Chances are you'll be gifting someone a fragrance or receiving one yourself thgis holiday season. So it's well worth knowing how to get the most out of that precious bottle of scent. Because, let's face it, how often do you apply a fragrance for it to wear away before lunch? Or you buy a bottle and it goes off before you can finish it? When it comes to wearing and storing fragrances, there are a few pieces of advice everyone should know. Trust us, these tips will help you get the most out of your perfume.

#1 Apply Strategically

You should always apply perfume to pulse points such as on the neck, wrists and backs of the knees. As the blood pumps through these points, they are warmer than other parts of your body which means they help the scent to emit from the skin more effectively.

#2 Store It Right

Like the Goldilocks of the beauty world, perfume can not be stored anywhere too hot, or too sunny it needs to be just right. Store them in a cool, shady spot to ensure they last as long as possible. The sun can cause the fragrance to degrade altering the scent and also, in some cases, the colour of the liquid.

#3 Moisturise First

Did you know that fragrance doesn’t last as long on dry skin? Be sure to moisturiser with a fragrance-free body cream before spritzing your scent.

#4 Be Scent Safe

Applying perfume before heading out in the sun can lead to pigmentation and even broken capillaries. Since perfume lasts longer on hydrated skin, in the summer be sure to apply a sunscreen before your fragrance.

#5 Layer Up

Want a unique scent? Try layering. Mona Kattan’s Kayali fragrances are designed to be layered. According to Mona, the more intense Kayali fragrances pair nicely with the more simple, lighter scents.

MUSK | 12 and ELIXIR | 11 pair well together.

MUSK | 12,  VANILLA | 28, ELIXIR | 11 is Mona’s favourite trio to layer.

#6 Make It Last

Another way to make your fragrance go the distance is to use a hair perfume. The slightly porous nature of our hair means scent clings to it more effectively than skin. 

#7 Wear It!

Perfume has a shelf life, it won’t smell as it should forever. Wear and enjoy it, rather than savouring it and having to throw your beloved elixir away.

From niche French brand Maison Matine and sustainable luxury Sana Jardin, to Mona Kattan's Kayali and Jen Atkin's Ouai fragrance, explore all the perfumes at The Beauty Editor here.