24 July 2026

Three Things People Get Wrong About Fragrance

More spray doesn't mean more scent. A few common myths, cleared up.

A few things we hear often enough that they're worth addressing properly, rather than one WhatsApp reply at a time.

"More spray means it lasts longer"

Not really. More product means a stronger, more concentrated top note, which actually evaporates faster because there's more of it competing to leave the air at once. One or two pumps, given a minute to settle, usually outperforms four pumps sprayed all at once.

"You get used to your own scent, so you need more over time"

This one's true, actually — it's called olfactory fatigue, and it's a real, well-documented thing. Your nose stops registering a smell it's been exposed to continuously, which is why your own home never smells like anything to you but always smells like something to a visitor. The fix isn't more product, though. It's stepping outside for five minutes and coming back in.

"A candle needs a rest to reset the wick"

There's no reset button. What actually matters is trimming the wick before each burn and making sure the melt pool reaches the edges (see: the first burn, a few weeks back). A candle that's already tunnelled won't fix itself by sitting unused — if anything, letting a tunnelled candle sit just gives the untouched wax more time to keep doing nothing.

Most fragrance advice is either about patience or about the wick. Almost none of it is about buying more.

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