Prolonging the life of your fragrance on the skin is a key element to getting the most mileage out of your fragrance investment. Why do some fragrances seem to last a long while but others fade and fizzle out quickly? Scent span is a made-up name to describe how long a fragrance lasts on an individual.

One reason for the quick fade has to do with your own skin. It may seem like a mystery why two women can apply the exact same amount of the exact same fragrance product and get two very different scent spans. You can't really alter your skin chemistry, but there is one thing you can do. Moisturize.

Fragrance lasts longer on well hydrated and well moisturized skin. If your skin is naturally oily, scent will cling longer. If you don't have naturally oily skin, you should moisturize. You can use a scent-free moisturizer and then apply fragrance over it, or you can use a scented moisturizer and kill two birds with one stone.

If you skin is well hydrated, fragrance lasts longer, so the best time to apply your scent is when you get out of the bath or shower.

Next, consider the product you're using. Perfume is going to last longer than cologne, no matter what kind of skin you have. If you're using a cologne or even an eau-de-toilette, you should consider upgrading to a perfume or eau-de-parfum to lengthen the scent-span. For some skin chemistries, you may need to use a perfume or other very high grade product to get a decent scent span.

Another trick for enhancing scent span is layering. Just like layering clothes, the idea is to use different items one on top of the other. To really do this up right, use a scented shower gel, then a scented moisturizer, throw on some fragrant lotion or cream and then, in a few strategic areas, spray on some eau-de-parfum.

When you layer, use a variety of products in the same fragrance, but know that very bold (and very knowledgeable) perfumistas will sometimes mix scents as they layer up for the day. Don't do this unless you know what you're doing (or don't care if you end up smelling like a French you-know-what-kind-of-house).

Last but not least, the fragrance itself can make a difference. Some fragrances just naturally have a tremendous scent span (Youth Dew Amber Nude by Estee Lauder is one of these long-lasting scents, so is Beyond Paradise from the same line). Other scents, particularly if they are lighter by nature (such as light florals) just never develop much scent span even in perfume form.

If you can't get good scent span but still love the fragrance, invest in a small spray bottle and touch up, touch up, touch up. Life is too short not to smell good.

Copyright (c) 2007 Joanna McLaughlin