How many sprays of musk is enough

Musk is the quiet one. It smells soft, clean and a little like warm skin, so it is easy to keep adding until you cannot tell if it is working. That is when it becomes too much for the people next to you.

The two-spray rule

Start with two sprays. Put one on the chest, under your clothes, and one on the back of the neck. Then leave it alone for ten minutes. Your nose tires fast on musk, so a scent that seems to vanish is often still there.

If you cannot smell it after ten minutes, add one spray. Never add two.

What changes the number

• Concentration. A perfume oil is stronger per drop than a spray. One small dab is the equivalent.
• Weather. Heat makes a scent bloom. Use one fewer spray in summer.
• Skin. Dry skin lets scent fade faster. Moisturise first and it will hold longer.
• Room. Shared spaces call for less. See how to wear oud without overpowering a room for ways to place any heavy scent.

On the skin

At the start, musk smells clean and a little powdery. After an hour it settles close to you. After four hours it is a faint, warm layer, and some people only notice it when they come near.

Try it slowly

1. Test on skin, not paper.
2. Two sprays, then wait ten minutes.
3. Check again after two hours.
4. Wear it for a full day before you buy a bigger size. See how to test a perfume on skin.

Skin chemistry varies. If a musk irritates your skin, wash it off and ask a doctor or dermatologist if it keeps happening.