Scent of a woman

Dear Betsy, Perfume is so expensive now. Can you give me any tips on how to get it to last longer? Is there a way to wear it that will save me money?

Vicki.

Dear Vicki,

Yes perfume like everything else, is going up in price.

If you have a favourite scent then I suggest you try to buy the accompanying body products such as deodorant, body lotion and body mist spray. Initially this is an additional investment, but using the body products then spraying your scent on top means the fragrance will linger longer and you will need to use less of the actual perfume.

Applying scent to pulse points, such as your inside wrists, behind your knees, in the crook of your arm and the small of our back (not a pulse point I know) will intensify even the smallest amount of fragrance.

I do not suggest you apply it to your neck or throat area as this can result in pigmentation marks when you are exposed to even the smallest amount of sunshine. Just driving to and from work is enough to trigger this photosensitivity and once pigmented, it can be very difficult, if not impossible to remove these unsightly marks.

The three main forms of fragrance are:

Perfume

The purest most concentrated essence of the scent and usually including a large percentage of unadulterated essential oils.

This is the strongest form of the fragrance and is usually best suited to an evening situation as it can be too overwhelming in a typical daytime situation, especially in warmer climes. This is the most expensive form of a fragrance.

Eau de Parfum

For today's more sophisticated fragrant consumer, this is the most popular category of the fragrance. This contains a smallish amount of alcohol and some essential oils. It lingers a fairly long time but is not as overpowering or concentrated as the Parfum. This is the product I prefer, as I like to make a fairly bold fragrant statement. Apply it to your clothing and on your skin, on top of body lotion or cream for a longer lasting layered fragrance. A medium priced product, I believe this offers the best long term value for money.

Eau De Toilette

The least concentrated and with the highest alcohol content. This means it evaporates more quickly and, although initially it appears as a strong fragrance, its staying power is limited.

This is perfect for informal occasions such as everyday use and for those who prefer to leave a more subtle fragrant note as they enter and leave a room. It is more economical in price, but as its staying power is limited, it can turn out to be more expensive in the long run as you will probably feel the need to reapply it more often. I find it works best after a shower and on top of the body lotion.

The important thing with scent is to find one that you love. IF, when you are wearing it, others inhale deeply and ask 'what is the perfume you are wearing?' then you know you have found a winner.

The same scent can smell dramatically different on individuals.

This is mainly due to the unpredictable 'skin chemistry factor' which determines how your body interprets the fragrance. It may turn out to be sweeter/stronger/weaker/ spicier on you compared to your friend, so be prepared NOT to buy a scent just because it smells good on someone else.

A professional consultant will happily advise you to 'spray and play', to allow your individual body chemistry to work its magic with the fragrance and afford an opportunity to make an informed purchase decision.

Leave scent on your skin for at least 30 minutes before you make a love/hate decision. IT is also said that the time of the day, and hormonal activity can enhance or detract from your scentability, so if you are unsure, then leave it and try again another day.

Basically, with prices of some fragrant ingredients skyrocketing, it is important to avoid what can turn out to be costly mistakes. How many of you have a shelf in the bathroom with all those 'unfortunate' perfumes that inexplicably all seem to smell like cat urine?

Our love affair with fragrance goes back to time immemorial. It is often associated with religious or ritualistic ceremonies.

So costly were some of the ingredients in the reign of Cleopatra, that the ancient Egyptians who worked in the fragrance factories on the banks of the Nile, were required to remove their work clothing before going home each evening, as any lingering scent absorbed by the clothing was said to belong to the factory owner and not the factory worker.

Today, dehn al Oud remains one of the world's most costly olfactory ingredients, with prices reaching as high as ten times the cost of gold.

Evocative, provocative and totally seductive, fragrance stimulates our most primitive sense and can whisk you back to a happier time or place in your life as your olfactory system kicks in and suddenly you find your memory retention is no longer a challenge.

BETSY TRIED AND LOVED

Estee lauder private collection Tuberose

Allure Sensuelle

Annic k Goutal's complete collection ... each one more delicious than the last.

IF YOU ONLY DO ONE THING THIS WEEK

Clean your windows. Very therapeutic and good exercise too. Visualise wiping away all your worries and woes as you spray and shine that glass. For really sparkling windows use dry scrunched up newspaper instead of a duster or cloth. Of course not the GulfWeekly because you keep all of them and re-read them constantly because they are so devastatingly interesting.

BETSY SAYS RELAX

It's that time of the year when the sun is so seductive and we are tempted to warm our weary bones. We do need some ultra violet exposure for good health, so relax a bit in the sunshine this week but make sure you use a suitable sun protection cream.