Perfume projection refers to the distance a perfume travels in the air and how far its scent radiates off the skin. It is also known as the “scent bubble” or the stationary bubble that represents how a perfume’s scent travels through the air. The projection of a perfume determines how far someone can smell its fragrance, ranging from a subtle scent that sits close to the skin to a strong projection that reaches someone across the room.
Projection is a key aspect of the overall performance of a perfume, along with sillage and longevity. Often confused with sillage, projection is the degree to which a perfume spreads its scent into the surrounding environment, while sillage refers to the trail or lingering scent left behind by a person wearing the perfume as they move.
Perfume projection can be affected by several factors:
- Alcohol Content: Perfumes with higher alcohol content evaporate more quickly, leading to better projection of the scent.
- Individual’s Skin Characteristics: Skin characteristics such as inherent scent, moisturization level, behavior of the skin’s microbiome, and surface temperature can affect the diffusion or sillage of a perfume applied to the skin.
- Moisture Level of the Skin: Hydrated skin absorbs and holds fragrance better, allowing for more effective diffusion and projection of the perfume.
- Skin Temperature: Warm skin tends to enhance perfume projection, while cool skin may diminish it.
- Environmental Factors: Highly humid conditions and strong winds can disperse the scent more quickly, resulting in reduced projection.
- Fragrance Composition: Certain compounds like Hedione, damascones, Iso-E super, linalool, and synthetic musks like cashmeran enhance the diffusion and sillage of fragrances, leading to better projection. For example, Eau Sauvage (1966) was incorporated with Hedione, which introduced a new type of projection.
Perfume has its strongest projection during the opening stage (upon initial application), also known as the top or head notes, typically lasting around 5 minutes to an hour, followed by a gradual decrease in projection as it progresses into the mid or heart notes. By the time the fragrance reaches the drydown or base notes, there is generally minimal to no projection left, and the scent profile may either evolve or exhibit a linear decline, becoming less noticeable.
Make Your Perfume Project More
Apply fragrance to pulse points: Apply perfume to areas such as the temples, inside of wrists, or side of the neck. These pulse points have natural warmth from the blood, which helps in the faster evaporation of fragrance molecules, increasing projection.
Spray your hair: Both body hair and hair on the head can hold fragrance well. Apply perfume to areas with body hair, such as forearms or chest for men, or even to the hair on your head. Hair is porous and doesn’t interfere with the scent like the skin does, allowing for better fragrance projection. Longer hair can also help disperse the scent with movement. Rub the nape of your neck or swoosh your hair to create a new wave of fragrance around you, increasing projection.
Spray your clothes: Perfume can linger longer on fabrics compared to the skin. Spray perfume on your clothes or consider wearing fragrant accessories, such as scarves or jewelry, to increase projection.
Apply on lotion or vaseline: Applying a small amount of Vaseline to the skin before spraying helps to increase projection because the Vaseline acts as an occlusive barrier, trapping the scent molecules and slowing down their evaporation, allowing the fragrance to last longer and project more prominently.
Reducing Projection
To reduce perfume projection, focus on applying the perfume to areas of the body that generate less heat and are less likely to project the scent, such as the back of the arms and the stomach. You can limit the number of sprays to 1-2. Spraying just a single spritz of perfume under your shirt will minimize projection (for a subtle increase, dab your wrists on your belly after spraying to ensure there is some fragrance on the outside of your clothes).
Testing Projection
Assessing the intensity of our perfume can be challenging since our ability to recognize a scent we use regularly diminishes over time. This occurs because our brain becomes accustomed to the smell, gradually decreasing our awareness of it. This phenomenon is known as olfactory fatigue, where our sense of smell becomes tired out by familiar odors and stops detecting them. As a result, it becomes difficult for us to gauge the projection of our own perfume.
Still, there are some ways to figure out if your perfume is projecting at an appropriate level. One of the most objective ways is by seeking the opinions of others, asking family and friends if and how far they can detect your scent.
Unsolicited comments, compliments, or inquiries such as “What’s that you’re wearing?” or “You smell great!” are clear signs that your fragrance is projecting enough for others to take notice. These reactions indicate that the scent is reaching beyond your personal space.
The longevity of your perfume can be a useful indicator too. If you can still smell the fragrance on yourself after three hours of application, it suggests that it has been projecting consistently.
Another way to test the projection of your perfume is to spray a small amount on a piece of cotton fabric, leave the room, and then return after a while. This allows you to assess how far away the scent can be detected. If the fragrance remains perceptible at a distance, it indicates that it has considerable projection.
Perfumes Project More in Summer, Less in Winter
Perfumes generally project more in hot weather or during the summer season. This is because the fragrance molecules evaporate more quickly in high temperatures, creating a stronger and more immediate scent presence on the skin. On the other hand, in colder weather or during winter, the evaporation rate of perfume molecules slows down, resulting in a less pronounced projection, but longer-lasting scent. It is recommended to opt for lighter perfumes with fewer potent base notes during the summer to avoid an overpowering effect and to achieve a fresh and airy scent experience.
Projection vs. Sillage
Projection and sillage are both important characteristics of fragrances. Sillage refers to the trail or bubble of scent that a fragrance creates as it is worn, which can catch someone’s attention even if they didn’t initially notice the person wearing the fragrance. Projection, on the other hand, is the concept of how far a fragrance’s scent can be detected. It determines how far the scent can travel in the air as the wearer moves.
Projection and sillage are related because fragrances with strong projection tend to create a more expansive sillage. When a fragrance has powerful projection, it is likely to have substantial sillage as well. In simpler terms, projection is about how far the scent reaches, while sillage is about the noticeable trail or bubble of scent that is left behind.
Projection vs. Longevity
Projection and longevity are two distinct characteristics of perfumes. Projection refers to how the fragrance radiates off your skin, while longevity refers to how long the fragrance remains noticeable on your skin. These two aspects are not necessarily related to each other. Projection focuses on the scent’s reach and how far it can be detected by others, whereas longevity focuses on the duration of the fragrance after it is applied. Projection and longevity are separate factors that are a part of the overall performance of a perfume.
Are Loud Projecting Perfumes Better?
The decision to choose only strongly projecting perfumes depends on the specific occasion. If you’re in an intimate setting, there is no need for loud perfumes. For work or office, a mildly-projecting perfume is something your co-workers will appreciate. But if you’re going for a night out in a club, it is acceptable to wear a fragrance with heavy projection to get some attention.
The Most Projecting Perfumes
Some of the most projecting perfumes are Sauvage Elixir, Grand Soir, Angels Share, and Viktor and Rolf Spicebomb. These perfumes are known for their exceptional projection and performance. For example, Sauvage Elixir is a perfume known for its exceptional performance; just two sprays will get you gigantic projection, massive sillage and longevity of up to 24 hours.