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Perfect perfume or eau de cat’s bum? Why scents smell different and 4 fragrance tips

Mother’s Day is coming up in Australia and that means a surge in perfume sales. Of course, scents are purchased year-round and not just for mothers. Fragrance sales in Australia will amount to <a href="https://www.statista.com/outlook/cmo/beauty-personal-care/fragrances/australia%5D">over A$1 billion</a> this year. The word “perfume” is derived from the Latin per fumus, meaning “through smoke”. The <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Mendeleyevs-Dream-Elements-Paul-Strathern/dp/0312262043">very first account</a> of using perfumes dates back to 1200 BC when a <a href="https://books.google.com.au/books/about/Women_of_Science.html?id=S7DaAAAAMAAJ&redir_esc=y">woman called Tapputi</a> mixed flowers, oils and various plants with water or solvents, then extracted their fragrance. The basis of this technique for making perfume is still used today. But how do we smell? What makes perfume appealing? And why does it smell differently on different people? <h2>The science of smell</h2> A sense of smell is vital to all species on Earth. One <a href="https://www.science.org/content/article/elephants-may-have-best-noses-earth">study</a> identified African elephants as having the “best noses” in the animal kingdom, not to mention the longest ones. It can help animals sniff out danger, food and mates. For humans, too, being able to smell is not just for the enjoyment of pleasant odours. It can also protect us from toxic chemicals with noxious smells, such as <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/ershdb/emergencyresponsecard_29750038.html#:%7E:text=Hydrogen%20cyanide%20(AC)%20gas%20has,as%20a%20solution%20in%20water.">hydrogen cyanide</a>. When something has an odour, it means it is chemically volatile – vaporising from a liquid to a gas. When we smell a scent, gas molecules enter our nose and stimulate specialised nerve cells called <a href="https://theconversation.com/curious-kids-how-do-we-smell-104772">olfactory sensory neurons</a>. When these neurons are triggered, they send a signal to the brain to identify the chemicals. Humans have around 10 million of those neurons and around <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1905909/">400 scent receptors</a>. The human nose can distinguish at least <a href="https://www.science.org/content/article/human-nose-can-detect-trillion-smells#:%7E:text=These%20are%20only%20three%20of,never%20been%20explicitly%20tested%20before.">1 trillion different odours</a>, from freshly brewed coffee to wet dog to mouldy cheese. The more volatile a compound is the lower its boiling point and, from a chemical perspective, the weaker the forces holding the molecules together. When this is the case, more molecules enter the gaseous state and the smell is more intense. <h2>What makes things smell good though?</h2> Different classes of chemical compounds can have more pleasant or offensive scents. Fish and decaying animal cells, for example, release chemicals called <a href="https://chem.libretexts.org/Courses/BridgeValley_Community_and_Technical_College/Fundamentals_of_Chemistry/11%3A_Organic_Chemistry/11.15%3A_Amines#:%7E:text=Amines%20generally%20have%20rather%20pungent,odor%20associated%20with%20dead%20fish.">amines</a>, which don’t smell appealing. Fruits, on the other hand, are composed of chemicals in a class of organic compounds called aldehydes, esters and ketones, which have sweeter and <a href="https://chem.libretexts.org/Courses/Sacramento_City_College/SCC%3A_CHEM_330_-_Adventures_in_Chemistry_(Alviar-Agnew)/09%3A_Organic_Chemistry/9.08%3A_Carboxylic_Acids_and_Esters#:%7E:text=Esters%20occur%20widely%20in%20nature,fragrances%20of%20fruits%20and%20flowers.">more pleasant odours</a>. Chemists have been able to identify the <a href="https://jameskennedymonash.wordpress.com/2014/01/04/table-of-organic-compounds-and-their-smells-revised-edition/">specific chemical smells</a> released by substances we encounter in everyday life. <h2>Smells different</h2> So it makes sense that pleasant-smelling aldehydes, ketones and esters are used to create perfumes. However, some perfumes also contain unusual ingredients that don’t smell nice on their own. For example, Chanel No. 5 perfume – the iconic 100-year-old favourite – contains civet as one of its base chemical notes. <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/1973/04/15/archives/a-boycott-of-chanel-no-5-urged-by-humane-groups.html">Civet</a> is used by perfumers for its <a href="https://theconversation.com/civet-musk-a-precious-perfume-ingredient-is-under-threat-steps-to-support-ethiopian-producers-and-protect-the-animals-193469">long-lasting, musky scent</a>. It is traditionally extracted from the anal glands of <a href="https://slate.com/technology/2012/07/chanel-no-5-a-brain-parasite-may-be-the-secret-to-the-famous-perfume.html">civet cats</a> but Chanel has used a synthetic form of civet <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/99a13235-cdb9-431b-b8f1-e52ce4a10486">since 1998</a>. <h2>Tips for choosing and using perfumes</h2> Our ability to smell a perfume will depend on two factors: how well our olfactory sensory neurons are performing (a virus or infection could affect function, for example) and the volatility of the chemicals in the perfume. 1. Try before you buy You can’t really do much about your sensory neurons, but you can increase the intensity of perfumes, such as by warming up the perfume on your skin or applying to pulse points. This will help to give molecules more energy and increase the number of molecules entering the gaseous state. Specific perfumes will not smell the same on different people’s skin because the chemicals in them can be affected by the skin’s type and condition (dry or oily, acidic or base) and even their diet. Some foods we eat, such as garlic, are released from our bodies through our skin. Those chemicals can mask perfume chemicals. So, it is better to buy someone their tried and true favourite scent rather than risking a new one. And those department store sample sprays can be useful to try before you buy. 2. Moisturise before use When you spray perfume on very dry skin, some of the perfume’s chemicals – the large organic ones that are similar to skin’s natural oils – are absorbed by the skin and then into the sebaceous glands. When some notes in a perfume are absorbed this way, it can take on a different smell. That’s also why it’s better to moisturise skin before spraying perfume, so perfume chemicals stay on the skin for longer. 3. Experiment with spraying techniques To avoid changes in the scent of your favourite perfume and increase the time the perfume stays on you, you could spray your hair instead. Your hair is porous so perfume molecules might remain there longer. However, most perfumes contain alcohol, which dries out hair. Spraying perfume directly onto a hairbrush first, then brushing your hair, might prevent some of this drying effect. <a href="https://www.byrdie.com/how-to-apply-perfume">Spraying then walking</a> through a mist of perfume so the chemicals settle on your hair, skin and clothes might work – but you risk losing a lot of precious perfume with that technique. 4. Keep it cool Temperature will <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/5674095_Effect_of_Temperature_on_the_Floral_Scent_Emission_and_Endogenous_Volatile_Profile_of_Petunia_axillaris">affect volatility</a>. To keep perfumes lasting longer in the bottle, keep them in the fridge or cool dark place and tightly sealed to prevent your expensive, heat-sensitive scent evaporating into thin air. This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/perfect-perfume-or-eau-de-cats-bum-why-scents-smell-different-and-4-fragrance-tips-203905" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>. Images: Getty

Beauty & Style

The perfume mistake everyone is making

Do you find despite spritzing perfume in the morning that by lunchtime there’s not a whiff of scent life on your body? It might be because you’ve been applying your perfume incorrectly. According to a fragrance expert from British perfume house, Penhaligon's, the biggest mistake most women make when applying perfume is to spray it on their wrists and rub them together. "Rubbing the fragrance starts the evaporation process, so the fragrance won't last as long if you do this," he said. "Instead spray twice onto the wrists, the chest and the back of the neck and leave to dry." Moisturising your skin before an application of perfume will also make it last for longer. "Dry skin absorbs the moisture in perfume, which evaporates the perfume off the skin," says Penhaligon's fragrance expert. Related links: <a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/beauty-style/2016/02/questions-to-ask-before-you-change-your-hair/">5 questions to ask before you change your hair</a> <a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/beauty-style/2015/11/ways-to-style-short-hair/">12 age defying ways to style short hair</a> <a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/beauty-style/2015/10/age-defying-hair-tips/">6 tips for healthy hair that defy ageing</a>

Beauty & Style

Why perfume could be the riskiest gift you’ll ever buy

When it comes to making careful plans to impress that significant other, certain things can seem like musts. Classy restaurant – check. Romantic atmosphere – check. Best suit or little black dress – check. Many will pay just as much attention to how they smell, of course. And if it’s a special occasion, a gift of perfume might well be on the agenda too. Either way, read on. There are some must-knows about the science of smell and perfume that may well be new to you. The nose knows Smell is the <a href="http://www.cambridge.org/gb/academic/subjects/life-sciences/animal-behaviour/pheromones-and-animal-behavior-chemical-signals-and-signatures-2nd-edition">dominant sense</a> in many animals, including humans, and meetings between individuals usually begin with a period of intense mutual sniffing. From this olfactory exploration, animals glean relevant information about a potential mate’s fertility and quality, enabling decisions about whether to breed now or wait until someone better comes along. While our greetings tend to be more reserved, research on the perception of human body odour reveals that similar messages lurk within our armpits. Researchers commonly test such perceptions using armpit odour collected on worn t-shirts or underarm pads, the wearers having been asked to avoid using fragranced products beforehand. In <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1439-0310.2006.01125.x/abstract">experimental tests</a>, men find women’s odour more pleasant and sexy when they are in the fertile part of their menstrual cycle than at other times. Women are more attracted to odours of men who have attractive non-olfactory qualities, such as being <a href="http://rsbl.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/1/3/256">socially dominant</a>, <a href="http://rspb.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/266/1422/869">facially attractive</a>, or having an <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21879430">air of confidence</a> about them. So smells are important when assessing partners, <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0191886908002250">especially for women</a>. Our body’s natural smells also appear to provide a for couples to check out their genetic compatibility. Research using the same t-shirt method <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19054623">indicates that</a> both sexes prefer the odour of potential partners who are genetically dissimilar when it comes to a set of genes known as the major histocompatibility complex (MHC). A range of other vertebrates, from fish and reptiles to birds and mammals, <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1046/j.1439-0310.2002.00768.x/abstract">show the same smell preference</a>, apparently because this ultimately produces healthier offspring. Arcane aromas So where do perfumes fit into the picture? Applying perfume to the body <a href="http://www.oxfordscholarship.com/view/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199586073.001.0001/acprof-9780199586073-chapter-0020">probably emerged</a> as a means of disguising the build-up of odour on clothing, which in times past was often worn for weeks or months at a time. Because ingredients were expensive, perfumes were associated with high social status. There are numerous references to people using perfume in ancient scripts including the <a href="http://www.kubik.org/health/perfumes.htm">Old Testament</a> and the writings of the Roman natural historian <a href="http://blogs.getty.edu/iris/the-scent-of-love-ancient-perfumes/">Pliny the Elder</a>. The oldest known perfume factory, <a href="http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/03/070329-oldest-perfumes.html">discovered 12 years ago</a> near the Cypriot town of Pyrgos, dates back about 4000 years. Eau de yes please Nowadays, of course, perfumes are relatively cheap and accessible. Despite this and the advent of washing machines and ventilated kitchens, we continue to use them. The social stigma of bad body-odour persists, and the modern fragrance industry is worth billions of pounds worldwide. But if we need perfumes to simply mask our bad odour, why are there so many different products available? And how do perfumes change or block the potentially relevant information contained within body odour? Research is now challenging the conventional view that perfumes simply mask bad odour. <a href="http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0033810">In one study</a>, researchers asked participants to wear cotton underarm pads, as described above, but they were instructed to apply a particular fragrance under one armpit while leaving the other fragrance-free. Unsurprisingly perhaps, volunteer sniffers later found the fragranced armpit odour to be more pleasant. But then the researchers asked a new set of participants to apply their fragrance of choice under one armpit and to apply another fragrance, chosen by the experimenters, under the other. This time, the sniffers judged the fragrance/body odour blends as more attractive when they involved the wearer’s own preferred fragrance – even though the sniffers found the two fragrances roughly comparable when there was no body odour involved. The conclusion? People select fragrances that complement their own body odour, producing a favourable blend. How might we achieve this? This question brings us back to the MHC genes that we mentioned earlier. A <a href="http://beheco.oxfordjournals.org/content/12/2/140.short">key study</a> determined the MHC group of different sniffers and then noted which odours they preferred among a range of common ingredients that might contribute to a perfume that they would wear. The results revealed a correlation between certain MHC groups and preferences for certain ingredients, suggesting that we choose fragrances that enhance the MHC signals that we are already giving off. Yet these correlations disappeared when the same sniffers rated the ingredients for a perfume their partner might choose to wear. At the genetic level, perfume preferences only work when thinking about ourselves. <a href="http://rspb.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/280/1755/20122889">Another experiment</a> took a slightly different approach to reach a similar conclusion. Researchers first extracted MHC peptides, a signature component of MHC molecules, from a number of volunteers. They then spiked samples of the volunteers’ body odour with peptides representative of either their own MHC or of other people’s MHC. When they were then asked to choose which spiked odour sample smelled like themselves, they tended to choose the one spiked with their own MHC peptides. Back to the perfume counter Taken together, these studies suggest that we evaluate perfumes, at least in part, according to whether they suit our individual, genetically influenced odour. In an ideal world we might all know our partner’s MHC genotype and choose perfumes that suited them accordingly, perhaps following some helpful system of colour coding or the like. Unfortunately this doesn’t look likely to happen in any major way any time soon – the test currently costs about £160 a head. So what lessons can be learned from these studies? One main point is that choosing a perfume for your partner based on your own preference is unlikely to work well. Your best bet is to ask perfume shop staff to select a perfume that smells roughly similar to the one you know your partner likes. Or do it yourself using perfume finders online, such as <a href="http://perfumesociety.org/fred/">FR.eD</a> or <a href="http://nose.fr/en/the-project/introduction">Nose</a>. For those choosing a fragrance for themselves, the lesson is to ensure you select one that really suits you. In the study of odour/fragrance blends, there were a few wearers who bucked the trend and smelled better with the experimenter-assigned perfume than with the brand they chose themselves. So it’s always worth investing some time in making a choice, and to test-drive it on your skin first. If this sounds daunting, you can at least proceed in the knowledge that the person best placed to decide what perfume suits you best is looking back at you in the mirror.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/37601/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/s-craig-roberts-152483">S Craig Roberts</a>, Senior Lecturer in Psychology, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-stirling-1697">University of Stirling</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/caroline-allen-155046">Caroline Allen</a>, Researcher, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-stirling-1697">University of Stirling</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/kelly-cobey-155033">Kelly Cobey</a>, Honourary Researcher (Psychology: Hormones and Behaviour), <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-stirling-1697">University of Stirling</a> This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/perfume-could-be-the-riskiest-gift-youll-ever-buy-37601">original article</a>.

Relationships

Expert’s guide: How to wear perfume the right way

Perfume is an essential for many women. With hair and makeup being a standard part of many people’s routines, perfume is the final step before you head out the door. But while it may seem like a simple task – I mean, how hard can a few spritzes be? – according to Calice Becker, the woman responsible for some of your favourite scents, there are many fragrance dos and don’ts. Speaking to <a href="https://www.vogue.com.au/beauty/howto/one-of-the-worlds-most-famous-noses-on-how-to-wear-perfume-properly/news-story/1acc0bf9efa1cb4c805bfc197ddf8967">Vogue Australia</a>, Becker revealed exactly what we should be doing when spraying and layering on scents, and also how to find a signature scent that will last the test of time. And according to the expert, we’re making some pretty crucial mistakes when wearing perfume. “I would definitely suggest trying on, to wear different scents and fragrances, and see how you feel about them,” she said. “The most important thing is to live the fragrance and take the time to ‘taste’ it, to follow its evolution with no hurry…” With most of us just spritzing our perfume in a rush before we head off to our destination, Becker says it’s important to spend time spraying on your perfume, because there’s a right way and a wrong way. “Of course, you can wear it on the pulse points, your wrists, the back of your knees, your elbows and why not your ankles,” she explained. “But as perfumes are emotions, I think you should wear a fragrance where it makes you feel well.” And when it comes to the wrong way of wearing perfume, the master perfumer says rubbing is a big no-no. “Rubbing the fragrance and putting the fragrance on clothes instead of wearing it on skin. The first may ruin it and the second does not allow the fragrance to interact with the skin which is what makes it so personal,” she said. “But again, you should be free to wear it where you prefer, also on clothes if you feel this makes them more ‘personal’.” Where do you wear your perfume? Tell us in the comments below.

Beauty & Style

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have planned to both wear this one thing on their wedding day

As Prince Harry and Meghan Markle finalise the final details of their wedding day, they have revealed that they will be wearing the same scent as they tie the knot. With millions expected to tune into their wedding ceremony on May 19, the couple will be smelling as good as they look because of a unique scent that has been created for them especially for their special day. Luxury fragrance house Floris London, the only perfumer to hold a Royal Warrant from the Queen, have created a personalised unisex scent for the royal wedding. Although many details about the scent have been kept hidden, it is reportedly based off the brand’s popular Bergamotto di Positano fragrance. The citrus sent includes hints of wood and spice, as well as bergamot, orange blossom and green tea. The fragrance is expected to have the Queen’s approval as the British perfumers have a longstanding relationship with the royal family. Floris has created fragrances for Queen Victoria, King George V and they also created the “Wedding Bouquet” which was worn by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge at their wedding in 2011.

Beauty & Style

Sarah Harris reveals her husband’s awkward request

What would you do if your husband asked you to wear his ex’s signature perfume? That’s the awkward situation Studio 10 host Sarah Harris found herself in, opening up about her hubby’s strange request on Dave Hughes’ comedy show Hughesy, We Have a Problem. Asking the panel for advice, Harris revealed her husband Tom recently asked her to start wearing a “very floral and sickly sweet” perfume that wasn’t quite to her taste. What’s worse is that it was the same scent worn by his ex-girlfriend. “First of all, is it a bit weird that he wants me to wear an ex’s perfume?” she asked co-panellists Meshel Laurie, Merrick Watts and Luke McGregor. “And, second of all, should I wear it?” The group suggested she only wear it during their “special times”, but Harris expressed concern that it would only lead Tom to think of his “smelly” ex at the absolute worst time. McGregor agreed, asking, “What if you start wearing it and then he goes, ‘Great,’ and then he goes, ‘Now, I know this is weird as well, but if you could start wearing this ex-girlfriend mask?’” Unfortunately for Harris, none of the panel’s advice was all that helpful… but at least it was funny! Tell us in the comments below, what would you do if your husband asked you to wear his ex’s favourite perfume? Image credit: Sarah Harris/Instagram.

Relationships

Watch Judy Garland perform a deleted song from “The Wizard of Oz”

Judy Garland was one of the most talented and captivating personalities of her era, and now, newly-unearthed footage of the star performing a deleted song from The Wizard of Oz is making us fall in love with her all over again. The catchy tune “Jitterbug” was cut out from the classic 1939 film at the last minute, and despite remaining on the original 78s from Decca Records, has remained largely unheard for nearly 80 years. But we can finally listen to it, thanks to this recently rediscovered clip from The Judy Garland Show in 1963, in which Garland, Jane Powell and Ray Bolger perform the song in full. Have a look below and tell us in the comments, what do you think of the song? <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/nYbCqjMftbg" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>

Music

The surprising place you should be storing your perfume

Most people like displaying their bottles of perfumes in the bedroom or bathroom, often in plain sight, but it’s not the best place for them. In fact, due to the chemical make up of fragrances, the best place to store them is the fridge. “To prolong the scent of your favourite fragrance, sometimes it is best to store them in a refrigerator,” advises Vlatka Lake, a storage expert from Space Station. “Many of us keep our prized perfume collection on display on our dressing tables, but perfumes and colognes with high oil concentrates can break down over time when exposed to light and heat. “Remember to always keep fragrances away from windowsills and bathrooms. “And if your fridge is full, a dry, cold storage cupboard is just as good.” Where do you store your perfume?

Beauty & Style

Strange body part to apply perfume to make it last longer

It seems every day we’re being told something new that we’ve been doing wrong all these years, and this one has to be the strangest yet. Steven Claisse, senior perfumer at fragrance company Takasago, has revealed that to make your perfume last longer, you should apply a few drops to your belly button. Yes, you read that right! While most people opt for a spritz on the wrists and each side of the neck, Claisse claims the navel is the best place to apply fragrance. “Any area on your body that radiates heat will enhance a scent, and your belly button does just that,” he told <a href="http://www.self.com/story/how-to-apply-perfume" target="_blank">SELF</a>. In addition, Claisse says applying perfume to your hair, the top of your ears, inside the elbows, behind your knees, down your calves or on your ankles will make the fragrance last longer and help you leave a “trail of scent” wherever you go. Tell us in the comments below, would you ever consider applying perfume to your belly button? Have you tried it before? Related links: <a href="/news/news/2016/11/107-year-old-man-swears-this-drink-is-key-to-his-long-life/">107-year-old man swears this drink is key to his long life</a> <a href="/news/news/2016/11/how-to-pronounce-scone/">The correct pronunciation of “scone” revealed</a> <a href="/news/news/2016/11/9-foods-that-lower-cholesterol/">9 foods that lower cholesterol</a>

Beauty & Style

6 ways to make your perfume last longer

It’s very disheartening when you feel that your favourite scent is lacking the oomph it had when your first fell in love with it in-store. The good news is it may not be the fragrance losing its touch after all, it could be how you’re using it. Have a gander at our six tips to make your perfume last longer than you thought it could. 1. Don’t store perfume in the bathroom (or other damp, warm places) Heat, light, and humidity will break down the perfume and lessen the quality of the fragrance. Store them away from your vanity, windows or other damp and warm places and instead put them neatly on display. 2. Rub Vaseline on your pulse points Where do you wear your perfume? It should be on your pulse points, and if you rub Vaseline in these spots first, it will hold the fragrance to your skin longer. Focus on not only the wrists and neck, but inside your elbows, behind your knees and on your calves and ankles. 3. Don’t dab the fragrance on your wrists If you rub your wrists together after spraying your scent, you'll force the top notes to disappear faster than intended and as a result, your fragrance will not last as long. 4. Spray your perfume right after taking a shower The moisture on your skin will help lock in the scent. This will also prevent the fragrance from staining delicate clothes or jewellery. 5. Spray the fragrance onto your hairbrush Spraying an alcohol-based fragrance directly onto your hair will dry it out, so instead spray the fragrance on your brush before running it through your hair. Your hair will be lightly scented, undamaged, and will hold the fragrance longer. 6. Pack top ops Spray cotton swabs with your perfume and hide them in sandwich bags inside your handbag for quick touch-ups throughout the day. It's much easier to carry cotton swabs in your purse than an entire perfume bottle. Do you have a fragrance related tip to share with us? Let us know in the comments below. Related links: <a href="/news/news/2016/05/allergy-mistake-we-all-make-with-perfume/">The dangerous mistake we all make with our perfume</a> <a href="/lifestyle/beauty-style/2016/06/trick-to-make-your-perfume-last/">Genius trick to make your perfume last all day</a> <a href="/lifestyle/beauty-style/2016/04/uses-for-cotton-tips-in-beauty-routine/">5 Uses for cotton tips in your beauty routine</a>

Beauty & Style

Genius trick to make your perfume last all day

It’s mighty frustrating when your favourite perfume wears off before you even arrive at your destination. Looking to keep your perfume in check all day long? The solution is so much easier and cheaper than you’d think. Massage Vaseline into your pulse points, or where you like to apply perfume on your neck, wrists and collarbone for example. Simply spray your perfume over the Vaseline. Vaseline acts like primer does for make-up, locking in the scent and keeping your perfume smelling fresh. Perfume won’t work on dry skin, so the hydrating nature of Vaseline locks in smell perfectly for all-day fragrance. Have you ever tried this clever trick? Let us know in the comments below. Related links: <a href="/lifestyle/beauty-style/2016/05/chemicals-in-beauty-products-to-avoid/">Chemicals in beauty products everyone should avoid</a> <a href="/lifestyle/beauty-style/2016/05/diy-skin-care-tips-that-are-bad-for-you/">5 DIY skin care tips that are bad for you</a> <a href="/lifestyle/beauty-style/2016/04/home-remedies-for-sagging-skin/">5 home remedies for sagging skin</a>

Beauty & Style

The dangerous mistake we all make with our perfume

With over two hundred chemical components in an artificial fragrance it’s no surprise that many people are sensitive to scents. What’s more, it can be tough for people to know what exactly they are allergic to. Why many might think this to be a minor problem, dermatologic surgeon Dr Joel Schkessinger explains that being around perfume or cologne can actually be dangerous for those who are allergic and says we should avoid wearing it when in a small enclosed space with others. "Common symptoms range from headaches, watery eyes, and sneezing to dizziness, asthma attacks, and difficulty breathing”. And these aren't just reactions allergic people have while wearing fragrances – merely being in the presence of certain scents can lead to severe discomfort. What can you do? To avoid putting too much perfume on, spritz your favourite scent in the air in front of you and walk through it. Avoid adding more throughout the day, and definitely don't spray it around folks without asking first. Related links: <a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/beauty-style/2016/04/4-ways-your-brows-can-age-you/">4 ways your brows can age you</a> <a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/beauty-style/2016/04/glad-to-be-grey/">I love my grey hair</a> <a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/beauty-style/2016/03/natural-remedies-to-cure-dandruff/">12 natural remedies for dandruff</a>

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The most popular perfumes that defined a decade

Coco Chanel once said “A woman who doesn’t wear perfume has no future”. This may have been a dramatic overstatement, but it worked. Chanel No. 5 is one of the most popular fragrances of all time with a bottle being sold every 30 seconds. Iconic fragrances are akin to clothing pieces in their persuasive role in colouring fashion traditions. As visually iconic as Marilyn Monroe’s white, blow up dress was in 1955, those close to her knew her well by her signature Chanel No 5 scent. The historic magazine pages are filled with fragrances that once upon a time gifted the experience of a new sensation and set the world alight. As Christian Dior says “What I remember the most about the women who were part of my childhood was their perfume – perfume lasts much more than the moment.” Here are eight of the world’s most classic and recognisable scents that captured and defined a decade. Related links: <a href="/lifestyle/beauty-style/2015/11/80s-and-90s-beauty-products/">Cult beauty products from the 80s and 90s</a> <a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/beauty-style/2016/01/how-to-stop-lipstick-bleeding/">How to stop lipstick bleeding</a> <a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/beauty-style/2016/01/favourite-looks-from-advance-style-blog/">The best looks from the Advance Style blog</a>

Beauty & Style

How to make your perfume last longer

Beautiful smells (aka perfumes) can be wonderfully intoxicating – but they can be expensive. Waste not, want not. Here we have some great tips and tricks to ensure your perfume will last on your skin all day long.1. Spritz after you showerRight after you showe your pores are open making it the ideal time to spray on perfume. This way you will most effectively soak up the scent and it will last longer as a result.  2. Do not rubIt is likely almost like a relfex after you spray your perfume because you are so used to doing it now, but rubbing your wrists together will bruise your scent and thus make it fade a lot quicker. 3. Safe storageWhatever you do, don't store your perfumes in your bathroom. In fact, avoid all damp, warm places. Overtime things such as heat and humidity spoil perfume. Look to cool, dry spots like your wardrobe. Related links:<a href="/lifestyle/beauty-style/2014/12/make-your-manicure-last/" target="_blank">Tips to make your manicure last longer</a><a href="/lifestyle/beauty-style/2014/12/beautiful-without-makeup/" target="_blank">4 simple tips for looking beautiful without make-up</a><a href="/lifestyle/beauty-style/2014/11/diy-beauty-treatments/" target="_blank">Inexpensive DIY beauty treatments</a>

Beauty & Style

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