Perfume is a must-have accessory for a lot of women. It doesn’t just make us smell nice but it is also a way to express our personality and our mood. But fragrances are also expensive and finding the perfect one for us is not an easy task so when we find a perfume we fall deeply in love with, we want to make it last as long as possible (especially if it’s been discounted. Grrr, don’t you hate when that happens?). The good news is that perfume can last for many years, IF they are properly stored. Here’s how:
1. Keep perfumes away from sunlight and heat
Beautiful perfume bottles can look so pretty on your dresser but as tempting as it is to keep them there, it’s not really a good idea. Keeping them in the open like that means the fragrance will be exposed to sunlight and heat, which can change the color and the scent of a perfume, spoiling it. If you really want to have your bottles on your vanity table, then make sure you keep them in their original boxes, which will also protect them from air (but more on that below).
2. Don’t store perfumes in the fridge or in the bathroom
Just like heat, storing perfume in a too cool a place like a fridge can be detrimental. Both the cold and having to take it out of the fridge and then put it back in there again, exposing it to a sudden change in temperature often can, in the long run, change the color and formula and spoil a fragrance. For the same reason, fragrances shouldn’t be kept in the bathroom. The heat and humidity every time you take a bath or shower also cause fluctuations in temperature and thus, make the fragrance go bad.
3. Avoid exposure to air and rollerball perfumes
Rollerball scents can be pretty handy. They are easy to apply, you won’t risk spraying the wrong part of your body, are travel-friendly and usually cheaper. But they also have a much shorter shelf-life. That’s because the fragrance is more easily exposed to air, which overtime can cause the scent to go bad. And it’s not just air you have to protect your rollerballs from, but from dirt too. Everytime the applicator gets in contact with the skin, you can transfer dirt and other impurities onto the fragrance, causing it to go bad. Always opt for spray bottles whenever possible and remember to close the cap tightly after every use to avoid the scent from evaporating overtime. Store perfumes in the boxes they came in if you can.
4. Where should I store my fragrances then?
We’ve already established that we can’t keep our fragrances on our dresser because sunlight will damage them, we ruled out the fridge and bathroom too because of the frequent sudden changes in temperature and we have to be careful not to expose the scent to air. So, we need to look for a place away from heat, sunlight that is cool and dark. A drawer, a dark closet shelf, storage boxes and even medical cabinets (as long as they are not in the bathroom) all fit the bill and are perfect places to house your beloved scents.
How do you store your fragrances?
{ 12 comments… read them below or add one }
Uh oh…I keep mine in the bathroom…
Trisha´s last [type] ..A Change in the Urban Decay Naked Palette
Trisha, you may want to move them somewhere else then, at least the ones you love the most or they may get spoiled.
I have several fragrances and keep most of them in their original boxes … I also try to finish them in a maximum period of 3 years, to prevent change of flavor or color.
Great post Gio!
Sole, thanks, and those are great habits you have!
thanks for the tips!
i never throw away the boxes because i thought they are pretty, now i should be digging them out to store the fragrance i frequently use. i thought it’s a bit more troublesome to be taking them in and out, so i put away the boxes. am glad i have been keeping my fragrances in shelves so there’s no direct sunlight.
but uh-oh on the closing cap tightly part! i tend to forget about closing the cap! >_<
plue´s last [type] ..Anna Sui Flight Of Fancy
Plue, it is a bit of a hassle to always have to take perfume bottles in and out of the boxes every time we use them, but I think it’s worth to make the scents last longer.
A dark closet would be a classical choice for me to store the perfumes.
I keep them separated too from one another. A little bit away just in case
LatestGirls´s last [type] ..Selecting a Cocktail Dress
LatestGirls, that’s a great way to stor perfumes.
“If you really want to have your bottles on your vanity table, then make sure you keep them in their original boxes” —> That’s what I do! Glad I’m doin something right! Hahaha! It’s much less accessible though since I have to take them out of the box everytime I use them. BUT at least they’ll last longer, right?
Followed you now
http://ayanagrace.blogspot.com
Aya, right. I don’t like that much having to take them in and out of the box every time either, but it’s always better than having to repurchase a fragrance before it runs out cos it has gone bad.
And thank you! I’ll check out your blog too now.
Very helpful post!
I store my fragrances in a cabinet, it’s dark and cool in there 
x
Stavroula Plag´s last [type] ..Random Tip of the Day 16022011
Stavroula, thanks. And that’s a grat place to store fragrances in.