Wednesday, May 2, 2007

Perfume Tip : Improving the staying power of your perfume

Most of the perfumes I wear are strong enough to not require layering to improve their sillage and staying power. Yet others, are so soft and subtle I can barely smell them half an hour after application. I normally do not layer products; not only because of sometimes being unable to find matching body products for the perfumes I’d like to enhance, but also because oftentimes I suspect the matching body lotion or powder alters the fragrance in a subtle yet important way. Of course, this could very well be my imagination, but there you have it. A tip we often hear is to moisturize, moisturize, moisturize, for well-moisturized skin will hold perfume longer. The opposite is also true: perfume will disappear quickly from dry skin. That is a good piece of advice, but what is the right moisturizer to use? If you are like me, you won’t find the idea of using a scented lotion appealing. I always fear the perfume will be altered in some way due to the scent of my moisturizer. The solution then has to be unscented moisturizer, and today I’d like to offer a couple of suggestions, in case you’ve been having trouble finding one.

The one I swear by is Enydrial Emollient Body Balm by Roc. This is a completely scent-free body balm that nourishes and repairs. It is also recommended for very dry skin and is gentle enough even for babies. Clinique also offers a fragrance-free moisturizer, but I do not recommend that one because I find it is (paradoxically) not completely scent-free. Another solution is to buy Extra Virgin Coconut Oil. You need to make sure it is refined. Unrefined coconut oil retains the smell of coconut and will lightly perfume your body, so you definitely need refined coconut oil, which is completely odorless. Conversely, coconut oil does wonders for the hair, as it is one of the few oils that can penetrate the hair shaft, nourishing it from within. It is also excellent for rubbing into nails. If you do decide to use it on your hair, make sure you use the right amount – a little goes a long way. You only need to scrape a tiny bit with your thumbnail and melt it between your hands by rubbing them together before oiling your hair. Using a bigger amount will result in oily hair, which is probably not the outcome you were looking for. Do share with me if you have any extra tips for fragrance-free moisturizing products!

Coconut picture courtesy of www.primorski.net


6 comments:

ForTheLoveOfPerfume said...

Great points D.! When I wear unique, niche fragrances my body lotion is always unscented. However, I am a fan of layering. I especially find the Tocca line to be stellar when it comes to matching bath and body products. Just yesterday I wore Tocca Florence body lotion and fragrance. The lotion is not identical but it highlights the notes of the fragrance beautifully. Back to the unscented variety, Alba makes a great product. Link here: http://www.albabotanica.com/?id=66&pid=373

xo,
T.

helg said...

Good tips!
Thanks, you prompt me to try the Roc balm.
Do you know, I'm a little shy to admit I usually shun lotions....I don't like the icky feeling on my skin. I use a very nice moisturising shower gel and it's usually all I need.
But I will try that one :-)

Anonymous said...

The Body Shop has unscented lotion you can buy. It's meant to be scented by them as part of the price, but you can buy it just "as is". I'm not sure the ingredients (haven't got it handy to look), but I'd be willing to bet that cold-press almond oil is one of them.

And speaking of almond oil, it makes a fairly good moisturiser, although you have to be careful with it, as it's very easy to overdo it with oil! ;)

Divina said...

Goodmorning ladies!
Uh-oh, Helg, if you do not like the feeling on your skin, maybe it is better to try the one from Alba that Tmh suggests or indeed the one from Body Shop..I believe they are both thinner Body Milk types.. Roc's offering is a balm which is very moisturizing, and thus quite thick. It *will* leave your skin silky, but you will perhaps feel it more than you would a body milk.

Bonni: I have heard great things about almond oil as well, also for the hair and nails, but I have yet to try it. Prompted by you now I will give it a go!

Other unscented products that I have not tried: Ava Luxe makes both body milk and body cream with Shea Butter (I loooove me some shea butter) but I have yet to try them. If you have, let me know how they performed!

Anonymous said...

This is a bit late, as I have only just discovered your blog. Very well written reviews, I will certainly be coming back regularly :)

Anyhow, I am personally extremely fond of Aveeno's unscented Daily Moisturizing lotion. Its very moisturizing, and has only the slightest scent, which fades to nothing very quickly. It also has oatmeal in it, so its very soothing for dry skin.

Divina said...

Hi! I am glad you found my blog and you enjoyed the reviews! It is always a pleasure to hear and never fails to put a big bright smile on my face :) I have not heard of Aveeno but since I am an absolute moisturizer addict I am going to go looking for it now. I compulsively buy lotions and body butters well before my previous tub is finished :P