How many sprays of perfume should you wear?
Start with one, wait, and add one at a time. The right number depends on the perfume, the place and your nose, and here is a method to find your own.
How many sprays of perfume should you wear? Start with one, wait for it to settle, and add one at a time. There is no number that suits every perfume, every skin and every room, because strength differs between formulas, warm weather lifts a scent and a closed space amplifies it. What you can do is follow a method and find your own number for each perfume, and then trust that number until the weather or the perfume changes. This is the method, and the reasons behind it.
Why there is no single number
Four things decide how much is enough. The first is the perfume: a rich extrait carries more per spray than a light cologne, see EDT, EDP or extrait. The second is the weather: heat makes everything louder, cold keeps it close. The third is the place: an open street forgives, a lift or an office does not. The fourth is your nose, which gets used to a scent and then misleads you, see why you cannot smell your own perfume.
A method for finding your number
- Spray once on clean skin, at a hand's width, on a warm spot such as the neck or the inside of the wrist.
- Wait. Give the perfume a few minutes to settle. The first moments are always the loudest.
- Check at arm's length. Hold out your arm. If you only catch the scent when it is close to your nose, it is quiet. If it fills the air around you, it is loud.
- Add one only if you want more, and wait again.
- Write the number down for that perfume. Next time you start there.
Light, moderate and strong
The strength tag on a perfume in our records gives a first guess. Diptyque Ilio is an Eau de Toilette tagged light, recorded with prickly pear, bergamot, jasmine and iris. A light perfume can take a little more than a strong one before it feels like much.
Surrati Dream Valley is tagged moderate and recorded with bergamot, lemon and mint on top, rose, jasmine and orange blossom in the heart and amber, musk and sandalwood in the base. Moderate perfumes usually fit the one-then-one-more approach.
Xerjoff La Capitale is a Parfum tagged strong and recorded with caramel, labdanum, peach and strawberry on top, ginger, iranian saffron, leather, amber and rose in the heart and benzoin, oud and Bourbon vanilla in the base. Mykonos Untamed, an Extrait de Parfum, is also tagged strong and recorded with blackcurrant, bergamot, lemon, aldehydes and crisp linen accord on top, praline, musk, jasmine, violet and coconut soap accord in the heart and black amber, cedarwood, vetiver, musk, vanilla and cashmeran in the base. With perfumes like these, start with a single spray and treat a second as a decision, not a habit.
Where you are matters
Wear less in a small room, a lift, a car, a plane, a meeting room or a restaurant. Wear a little more outdoors, in a big space, in cold weather or when the perfume is quiet. At work, a quiet perfume and one spray is the polite start, see office samples. For an evening you can add one, see evening samples.
Where to spray
Skin that is warm helps a perfume bloom: neck, wrists, the chest under a shirt. Avoid spraying into your hair and avoid rubbing. The details are in how to apply extrait de parfum and how to use a perfume sample vial.
Common mistakes
Three habits cause most problems. The first is spraying many times in a hurry and then finding it too much. The second is adding more because your nose has stopped noticing the scent, when everyone else still does. The third is judging by the first minute, when the opening is at its loudest and the perfume has not yet settled. A calm single spray, a short wait and a check at arm's length avoids all three. If you are ever unsure, ask somebody you trust to tell you honestly, and believe the answer.
Where to go next
A small vial lets you find your number without waste, and how many sprays are in a sample shows how far it goes. Browse the light and strong samples to feel the difference, and use the FAQ for ordering questions.
FAQ
Is there a number of sprays that works for every perfume?
No. Strength differs between perfumes, and so do skin, weather and place. Start with one spray and add only if you need to.
Should I wear less at work?
Usually yes. A shared indoor space makes a perfume feel louder, so one spray is a considerate start.
Why do I need more sprays than other people?
Often your nose has adapted. Ask a friend how it smells before you add more.
