Store Bottles Correctly
Think of fragrance as a living organism—one that’s very sensitive to environmental changes. Award-winning perfumer Francis Kurkdjian, likens his bottles to those of Champagne. You’d never leave a good bottle of bubbly in the sun or in a steamy bathroom before you’re ready to drink it, right? Your cologne doesn’t like going from cold to hot. Those shifts in temperature and humidity affects the “freshness” of the scent and can make more natural ingredients like certain oils and extracts smell a little rancid after a while. Sunlight can also alter your fragrance’s smell and color. Put another way: These bottles aren’t cheap, so treat them well, okay?
Think Small
As you can see, you want to wear your fragrance while it’s fresh. Which means it should be consumed (not kept for years). So smaller bottles allow the juice to be enjoyed at its peak freshness before light and oxygen (the natural enemies of perfume oil) break down the scent’s molecules. If you’re not sure how often you’ll be wearing it, or prefer to wear a variety of scents, avoid spoilage by purchasing bottles no larger than 3.4 ounces.
Spritz (Don’t Rub)
It’s an almost unconscious habit: You spray one wrist and then press it against the other one. Maybe you then bring it up to your neck. But experts will tell you that this is absolutely not how you should be applying fragrance. It has the potential to “bruise” the scent by disturbing the molecules of the fragrance. Plus, the friction created by rubbing heats up the skin, and that produces natural enzymes that will change the course of the scent.