Bicep: The Best Place to Wear Your Scent

Fragrance is best worn where the skin is warmest, as heat is the most effective distributor of a scent. ‘Pulse points’ work: on the wrists and the collarbone, where blood is closest to the surface of the skin. But a scent will be just as effective worn over a steadily working muscle, such as a bicep. Contrary to myth, fragrance shouldn’t be worn behind the ears – the skin’s oils are different there and spoil the effect of the fragrance.

The categories of fragrances aren’t just fancy names for the same thing – they indicate different compound strengths. At up to 30 per cent concentration, perfume is the strongest, lasting anywhere from six hours to nearly a whole day. Eau de parfum, at up to 14 per cent concentration, lasts for a maximum of five hours, while eau de toilette, at around eight per cent, is effective for up to four hours. Cologne is the weakest, at just two to four per cent, lasting just a couple of hours.

Scents comprise three levels of ‘notes’. The top notes give the fragrance’s initial impact and last for five minutes to half an hour (wait at least five minutes before buying a fragrance). The middle or ‘heart’ notes provide the ‘body’, and are usually made of floral, spicy

or woody ingredients. The base notes come to the fore after about 30 minutes and are the notes that linger – the ingredients used are made of the largest molecules and are slowest to evaporate. Men’s fragrances commonly feature ‘dry’ notes – they give a fresh smell and are achieved with ingredients such as woods, herbs and mosses.