and the sides of the neck remain classics for a reason: body heat helps fragrance develop gradually throughout the day. The inner elbows can work particularly well too. One habit worth retiring, however, is rubbing your wrists together after spraying. That friction can interfere with the way the perfume develops on the skin. Spritz, leave it alone and allow chemistry to do the flirting.

Layer Your Fragrance Instead of Overspraying

If your perfume tends to disappear by mid-afternoon, adding more sprays is rarely the most elegant solution. Fragrance layering can help extend its wear while keeping the scent more nuanced. Start with a body lotion or shower product from the same fragrance family, then apply your perfume on top. A neutral moisturizer works just as well if you want the scent to stay true to the original composition. You can also layer two fragrances, but restraint matters. Choose scents that share a note or belong to compatible families, rather than combining everything you love at once. A woody base can give a lighter floral more depth, while musk can help a citrus scent linger longer on the skin. The goal is to give your perfume more staying power, not to create a fragrance identity crisis before breakfast.