You’re getting ready to go out for a nice dinner, you’ve chosen your outfit, and now your finishing (and our favorite) step is spraying the fragrance that you’ve chosen for that night, probably on your neck. But is that the only way to wear it? Can I spray cologne or perfume on my clothing, or even my hair?

Many perfume or fragrance notes will get their best performance with a little heat, thus applying your favorite scent on your skin is the ideal way to maximize your fragrance performance. Your neck is the most ideal location, as it has the most exposure to outside air and it’s at a close proximity to your own nose, and those who may get close to you. You may have heard the term “pulse points”, this is where your veins are closest to your skin and you body heat will radiate from. You neck under your ears or even your wrists are ideal areas.

Just as perfume works well on your skin to create a memorable scent, it also works well on your hair.

There are some things to keep in mind when spraying perfume on your hair. First being, do not apply when your hair is wet. The water may perform as a barrier to the oils transported in your perfume. Two other points to keep in mind are:

• The high alcohol content may be bad for your scalp
• Alcohol content may also be drying for your hair as well

If you feel like you want to scent your hair every day, instead of spraying perfume directly into your hair, there are a couple of other options to try that won't be as drying. The first is to spray your perfume into the air and walk through it. Allowing the scent to settle on your hair instead of being sprayed on at close range will help alleviate alcohol's impact so your hair doesn't become saturated with it. Another option is to spray perfume onto your brush before running it through your hair. This will more lightly scent your locks but also help prevent damage from alcohol.

Here are some great options that are formulated to be gentle on hair, but still leave a lasting impression and will carry throughout the day:

Miss Dior (Miss Dior Cherie) Perfumed Hair Mist by Christian Dior

Good Girl Hair Mist by Carolina Herrera

Pink Sugar, Hair Perfume by Aquolina

Clean Rain Reserve Blend Hair Fragrance by Clean

There are also some benefits to spraying perfume on your clothing. Depending on the fragrance, your clothing fibers will absorb and retain perfume much longer than your skin. This varies from each perfume and you’ll find different degrees of success from fragrances even from the same perfume house. As you move throughout the day, the fabric may allow the perfume to be released, allowing for a pleasant scent experience during the day.

Do be cautious of applying on very light clothing or fabrics that easily stain like silk, as some perfumes with higher oil content may show or stain. As well, in some cases depending on fabric type and fragrance, the scent may linger beyond the desired effect, even past some washes.