Francois Demachy, Dior in-house perfumer

The expert tells that spraying perfume in the hair, or on a little lotioned skin, will lengthen perfume life on the skin considerably.



Perfumes have become such an integral part of an outfit these days that they are are part and parcel of fashion. Even the most exquisite ensembles will not be complete without a spritz of perfume as the final cherry on top. It ties together all loose ends and leaves an enrapturing shadow of its wearer that lingers.

“The best perfumes evoke a memory when you smell it,” shares Francois Demachy, House of Dior’s in-house perfumer. “Clothes have to look good inside and out. Perfumes make up the inner side of fashion.”

Here, he shares with us further how to make your favourite perfumes last longer so you need not keep touching up the scent that makes you, you.

 

 

1. “To leave a trail, perfume your hair and the inside of your clothes.”

Our hair has pores on every individual strand that will hold on to scents much more diligently than our skin or the fabrics of our clothes. Applying the fragrance on the hair can make it last the entire day, if not more, and leave a trail behind you when you walk away from the spot. Because our hair does not emit heat, it also does not change the composition of the alcohols in the perfume so the scent remains the same. One can also spray perfume under clothes so the scent does not fade too fast from UV rays and other environmental elements. 

 



2. "Apply a layer of oily lotion to the skin before spritzing the perfume on.”

When extracting fragrance from flowers, a shallow dish of butter is used to ‘capture’ the perfume from the petals. They absorb the fragrance and hold on to them so well that the women who harvest them have been reported to get light-headed from the strong scent.

Based on the same idea, Demachy says to rub a thin layer of petroleum jelly or fragrance-free lotion on your skin before applying the perfume on top of it. The oils and fats will absorb and hold on to the fragrance to lengthen its life on you considerably. 

 



3. “Apply it to the pulsating points of your body, where it is warm.” 

Spots like the inner wrist, the neck and hollow between your chest are most ideal for applying perfume. The thinner skin in the area means more sebum will be secreted there and hold on to the scent. At the same time, the blood rushing closer to the surface of the skin will open up the notes of the perfume and help it bloom better so the scent becomes more detectable. 

 

In our upcoming August issue of Malaysia Tatler, Francois Demachy shares with us Dior's newest line of premium perfumes -- the Dior Les Extraits. A class above every line of perfume ever created by the House of Dior, keep a lookout for the full feature in the newsstands come August.

 

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