Learn about the different kinds of scent and how to make yours last

In his famous book Perfume, Patrick Süskind writes, 'For a moment he was so confused that he actually thought he had never in all his life seen anything so beautiful as this girl - He meant, of course, he had never smelled anything so beautiful.'

Perfume is the ultimate sensory experience, calling up emotions and forgotten memories. And so, many of us spend a small fortune on exotic and extraordinary fragrances, yet we often don't know how to use them properly. Follow these suggestions and discover new ideas for dousing yourself in mood-boosting aromas, the best ways to wear your scent and how to give it staying power.

Fragrance 101
Classic French fragrances are created by combining three layers of scent, called notes. These different notes can be synthetically created in a lab or extracted from natural sources like flowers or fruits. The top note, which contains the most volatile oils, lasts the least amount of time; the middle note lasts a bit longer and forms the heart of a scent; and the base note lasts around 24 hours. In the last decade, some fragrances have been formulated to change relatively little with wear. What you smell when you spritz is more or less what you get several hours later. However, with most fragrances, you'll smell the top note first, then the scent will change and you'll detect the middle note a few hours later. There are five main types of fragrance.

Perfume (also known as extract or extrait), is the purest, smoothest and roundest of all the concentrations of fragrance and the most expensive by far. It contains 20 to 40 per cent of fragrance oils held in alcohol, a much higher concentration than in other types of fragrance. Fifty per cent of the fragrance is formulated with the long-lasting base notes. Perfume is generally dabbed onto the skin rather than sprayed on.

Eau de parfum is the most popular kind of fragrance and contains seven to 14 per cent fragrance oils. Around 70 per cent of an eau de parfum is lost after several hours but that 30 per cent will remain 24 hours later. If you want a scent that will last and isn't too expensive, buy this kind of formulation. Apply your scent of choice to the places where the skin is the warmest - the wrists, collarbone, between the breasts, in the crook of the elbows, behind your knees, on your inner thighs, and around the ankles.

Eau de toilette contains one to three per cent fragrance oils, of which 80 per cent will evaporate within three hours. 'Many women buy eau de toilette expecting it to last all day, but eau de toilette (or toilet water, as it's historically known) was originally created to be splashed all over the body to refresh and wake you up instantly,' says Roja Dove, a perfume expert. Dove advises against spraying eau de toilette on your pulse points - instead he suggests spritzing some onto your hairbrush and running the brush through your hair for a more lasting effect.

Eau de cologne, the first type of commonly used fragrance that was popularised by Napoleon, is rarely made any more and doesn't have the same structure as classic French perfume. However, eau fraiche, which was created by Christian Dior with its classic men's scent Eau Sauvage, is similar to an eau de cologne but lasts like a very concentrated eau de toilette. Contemporary eau fraiche scents may have the words 'O de' in front of the name, for example 'O de Lancôme'.

Scented body creams contain around eight per cent aromatic oils, and lotions have three to five per cent. Because of their thick cream or lotion base, the scent will linger all over in its more concentrated form for several hours and can still be smelled faintly on the body up to 24 hours later.

Other general fragrance tips:

• Don't apply fragrance behind the ears, advises Dove - there are too many sebaceous glands in the area that can affect the way a perfume smells.

• The best way to make your fragrance linger all day is to layer your scents. Indulge in a foaming scented bubble bath and use the complementary scented soap (if it isn't available, use a non-scented variety so that you don't wind up with a clash of odours). Afterwards, use lavish amounts of the matching body lotion and follow up with a spritz or dab of your chosen scent. Your skin will absorb the fragrance molecules over the complete surface of your body.

• Romantic liaisons are the perfect opportunity to try a potent combination of exotic, spicy and powdery notes. Look for fragrances that contain vanilla, sage, coriander and pepper, ideally set off by the most romantic of all scents, rose. Place a few drops onto a tissue and place them on top of a warm radiator to subtly scent the room. You can also sprinkle rosewater on your sheets and then scatter them with rose petals.

• Scenting your clothes, as well as your bed linens, with delicate floral fragrances is a wonderful way to surround yourself with uplifting, natural scents all the time. You can either buy a specially blended linen water, available at shops like L'Occitane's (ring 020 7290 1421 for stockists), or make your own by adding a drop of essential rose, lavender or neroli oil (available at your local chemist or health food shop), to a bottle of warm water. Pour it into a spritzer and spray a little onto your laundry before you iron it. Take care, however, when applying commercial fragrances that contain alcohol to coloured clothing or linen, as they may take the colour out of your clothes or stain them. When applying fragrance to the skin, allow it to dry before dressing.

• Don't be afraid to experiment with your everyday fragrance in a new way. Carolina Andrina Herrera, daughter of the South American-born designer Carolina Herrera and creator of the super-stylish 212, likes to mix her perfume with some almond oil. 'I rub it into my arms, stomach and legs,' she says. Coco Chanel used to perfume the hems of the clothes she had designed so that her models trailed clouds of scent down the catwalk. Estee Lauder advises spritzing your scent into the air a few inches in front of you, then stepping into the perfumed mist.

• 'Fragrance tends to last longer on oilier skins, so scents tend to evaporate quicker from dry skin,' says Dove says. He adds that stress, medication and hormonal changes, including pregnancy and the menopause, can also affect how a fragrance smells on you. 'Avoid testing a fragrance for several days if you've eaten spicy foods or garlic, unless these foods are a regular part of your diet,' he also advises. Otherwise you won't get a true sense of how a fragrance smells.