IN THE TONIGHT... KATIE WRIGHT discovers why you should be wearing fragrance on your hair, not just your skin
HOW do you apply your perfume? Do you spritz directly on your wrists and neck, or do you create a cloud of scent in the air and walk into it?
Either way, fragrance application traditionally focuses on getting the scent on our pulse points, the theory being that the heat generated in these areas helps to emit the perfume particles.
This approach certainly works, but experts say if you’re only spritzing your skin, you’re missing a trick – you should be perfuming your hair as well.
Why? Because it creates a longer-lasting ‘trail’.
“Fragrance lasts longer on clothes than on skin,” says Nathalie Lorson, the ‘nose’ behind Jimmy Choo Fever, amongst many other modern classics. “When I’m perfuming, I spray several times around my neckline so it goes more on the clothing than on the skin.”
Hair is similar to fabric, and because the strands are a lower temperature than your skin, the scent doesn’t evaporate as quickly.
“With hair providing a larger surface for your perfume to cling to, spray at the nape of your neck, on your hairline and on the midsection of your head for a longer-lasting scent,” advises Kara Woolley, The Perfume Shop’s senior buyer.
“We’ve seen a huge increase in customers using fragrances on their hair with the new innovation of hair mists,” she continues.
“Now you can spritz your everyday perfume on your hair ends after washing (when wet) to release your favourite aroma.”
Trendy London salon Duck & Dry has just introduced scented blow dries in collaboration with fragrance brand Roja
Parfums, allowing clients to choose one of the brand’s new Hair Mists as a complimentary add-on with any signature blow dry.
“Adding a sumptuous scent to the blow dry is all about elevating the Duck & Dry sensory experience to another level and making it more indulgent and luxurious,” says founder Yulia Rorstrom.
“It will provide the ultimate feel-good vibe for summer, so you leave behind a sensuous scent everywhere you go.”
So what’s the difference between hair fragrance and regular perfume?
“Hair or body mist is like perfume, but does not contain as higher percentage of aromatic oils to alcohol and/or water in the fragrance,” Kara explains.
“This means the more fragrant oil present, the more intense the scent, and the longer it lasts on the skin. So, basically, hair or body mist is the milder version of the perfume.”
That’s why they’re, for the most part, cheaper than their eau de toilette or parfum counterparts, so you can add a generous dose of mist to your hair and use your precious perfume more sparingly.
Alternatively, scented hair oils or sprays offer nourishing ingredients alongside a delightful aroma.
You don’t have to match your eau de toilette and hair mist, however. Try layering a rich oud-based perfume with a lighter, fresher hair mist (or vice versa) to create a multi-faceted fragrance. There are certainly plenty to choose from, with a burst of new hair scent launches recently.
So, grab one of these strandenhancers and see what a difference a spray makes...