Luxury Perfumes

Get advice on how to store luxury perfumes, how long they can be kept for and how to apply luxury fragrances to make them most effective.

HOW TO STORE PERFUMES

Perfume should be stored upright, away from daylight and heat. Cool and dark spaces, such as drawers or in your luxury perfume's original box, will keep it from deteriorating. Perfumes, like other cosmetics, have a shelf life and will get darker and lose their scent over time. 

SHOULD PERFUMES BE KEPT IN THE FRIDGE?

Perfumes do not need to be kept in the fridge. 

You can store a luxury perfume in your fridge to ensure it maintains a stable temperature but this is not a necessity. You may want to store your luxury fragrances in the fridge if you have a warm home or aren't able to keep the bottle away from sunlight. 

Premium perfumes that are kept away from radiators or direct sunlight won't lose any of their vibrance and there is no need to keep them in the fridge to prolong their shelf life. 

HOW LONG CAN YOU STORE PERFUME?

From the time of production, a perfume can last between 3 and 5 years. From bottle opening, a fragrance can, if stored correctly, last for up to 2 years. However, you should watch out for discoloration, a souring or fading of the scent as this means it is degrading. We recommend using luxury perfumes within 2-3 years of opening.

HOW TO APPLY PERFUME

You should apply perfume on what is known as the body's 'pulse points'. Pulse points include the nape of the neck, the collarbone, behind the ears, temples, wrists, between the breasts, behind the knees and the small of the back. 

Blood flows closer to the surface of the skin in these spots, causing the oils within a perfume to heat up when applied to them. The heat from your skin should warm up the perfume, making the scent stronger and longer lasting.

HOW DO I CHOOSE A PERFUME?

To choose a perfume you should try spraying it on your wrist, or other pulse point, to see how it smells on you. Wait a few seconds after spraying, to enable the fragrance to warm up, as a scent can change greatly once it has experienced the chemical reaction of the body's natural heat. This will also enable the top notes and alcohol to subside, bringing in the heart and base notes. These are the notes you should use to decide whether you like the fragrance. Always test a perfume on your skin, rather than paper blotters, to get a more accurate idea of the scent of the perfume.

WHAT ARE FRAGRANCE 'NOTES'?

Fragrance 'notes' are the layers of scent that are detectable within a perfume or aftershave. Luxury fragrances carefully balance scents to achieve a subtle and pleasing aroma.

A 'note' is essentially a single element in a perfume's composition, such as rose, sandalwood, or jasmine. A note can be woody, fruity, spicy, a herb, or technically anything with a scent! 

When notes are combined together, they create a fragrance. Most fragrances are described by their top, heart and base notes, which are the first, second and third scents you will be able to smell within a perfume.