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How to increase sillage and longevity?

post #1 of 11
6/6/09 at 4:05pm
Thread Starter 
Hey guys,
I have had a problem with almost all the fragrances I have: I don't get that many compliments. I have supposed "sillage monsters" like Gucci Envy and Versace The Dreamer, but the compliments have been minimal. I have been reading on the forums about this subject and the advice I got was to make sure your skin is moisturized. During my daily shower, I use Axe shower gel for a soap and then Alpha Keri bath oil to moisturize my skin. After I dry off, I wait approximately 20 minutes-30 minutes to apply my fragrance.

When I use Dolce and Gabbana The One, I do two shots to the left and right side of the neck, 2 shots to both forearms, and then I spray one shot into the air and walk into it. The One dissapears within an hour and Gucci Envy and Dreamer are not lasting as long as they should. Is the Axe shower gel or Bath oil(nonscented) affecting the sillage and longevity of my fragrance? What should I do differently? What from personal experiences has helped you solve this problem, if you have had it? I would greatly appreciate any, and I mean any advice, because I am on the verge of getting rid of The One because if nobody can smell it, I see it as a waste of money. Thanks for your help.
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post #2 of 11
6/6/09 at 4:30pm
Read Divatologist's blog, she has written terrific manual on this subject.

http://community.basenotes.net/blog_...&searchid=3576

Still, I am witnessing the fact that old time brands that had to be applied with caution are way weaker - to the point that local cheapos (ie, Avon's! Yes, Blue Suede made in Argentina has more longevity and sillage than Azzaro pH made in France) are better in terms of longevity and sillage.

Blame it on IFRA's guidelines, cost efficiency politics impacting formulation, price increase in key raw materials or plain greediness - I imagine managers saying something like "let's make fragrances weaker so customers have to increase purchase frequency" - but the fact is that many of the old brands that used to be "bombs", like Antaeus, Azzaro pH, or subdued, like Equipage and others, don't last the way they used to. I regret this, really.
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post #3 of 11
6/6/09 at 6:01pm
Well for one, sillage does not equal compliements. Even if you cant smell your own scent, it doesnt mean that others cant, it is sometimes the result of olfactory fatigue. Maybe these particuylar frags dont jive well with your body chemistry or something.
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post #4 of 11
6/6/09 at 6:52pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by imrickjames118 View Post

Hey guys,
I have had a problem with almost all the fragrances I have: I don't get that many compliments. I have supposed "sillage monsters" like Gucci Envy and Versace The Dreamer, but the compliments have been minimal. I have been reading on the forums about this subject and the advice I got was to make sure your skin is moisturized. During my daily shower, I use Axe shower gel for a soap and then Alpha Keri bath oil to moisturize my skin. After I dry off, I wait approximately 20 minutes-30 minutes to apply my fragrance.

When I use Dolce and Gabbana The One, I do two shots to the left and right side of the neck, 2 shots to both forearms, and then I spray one shot into the air and walk into it. The One dissapears within an hour and Gucci Envy and Dreamer are not lasting as long as they should. Is the Axe shower gel or Bath oil(nonscented) affecting the sillage and longevity of my fragrance? What should I do differently? What from personal experiences has helped you solve this problem, if you have had it? I would greatly appreciate any, and I mean any advice, because I am on the verge of getting rid of The One because if nobody can smell it, I see it as a waste of money. Thanks for your help.

First of all, stop spraying your neck. Chances are that your nose just blocks out the scent after being bombarded with it for more than a few minutes. Try spraying your chest instead. Your nose won't get fatigued, you'll get whiffs of the fragrance when you move around and you will notice that scents last longer.

Secondly, just because no-one is complimenting you on your fragrance (why is that so important anyway?) doesn't mean they can't smell it.
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post #5 of 11
6/6/09 at 7:00pm
My nose also adjusts very quickly to any fragrance I smell continuously. I usually just spray my wrists. Then from time to time I lift one to check how well the fragrance is lasting.

You can also ask friends, "Hey, can you tell I'm wearing fragrance?"
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post #6 of 11
6/6/09 at 7:01pm
Longevity can be increased by mixing your fragrance into unscented face/body cream such as this one

http://www.skinactives.com/product/d...spx?prodID=173
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post #7 of 11
6/6/09 at 8:44pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Pollux View Post

Read Divatologist's blog, she has written terrific manual on this subject.

http://community.basenotes.net/blog_...&searchid=3576

The link doesn't work for me. The direct links:

http://community.basenotes.net/blog.php?b=244
http://community.basenotes.net/blog.php?b=245
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post #8 of 11
6/6/09 at 11:43pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Pollux View Post

...the fact is that many of the old brands that used to be "bombs", like Antaeus, Azzaro pH, or subdued, like Equipage and others, don't last the way they used to. I regret this, really.

This is sadly enough all too true... One of my absolute favourites, Santos de Cartier, has also been changed quite a lot. I wear the new formulation now and then, but it's not as rich and doesn't last as long as it used to.
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post #9 of 11
6/7/09 at 9:16am
I'm afraid if your like me, nothing will help except for selecting fragrances that last. They're out there, you just need to search for them.

These last and get compliments:

Black Aoud by Montale
Aoud Flowers by Montale
Aromatic Lime by Montale
Le Seducteur by M. Micallef
L' homme Sage by Divine
Black Tourmaline by Oliver Durbano
Pulp by Byredo
Bell Antonio by Hilde Soliano
Homage by Amouage
Fougere Bengale by Parfums de Empire
Duro by Nasomatto
New Haarlem by Bond #9
Eau Noire by Christian Dior
1740 by Histories de Parfums
Puro Lino
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post #10 of 11
8/13/09 at 6:10am
What about applying to both armpits...

Also if you are wearing any kind of inner, applying on that gives a fair amount of sillage and lasting as the fabric of the inner holds the perfume better and as & when it comes to contact of the skin, its chemistry changes
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post #11 of 11
8/13/09 at 9:44am
Guerlain Double Vanille lasts forever on me, and I too, have the same problem as you do on sillage. But of all the frags. that I have, 2 have no problem staying on my skin forever, and those are Boucheron Pour Homme and GDV. Everything else seems to vanish as soon as they land on my skin, and I do put on body oil after a bath or shower. I guess our body chemical has a lot to do with the sillage.
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