Application Method and "Strength"

Oh, yes - big difference. Application method makes a huge difference, and is discussed here a lot. Some people have skin that eats up fragrances, or burns off the volatiles faster. Others have cool, dry skin that makes fragrances last a long time. Some people put it on hair or clothes, which can help if your skin ruins a fragrance. And sprays make a lot of difference, too. They spread it out, and make a bigger impact faster, but can lead to less longevity.

Also, remember that every fragrance is its own beast, and you have to respect that. Some fragrances need only a single spray, and maybe just misting the air and walking through it. Any more and it's chem warfare. Other scents require 6 or 7 sprays to get even a weak scent going. Some scents play it very close to the skin ("skin scents"), no matter how much you apply, and others are "sillage monsters" that leave a wake. I have found that you have to be very careful and persistent to find a fragrance's "sweet spot". Some fragrances are robust, and smell good in almost any amount. It's almost impossible to overapply. I don't even know how the perfumers can do it. Others are very tricky. Too much and a single note can drown out the beauty. You have to use a very light hand or they become unpleasant. Keep it light and they're awesome. Others will baffle you - way too weak - until you step up the number of sprays, and then you find that they're just great. This may be the problem that you're having - underapplication. Although you have to be careful with neck application. It's possible to hammer your nose, and you can't smell it, so you think you need more. The cycle keeps repeating until you're gassing out the whole office. So be careful. Sometimes I experiment at home before bringing a new scent to the office.

For me, about half the scents that I truly love required some persistence. I'm so glad that I stuck with them!

A lot of times it is the persons chemistry. If you are not one of the lucky ones who holds on to scent, you might try the accompanying body lotions, or an unscented lotion on your skin. Healthy hydrated skin seems to hold on to scent quite well.
Good luck to you and your wife, and welcome to both of you.

I'll be the skeptical voice here and claim--and this is more than I have the chemistry background to know--that the main difference between dabbing and spraying is that when you spray you end up getting much more on a larger area of skin. So with samples, dab more and over of a larger area. Those of you who know more about this than I, consider the gauntlet dropped--in a friendly way.