We are often asked the following questions about strong perfume:
- How do I find a strong perfume?
- Which one of yours is a strong perfume?
- Does a strong perfume last longer?
- How do I know if my perfume is strong?
In this post we explain what to look for when trying to find a strong fragrance.
What Does Strong Mean In Fragrance?
As perfumers, we find that when consumers use the term ‘strong’ to describe a perfume, the frequently refer to one (or all) of the following:
- the fragrance intensity itself, e.g. do you feel wonderfully fragranced after one single spray or do you need several sprays?
- the longevity of the fragrance, i.e. for how long it lasts after it has been applied and under which conditions, e.g. in the heat of the Middle East or the European Winter. A fragrance might be strong initially but sadly not last.
- its radiance: ‘Projection’ refers to depth or distance a perfume radiates to, i.e. can only somebody standing right next to you smell or do you fill the room with your fragrance when you enter.
- Sillage is the wake or trail a fragrance leaves behind, i.e. is the fragrance gone as soon as you leave, or does it have a beautiful trail that lingers long after the wearer has left. You will probably remember this type of situation. Technically speaking, your fragrance has ‘sillage’ when even trace amounts are perceivable. A good example is vanilla where even the tiniest amount will be noticed.
- perception: we frequently find that when somebody doesn’t like a perfume, they say “it is too strong”. A perfume that we love, typically can’t be strong enough.
- familiarity: it can be that our noses have become trained to identify certain notes, e.g. we find it easy to identify lavender because our mother used to keep some in our wardrobes against moths. We all have certain perfume ingredients that we find easy to identify and that give us the impression that a fragrance is strong or perhaps even too strong.
- ingredients: there are some ingredients which are very strong for some and not perceptible for others. A good example is musk: Some can’t smell it all, but others perceive it strongly. Consequently, a perfume containing musk can be both strong and weak, depending on who smells it.
It is not always easy to distinguish clearly between these, as there is some interdependence, e.g. a weak fragrance will struggle to project.
In other words, the next time somebody says “your perfume is strong”, try and find out ‘how’ it is too strong? You will enjoy hearing how your fragrance is perceived.
Finding A Strong Perfume?
Now with this in mind, how do you find a strong fragrance?
As perfumers, we have found the first 4 x from the list above to the be most important:
- Intensity: when you look for an intense perfume, there is no point looking at a fragrance with a low fragrance concentration, e.g. an Eau Fraiche, Eau de Cologne or Eau de Toilette. Instead, opt for an Eau de Parfum (ideally an Intense or Extreme version) or a Parfum. You will also have to apply it generously, as it doesn’t make sense to buy a strong perfume and then not applying enough.
- Longlasting: the trick to find a longlasting fragrance is to focus on fragrances that come across as ‘heavy’, ‘rich’, ‘woody’ or ‘oriental’. A light citrus cologne or aquatic marine notes will never be longlasting.
- Radiant & Sillage: finding the fragrance for you that has both ‘projection’ and a beautiful ‘sillage’ is a question of trialling and wearing a few.
How To Make My Perfume Strong?
Once you have found your strong perfume, how can you make it stronger on you? The trade-off for making your perfume stronger using the techniques we describe here, is that it won’t last as long.
- Pulse Points: to make your perfume stronger, apply it to areas of your body that are warmer because the blood vessels are close to the surface of your skin, e.g. your pulse points.
- Area: the bigger the area you apply your fragrance to, the stronger the perfume will be, as it will have a bigger surface area from which it can evaporate. If you want a strong fragrance, don’t just apply it to your pulse points but also your neck, décolletage, hair, arms and even your scarf and clothes (as long as you have tested that your perfume doesn’t discolour them).
- Don’t cover it: one of the tricks to make a perfume last longer is to keep it covered with the clothes you wear. We are looking for the opposite, a strong perfume. Hence, to make your perfume strong apply to your exposed skin, e.g. the neck, bare arms & hands, … or your hair.
- No oil: don’t apply your perfume to areas where you applied lotion or oil, as the oil will bind with your perfume and will hold it back. In other words, it will less strong.
There is one technique that we do not find makes a perfume stronger:
- Layering: we see fragrance enthusiast recommending that you should layer different fragrances to make the overall perfume stronger. They obviously feel that it works. This is, however, easily explained because if you spray a perfume several times it becomes stronger, regardless of whether you spray the same or a different fragrances. In other words, it refers back to ‘intensity’ we explained above, i.e. your perfume get stronger the more you apply, … which is obvious. Equally, if you layer a strong perfume over a weak one, the overall fragrance becomes stronger but why not apply the strong perfume twice, as it will dominate the overall note anyway. In other words, there is nothing within the technique of layering that makes a perfume stronger.
Looking For A Strong Perfume? Choose Pairfum London.
With this in mind, we invite you to try the Natural Niche Perfumes in our Online Perfume Boutique.
If you prefer to try out all of our 12 x Eau de Parfum Intense to find the ‘strongest’, the we highly recommend our Perfume Experience Box. It allows you to experience them in the scent-neutral environment of your own home, in your own time and on your skin over time.
