Top Notes are the initial smells which hit you when you open the bottle and spray it on to your skin. They last for a very short time.

Middle, Heart or Soul Notes describe the smell which evolves after about 10 minutes exposure to oxygen and the skin.

Base Notes are the smells which slowly develop to hold the whole fragrance together and which will linger at the end of the day. Never buy a fragrance unless you like the base note. These are the ones that you and everyone else around you will have to live with!

Most women apply fragracne too lavishly on the pulse points in hope of making the fragrance last longer. This just makes the fragrance overpowering for the first few hours, before it fades away.

By using complementary bath and body products, the fragrance is literally 'layered' on the skin. As the body heats and cools during the day each product 'comes alive', so ensuring a subtle, delicate aura which last consistently throughout the day or evening.

The principle is this: start with a body shampoo/foam bath/bath oil/soap. Then use a matching body cream or lotion, apply a light touch of perfume, eau de perfum or eau de toilette. As a ritual it is usually the last word in pampering and self-indulgence.

Written for Perfume-And-All

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