For every perfume at SwiftScent you will see two scales with dots: longevity and sillage. They tell you the most important things about a fragrance before you have even tried it: how long you will smell it and how much the people around you will smell it. Here is what each dot means and why the two are not the same thing.
What longevity is
Longevity shows how long a fragrance stays on your skin after you apply it. Our scale is:
- 1 dot: up to 3 hours
- 2 dots: 3 to 5 hours
- 3 dots: 5 to 7 hours
- 4 dots: 7 to 10 hours
- 5 dots: over 10 hours, often until the next day on your clothes
What sillage is
Sillage, or projection, shows how far from you the fragrance can be smelled and what trail you leave behind. Some perfumes sit close to the skin, and only you and the person you hug can smell them. Others fill the room as soon as you walk in.
- 1 dot: noticeable only close to the skin
- 2 dots: noticeable when hugging
- 3 dots: noticeable at about arm's length
- 4 dots: clearly noticeable around you, for example in a car or office
- 5 dots: noticeable from across the room and lingers after you
Why longevity and sillage are not the same
A fragrance can last all day but be so delicate that only you notice it. Another can be very strong for the first hours and then fade quickly. That is why we rate them separately. For example, Tom Ford Tuscan Leather is strong in both, while YSL La Nuit de l'Homme is a more intimate scent that stays close to the skin, which is exactly why it is so loved for dates.
What affects longevity and sillage
- Skin type: on dry skin a fragrance fades faster, while on moisturised skin it holds longer.
- Weather: in warm weather a fragrance projects more strongly but also fades faster. In cold weather it is the opposite.
- Concentration: Parfum and Eau de Parfum usually last longer than Eau de Toilette. You can read more in the article Eau de Toilette, Eau de Parfum or Parfum.
- The notes: fresh citrus and marine scents are lighter by nature, while vanilla, tobacco, leather and oud stay for hours.
- Your nose: after about an hour you get used to a scent and stop noticing it, but the people around you keep noticing it.
How to make your perfume last longer
- Apply it right after a shower, on clean and moisturised skin.
- Use an unscented cream before your perfume.
- Spray on pulse points: the neck, behind the ears and the inside of the wrists.
- Do not rub your wrists together, because that destroys the top notes.
- Spray lightly on your clothes too; the scent lasts longer there.
How we rate
The ratings at SwiftScent are our own and are based on our experience with each fragrance. Every skin is different, though, and the same perfume can behave differently on two people. That is exactly why decants are the best way to find out how a fragrance performs on you before spending money on a full bottle.
If you are looking for fragrances that last for hours, browse Tom Ford Tobacco Vanille, Mancera Amore Caffe and Orto Parisi Megamare.