Some people think that applying and wearing perfume is more art than science. While everyone develops their own rituals and preferences there’s a few basic guidelines you should follow when it comes to wearing and applying perfume.

If there’s one thing that drives me crazy it’s the woman who wears too much perfume. After a long time you can almost become immune to the smell of your own perfume, giving others in your company a headache and even worse an asthma attack. It’s really important to remember that even though you might not be able to smell it, others will be very sensitive to even a small application.

Instead of spraying the perfume on your wrists and then rubbing them together, most experts agree that it’s better to let the perfume air dry. If you rub or dab the area where the perfume was applied the fragile and tiny perfume molecules are destroyed. This will create a different and perhaps less desirable scent.

You may also wonder whether or not it’s better to apply the perfume directly on your skin or walk through a cloud of fragrance. It depends on which scent you like better. The perfume will smell different depending on the surface where it’s applied. You skin has a different chemistry than your hair and clothes. You may also notice that perfume sprayed directly on your skin will have a more potent fragrance.

If your perfume has a rather strong or overbearing feeling misting may be a better method of application. Certain areas you can use to target sprays of perfume include the wrists, behind the knees, or between your breasts.

If you’d like to experiment with a new perfume before applying it directly on you skin you can mist a small amount on your clothing. However, you should be aware that some types of perfume are known to stain fabric. Be sure to test a small area first. Other items that can benefit from a small amount of fragrance include curtains, gloves, scarves, and sheets. Perfume can go more places than just on your body.

If you like to try a lot of different perfumes you may find there comes a time when you don’t the scent of a particular fragrance. Usually if you need to remove a fragrance you can do some with warm soap and water but some perfumes can be stubborn. Rubbing the affected area with non-scented deodorant may help or if applied to an article of clothing try washing with liquid laundry soap.