Anyone who knows me knows I’ve been through a bit of a fragrance renaissance over the past year. My love for scents has overtaken my obsession with makeup, making it my favorite category to cover, explore, and use in my day-to-day life. Not only has this led me down a very well-scented path to discovering my favorite niche and festive perfumes, but I’ve also been able to further explore some of my favorite houses, like Byredo, Jo Malone, and Diptyque. With all this research, I’ve come across some lesser-known tips and tricks for making your fragrance last as long as you want it to, since not all formulas are created with the same alcohol-to-fragrance-oil ratios. Chief among them? Fragrance primers.
Similar to primers you use before applying makeup or painting, fragrance primers are designed to help your perfume “stick.” This typically results in greater longevity and sometimes even sillage (also known as the scent trail), especially if you use primers with notes similar to your perfume. That said, there are numerous types of fragrance primers available, even if they’re not exactly marketed as such. Of course, I have a running list of my favorites, so if you’re ready to step up your fragrance game for 2026, keep reading for the unexpected addition to your routine that you didn’t know you needed.
