How to apply perfume ! The best way!

A lot of women worry about wearing too much perfume, which I think is foolish. Your fragrance reflects your personality. Choose something that suits you and allow it to become a part of who you are.

· Start the day. I prefer to wear daytime fragrances lower on my body. As the perfume evaporates, it rises up, so you continue to smell it all day. I spritz behind my knees, on my wrists, and a little on my skirt before I leave the house.

· Spray it high. When you put on an evening fragrance—which is anything that makes you feel more sensual—spray it behind your ears and around your neck so that it envelops you right away, rather than rising up slowly. I spritz a little in my hair, too. (Of course, I'd take this approach any time you have a lover calling, day or night.)

· Let it develop. Hold the bottle five to seven inches away from your body and spray each area once. The fragrance should mist onto your skin—if the area feels wet, you're holding the bottle too close. Fan your wrists through the air a few times, then move them toward your nose. You will begin to smell the fullness of the fragrance on your skin within a few minutes, which is the time it takes for the alcohol solution to develop and release the top notes. At that point, if the scent isn't strong enough, spritz again. If it's overwhelming, go into the fresh air and move around a little. The excess will evaporate.

· Be decadent. If you can afford to go through perfume bottles quickly, then apply your fragrance the way Mrs. Estée Lauder did: She would spritz an area in front of her body, then walk through the fragrant mist so it settled lightly on her skin and clothing.

By Brooke Le Poer Trench