Here in the Northern Hemisphere we just celebrated the longest day of the year last week (June 21). Which got me to thinking: What fragrance would qualify as the longest-lasting one I’ve ever tried?
Of course, in some cases, it’s one you dislike intensely that lasts the longest. Case in point for me: Byredo’s M/M Ink. Sounded fabulous, and especially so for a longtime newspaper editor like me, who practically had printer’s ink in her blood. But one dab and dang! A killer combo of something very chemical and something oud-like had me putting a death-grip on the liquid Tide like it was a life preserver in the middle of the ocean. Even after multiple scrubbings and cover-up scents to help mask it, the darned thing lasted well into the next day. Now why can’t our absolute favorite fragrances go the distance like that?
But on a more pleasant note, Le Couvent des Minimes Eau des Mission cologne has had impressive longevity on me (and has helped cover up a multitude of perfume stinkers). And Tom Ford Vanilla Fatale and Le Labo Labdanum 18 have kept going strong on my skin for an extremely long ride.
What about you? What have you worn that’s lasted the longest on you, for better or worse? I’ll be curious to see if any lightweight, summer-type scents make your list.
Molinard Habanita stays with me the longest; I love it Year round. Lanvin Arpege also has longevity on me, I wear mostly in winter.
Otherwise, I always wonder why the scrubber fragrances linger and most of my favorites disappear and require re-spraying?
Good ol Aromatics Elixir does this for me!
I get a long wear out of Neela Vermeire’s Ashoka, as well — I think the sharp green fig note keeps it from being too heavy, so I think it could be summery.
All the Amouages are long lasting but many of them may be a bit too strong for hot weather. I only wear them in the evenings, especially Epic Woman is beautiful on hot evenings with all the incense. My vintage perfumes give me also 8+ hours of fun and Gucci Rush too.
My lighter summery scents and colognes are usually not lasting long, only Atelier Cologne’s Jasmin Angelique has a very good lasting power on me.
Bottega Veneta, one of my faves, last a really long time on me. As does Vera Wang’s original scent. Roja Dove’s Reckless, MY ABSOLUTE MOST FAVORITE SCENT of all time, lasts a good while as well. Frederic Malle’s Iris Poudre is another one that has great longevity.
Andy Tauer’s Une Rose Vermielle has the lasting power of nuclear waste on my skin. URV is a really good summer perfume. It’s a pity that Luckyscent doesn’t sell it any more but you can still get it directly from Andy Tauer’s site. It goes strong for a minimum of 15 hours and doesn’t quit after a shower. SDV lasts forever on my skin too but washes off with a shower. I also find that L’Heure Bleue and Mitsouko last and last on my skin. I have an issue with dry skin and I work in a bakery, so my hands are in water quite often.
ELO Rien is anything but nothing. It’s there the next day and can last though a wash. Great for an Executive Lady.
Guerlain Insolence – luckily I like it! It lasts on me, it lasts on fabric, and a little dab will do.
There is a patchouli scent I like that is also tenacious. I’m not home right now to check. I remember it being from someone who designs eye glasses.
I had a scaring experience with Serge Lutens Féminité du Bois, which was terrible on my skin and wouldn’t let go for a whole day. Nearly made me stop with my perfume addiction. Quite beautiful and a bit insisting on being so was Armani Privée Rose d’Arabie. Stopped counting hours after twelve 🙂
LOLOL! That is one of my ‘OMGGETOFFME!’ scents! I so wanted to love FdB. I really did. But it smelled like cat pee from 1970 on an old quilt. On me. On Tigs it smells heavenly!
PlusLongers: Mitsouko. It lasts a good, long while. And I LUH it!
SummerLongers: Marc Jacobs Lemon and Fresh Lemon Sugar. Go figure!
Hi Ann! The longest lasting scents on me are two from Papillon. Salome is a magnificent femme fatale and Anubis is leather and spice on steroids. They both last into the next day, even with a shower! Liz Moores has done a fabulous job with both of these:-)
I was coming down to the comments to say Salome as well — its gorgeous skank lasts forever on me! One time, I wore it the previous night — the next day I went for a run, and my hot skin made it all rise up in a cloud of skank that was startling and marvelous.
Hi Ann, I recently discovered that Andy Tauer’s Lonesome Rider lasts at least 12 hours on me! I’m still on the fence about it: I love it but it feels quite masculine, even though I don’t like to genderize my fragrances. I’m not sure it’s really “me”. But it sure did hang on, LOL!
Hey Ann,
All the Montages last eternally on me and Penhaligon’s Belgravia Chypre has been giving full day wears lately. Womanly lasts more than 24 hours and I still get traces of vintage Guerlain Mitsouko parfum a long long time later.
Portia xx
OOOOoooooh… will need to seek out this Penhaligon posthaste!
I tried FM’s new Sale Gosse yesterday and not only did I fall madly in love with it, I can still smell it today! Portrait of a Lady stays with me too.
I too love Le Couvent Des Minimes Botanical Cologne Of The Minims and it lasts on me. Alarmingly, it is getting harder and harder to find in the US. I used to buy at Ulta but now the only place I can find it is on ebay but only every now and then. Yikes.
LOL, I love M/M Ink! Stuff usually doesn’t last long on me but I do get 14+ hours from Kilian Back to Black. FM Portrait of a Lady and Une Rose are pretty nuclear as well. As for summery scents, depending on your definition, Le Labo Ylang 49, Amouage Bracken woman and Atelier Cologne Blanche Immortelle are very high in the longevity department.