Speeding Up Your Regimen

If you have always been a user of lighter body sprays and eaux de toilet, switching over to a perfume oil may seem a little foreign. The fragrances are so bold and concentrated! Yet, you do not need to feel intimidated by these scents. Here are a few perfume oil tips for beginners that will start you off on the right track.

1. Use a roller-ball applicator.

Since perfume oils are so strong, you only need a very tiny amount to provide all-day scent. If you were to spritz yourself with the oil, the scent would be way too strong, and although some people dab it on with their fingers, this can be messy. The best perfume oil makers sell their products in roller ball applicators, so you can just roll a little oil on where you want it without getting it anywhere you don't want it.

2. Apply it to your warm spots.

There is no hard and fast rule as to where you should apply perfume oil, but a general guideline is to apply it to places where your veins are close to your body. This ensures the oil stays warm and continues to give off fragrance. Your wrist, the inside of your elbow, the base of your neck near your collarbone, behind your ear, and behind the knee are top choices. Do not apply it to all of these spots at once; the scent would be overpowering! Pick three, at most.

3. Apply perfume oil to clean skin.

Apply the perfume when you first get out of the shower. This way, it will be going onto fresh skin and won't slough off due to your skin's natural oils. If you use a moisturizer after you shower, make sure it is an unscented one as not to hide the fragrance of the perfume. Do not rub the oil into your skin; this can destroy some of the more delicate fragrance molecules.

4. Store your fragrances in a dark place.

Many higher-end oils, like oudh fragrance oils, break down if they are left in the presence of light. So when you are done applying your perfume, tuck it away in a drawer or cupboard. Do not leave it out on your vanity or counter. As pretty as the bottle may look, this is a surefire way to ruin your lovely oil.

Using perfume oil is a bit different from using body sprays, but it's a luxurious practice that you'll come to love.