Perfume is usually the last step in our grooming ritual. It's like the final accessory to any outfit and it also helps lift the senses when we're not in the mood. The best perfumes are expensive and learning how to apply them properly means that you get to enjoy them longer, too. It also prevents you from spraying time and time again and finishing up a pricey bottle quickly. Here are tips from master perfumers around the world to make perfume last longer on your skin.

Apply perfume after an unscented body oil or lotion.

Cosmopolitan says oily skin holds perfume better than dry skin. To make perfume last longer, use oil-based body care products to help retain the scent of your favorite perfumes. After you shower, apply unscented body oil or lotion on damp skin to help seal moisture then spray on your chosen perfume for the day. You can also apply petroleum jelly on your pulse points to help the fragrance last longer. Using unscented body products is a great way of ensuring that no other scent will clash with your perfume.

Spray directly on skin.

Remember those movies when women spritz perfume in front of them and walk though it? That's a waste. Spray directly on skin to avoid quicker evaporation. Also, avoid rubbing your wrists together once you've sprayed perfume on them.  Award-winning perfumer Francis Kurkdjian tells Vogue that this is a very bad habit. The friction that comes from rubbing skin together creates heat that affects the scent and makes it lose its crispness.

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Be aware of other pulse points.

The wrists and the necks are the most common pulse points that people spray perfume on but Gerard Camme of Atelier Cologne reminds Instyle to remember spraying perfume on elbow creases and the backs of your knees. You can also spray on the backs of your ears, the hollow of your throat, and your abdomen.

Check the concentration.

When buying fragrance, perfume has the highest concentration followed by eau de parfum then eau de toilette. Of course, the higher the concentration, the longer it lasts. A good perfume needs only a couple of spritzes to make its scent known.

Storage is key.

Perfume can be compromised by extreme temperature changes. While it's common to leave it on your bathroom vanity, it's better to store perfume is a cool and dark place. If you really want to extend its shelf life, you can find a spot in your refrigerator but make sure to keep it away from the butter.

Bigger isn't always better.

While you'd think it's more cost-effective to buy the biggest size of your favorite perfume, Kurkdjian says smaller bottles are better, especially for those perfumes that you save for special occasions. Oxygen breaks down fragrance molecules every time you open a bottle of perfume and compromises the scent over time. You can, however, decant your perfume into smaller glass bottles if the perfume bottle has a screw top. Also, feel free to buy the biggest bottle if a certain perfume is your daily scent.

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