I was lucky enough to grab some face time with the delightful parfumier Roja Dove at the recent Neutrogena launch for their Visibly Clear Pink Grapefruit Range, and quizzed him about how to get the most out of your scents.. with a couple of personal questions thrown in just for fun. Here's what I discovered.
Q. How do you make your perfume longer lasting?
Roja: First you should ensure your cleansers are PH balanced. This is because the scent that you wear comes from perfumed oil which sits on top of the skin. The perfumed oil is attracted to your skins own natural oil (think of it as Velcro) and if this is lacking your perfume won't last as long. By using a PH balanced cleanser you don't strip the skin of the oil your perfume uses as a base.
Q. Where and how should you apply your perfume?
A good tip is to apply the perfume all over the body and lock it in place with a body lotion. Always use lotion AFTER scent rather than before, as it will create a barrier the scent can't penetrate and dissipate in a small amount of time. Try and use an unscented lotion, or one that's part of the same range as your perfume.
Q. What is the difference between Eau de Toilette and Eau de Parfum application?
Eau de Toilette should be spritzed all over, whilst Eau de Parfum should be applied to certain places. Places that are good are the wrist, the crook of the elbow- so every time you move your arms you get a waft of scent- and the collarbone. Avoid the neck area as the perfume can be drying and lead to crepiness. EDT has a very short lifespan as within 4 hours 80% of the scent will be gone (as it's just deigned to freshen you up) whilst 50% of an EDP will linger on for 24 hours.
Q. Why do people's taste in scents change as they age?
When you are younger you enjoy sweet sticky things, so perfumes that are full of sugary notes appeal, As you get older palettes transition. Often scents that you didn't enjoy before become palatable, partly due to tastes, and due to more exposure of those notes. There's no set age for fragrance, as every person is different.
What was your first fragrance?
My first fragrance was bought with money I'd saved up when I was 14. It was Eau de Lavande by Balenciaga and it was a very secret thing. My Mother's French friends always brought her bottles of cologne and I used to sneak into her room to smell, them, which added to the secret appeal. In my 20's I liked Takamo Blonde, Mitsouko, Guerlain scents, Eau Savage by Dior, the original YSL Pour Homme and some that have now been discontinued. Now I wear my own scents.
I was granted this interview, courtesy of Neutrogena who will be launching their new skincare range for problem skin of all ages. The Visibly Clear Pink Grapefruit range contains one scrub and one daily cleanser and will be available from July.