My G-d daughter recently sent me a link asking if I knew about the product and what I thought about it. The product was Optimal Habitat Fragrance Enhancing Primer. The claim is:
Imagine if your scent could last 24 hours…
Now it can, with our fragrance primer. Inspired by the resilience of nature’s ecosystems, Optimal Habitat works in harmony with your skin’s unique biology to create the ideal environment for scents to thrive. By forming a nurturing layer on the skin, each scent note is amplified, allowing it to bloom to its fullest potential.
I didn’t know anything about that primer, so I promised to ask my readers.
Saturday Question #252:
Have You Ever Used Fragrance Primers?
Not necessarily this particular one but maybe some other similar product. Fragrance primer, booster or enhancer? Did it work? Would you repurchase?
My Answer
When I read a description for this product, I immediately remembered that I previously read about some other products that were supposed to work on extending perfumes tenacity on your skin. It took me a while to remember the name. It turned out, I was thinking in the right direction, but try typing “perfume” and “canvas” in a search engine and see what you’ll get. Finally, I figured out what it was – Canvas Fragrance Primer from Canvas & Concrete. It was released in 2014, and the Perfumeland was talking about it for some time. I’ve never got to try it. I don’t know what happened to that brand, but as of now, their website doesn’t respond.
I think that I read about some similar products as well, but I haven’t tried any of them. As I was researching the topic, I came across The Perfume Guy’s video on the topic. I have two of the perfumes he recommends as a booster – Molecule 01 (which I live) and D.S. & Durga I don’t know what (which I wasn’t impressed with). So, I might try using them in that role. though, to tell the truth, these days I rarely notice that my perfume has disappeared. And when I do, I re-apply it if I want to extend the experience or use that opportunity to wear or test a different perfume.
How about you?
Undina's Looking Glass 
Hey There Undina,
HAPPY BIRTHDAY for WEDNESDAY! Hope you are smelling fine and spoiled rotten.
I used to use moisturiser but it invariably ended up changing the fragrances trying to be enhanced, so I stopped. Sometimes a perfume that could do with some extra oomph gets an underlay of Kiehl’s original musk moisturiser or a sandalwood one I bought in the great Australian sandalwood sellout after the whole thing went bust.
Portia xx
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Has something major happened with the Australian sandalwood industry? I’m obviously not keeping up.
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Yeah CassieFlower, it has collapsed in spectacular form. Very sad.
Portia xx
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:(
Can you tell us more? Maybe in a post?
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I’d klove to but can’t find the specifics and there’s no website now to ask. Sorry Undina
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Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! <3 I look forward to celebrating it.
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YAY!
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I’ll extend a Happy Birthday to you, Undina, and I hope you have many more in the best of health :)
I’ve never used a booster-I like to put my trust in the perfumer. If it’s meant to be fleeting or elusive I’m ok with that. I do love to layer things-matching soap, shower gel, moisturizer and my scent, or some combinations of those things. I loved it when Annick Goutal offered all those matching items-even their most fleeting perfumes would last longer and it all enhanced my enjoyment of the scent.
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Thank you, Carole!
I like the idea of matching products. But after a couple of my creams spoiled (because I didn’t wear the corresponding perfume often enough), including my favorite AG’s Petite Cherie, I stopped wasting money on those. I really wanted a No 19 soap, but they discontinued it.
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Wishing you a very Happy Birthday, Undina! 🎂 I’ve never used perfume primers before. Like you, I haven’t had any issues with the performance of perfumes. If I do, I’m certain it’s because of my skin type. I don’t see the point in spending money on something that wasn’t intended to be used as part of the perfume’s design.
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Thank you, Flaconneur!
I agree with that reasoning. I would rather re-apply than alter the original perfume.
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I agree that re-applying is the best solution for vanishing fragrance.
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I haven’t tried any of those, it would be interesting to know if they actually work. I like to use accompanying body products, it’s another layer of fragrance. I burn off most perfumes rather quickly with a few exceptions.
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It looks like none of my readers tried any of those :) Amazing, how similar our experiences are.
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Ooh, happy birthday, Undina!
I haven’t tried any perfume primers. The only time they might be useful is when I go out (eg, to the office) for a day and my perfume starts to wear off, as I don’t carry it with me to reapply. However, I’ve just adapted to wearing scents on those days that I already know are longer lasting.
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Thank you, NP!
Do you not have any perfumes with you when you go to the office?
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No, I don’t tend to carry any around. It would be another thing keep track of.
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I haven’t really explored this area of perfumery. It seem The Perfume Guy is suggesting layering over ISO-E-Super. I guess that might work but which bit of the fragrance would it enhance?
Personally I wear what I want when I want & don’t enjoy beasts or everlasting scents.
So in short, not interested in spending money on something I don’t want the effect it’s promising.
Very Many Happy Returns for Wednesday. I hope you have a wonderful day
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Thank you, alityke. It was a good day.
I have Molecule 01, but I don’t think I want to smell it with my other perfumes (if they don’t have it already). Besides, I think that I’m intermittently anosmic to it.
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Time flew – Happy Birthday!
I think I got one of the Canvas Perfume Primers at one of the Sniffapalooza events but I never tried it. I would rather go with more (or fewer) sprays than play around with yet another substance!
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Thank you, hajusuuri. I’m also surprised at how quickly we got from NY to the mid-February.
It’s funny that you haven’t tried Canvas even though you have it. But probably with 7-8 sprays most perfumes should be OK on their own (and I doubt anything would help those that aren’t :) ).
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Happy Birthday, Undina! Have a lovely day when it comes…
Never used fragrance primers – indeed I had not even heard of them, and wouldn’t now I have. ;) I I’m not a fan generally of layering, as it just complicates life, which goodness knows is complicated enough with all the perfumes we own, haha.
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Thank you, Vanessa!
I also don’t like layering… Maybe that’s the reason I never pursued any of these primers?
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I have used the Canvas primer and one from Bo perfumers, a Miami niche company. They do improve longevity. I just have to remember to put the primer on first. I use them with my Fragonard EDT’s and diptyque EDT’s. I also combine matching body creams and fragrances for diptyques. I have the body cream for Fleur de Peau and matching body wash for the Eau Rose diptyque fragrance. The body wash gel is wonderful, creates lots of lather, and lasts forever.
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You’re the most adventurous of us: you’re the only person in this thread who used these primers!
I like the idea of matching body lotions but cannot justify them with how seldom I use each of my perfumes.
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I have matching lotions for Hermes Jour and Nicolai Fig Tea, matching body cream for Diptyque Fleur de Peau and matching body wash for Diptyque Eau de Rose 🌹 and that’s it. Any more would be a waste as you noted.
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I have matching lotions for Hermes Jour and Nicolai Fig Tea, matching body cream for Diptyque Fleur de Peau and matching body wash for Diptyque Eau de Rose 🌹 and that’s it. Any more would be a waste as you noted.
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