I define myself as a perfume lover. I think it’s so cool to have a signature scent that defines who you are; one that people remember you by.
A woman's perfume tells more about her than her handwriting
Christian Dior
Scent is the most powerful memory trigger. Our sense of smell is more complex than you might think. Your nose contain thousands of olfactory nerves.
While your tongue has the ability to taste sweet, sour, salt, and bitter, it is your sense of smell that creates all the delightful flavours you experience. The olfactory bulb is part of your brain's limbic system, which is not under conscious control. The limbic system controls digestion, libido, and emotions. So, it's not your imagination that scents evoke emotions. Aromas actually trigger the release of chemicals in the brain that create a feeling of well-being. Scientists say your body's response to an aroma takes just four seconds. Besides, the smell is the oldest and most primitive sense and therefore the olfactory memory is the strongest in our "emotional brain".
Ambrosial, divine, crisp, warm, spicy, exquisite, or delicate all adjectives commonly used to describe a fragrance.
Fragrances, commonly referred as perfumes, are as old as humankind. Back in ancient times, human beings noticed that the smoke created by burning specific plants brought about beneficial properties; giving birth at that moment to the origins of perfumery . The word “perfume” comes from the Latin word per fumo meaning by smoke.
When I move on to my next scent, whenever that may be, this scent will always bring me back to where I am in my life right now.
The issue we have sometimes with natural perfumes, though, is that it seems tricky to make the scent last all day. We get a beautiful whiff when applied in the morning, but the scent diminishes as the hours go by, and soon enough it seems to disappear altogether. So I went on a mission long ago to solve this problem, and found out that there are a bunch of things you can do to make that gorgeous scent of yours last all day. Here’s how:
1. Moisturise your skin
If you have naturally some extra oil in you skin, you’re in luck — a scent will last much longer on you. For those of you experiencing dry skin, find out if your scent comes in oil base form, as it will last longer. If it doesn’t come in an oil base, use first an unscented cold pressed oil (like avocado, macadamia, or sweet almond oil) and then spray your perfume on top and apply a little massage in the area.
2. Apply to pulse points
Heat re-activates scents dispersion. The pulse points on your body (where your heart rate can be felt) are the best spots to apply a perfume, due to the warmth of your blood. This points amongst others are located behind your knees, elbows, collarbone, wrists and neck. If you are using an Alchemic Perfume these places are where the perfume will be most effective. Apply the perfume before you put your clothes on because the molecules also need to interact directly with your skin and reach your bloodstream later on.
3. Don’t rub
After applying a fragrance, many people feel a need to rub it in in order to warm the skin or spread the scent. This is a big mistake! Rubbing a natural perfume breaks down its molecules, diminishing the scent into thin air.
4. Store it the right way
Heat, light, and humidity can all break down the compounds in a natural perfume, causing it to be less fragrant. To keep your scent at its best, store it in a cool place, away from direct sunlight. Make sure to keep it out of the bathroom, as the heat and humidity from showers and baths could damage it greatly.
My beautiful Alchemic Perfumes will last longer anyway as they are eau de parfum and perfume which means they contain a higher amount of natural essence. If you would like to read more about how is made a fragrance I recommend you reading Please take a scented note.
Do you have any tricks for making perfume last longer? Let me know! And while you’re at it, tell me what your signature scent is.
Glow naturally,
Love Sonia x