Perfume expert Eudora Nwasike has a collection of precisely 300 fragrances, but she keeps a select few out of reach. Stashed in a dark corner, away from light and heat (and temptation), Nwasike sprayed each of them just a few times – to draw a small amount of air inside the bottle – before putting them away to go untouched for months.

It’s not that she doesn’t like them. Rather, she believes that ageing perfume (often referred to by fragrance enthusiasts on Reddit as “maturing”) enhances it, making the scent deeper, longer-lasting and more complex. What was once a niche habit for collectors and fragrance insiders is now filtering into the mainstream, with a growing online community convinced that great perfume should be treated just like a fine vintage – left to improve with time.

Can a fragrance really improve with age?

Nwasike originally discovered the concept in Dubai, the world’s third largest fragrance exporter, behind only France and Spain. “I asked a fragrance salesperson how to make my perfume last longer, and he told me that if he personally wasn’t happy with the projection or longevity, he’d spray it a few times then put the bottle in a bag and store it in a drawer away from sunlight for three months,” says Nwasike. She was intrigued. “That’s when I decided to experiment with my bottle of Dior Purple Oud Eau de Parfum, putting it away for six months.”

First, Nwasike noticed that the colour of her Purple Oud, usually a pale lilac, had turned a deep violet shade – a sign, she says, that it was sufficiently aged. But what did it smell like? “The spicy and woody facets became much more prominent, and when I tested it on my skin, I’m convinced that it lasted more than 12 hours with a much stronger projection,” she says. Since then, Nwasike says she has aged seven fragrances successfully, including Maison Francis Kurkdjian’s Grand Soir and Guerlain’s Tobacco Honey.

Grand Soir Eau de Parfum

According to Olivia da Costa, founder of fragrance brand Olfactive O, there is some truth to the notion that a perfume gets better with age. “For me the notes that mostly benefit from ageing are musks and woody notes,” says da Costa, but green elements (think bergamot, leaves and grassy notes like patchouli), as well as vanilla and orange blossom, also benefit from ageing. Only if they’ve been kept in ideal conditions, though: no light, especially not sunlight, and a low temperature of around 5-10C.

For more complex fragrances, like those belonging to the chypre family – citrus top notes, a floral middle and rich, mossy base notes – ageing allows the different elements to meld together better, says da Costa. This is ideal if you want your perfume to be more consistent, rather than changing throughout the day. Nwasike likes to age fragrances with heavy base notes, such as oud and tobacco. “Their larger, more stable molecules hold up well over time and slowly blend together, which is why they come out smoother and rounder – much like a good Bordeaux or Barolo,” she says.

Maturing can certainly make the fragrance smell richer and deeper, according to da Costa, though in her experience, it does not always make it longer-lasting. Zobia Ahmed, a cosmetic chemist and product developer, agrees. “[Through oxidation] certain ingredients may undergo chemical reactions during storage, changing the overall scent profile,” she says. As for longevity? “Ageing doesn’t automatically make a perfume last longer on the skin.”

How do you age your fragrance and which ones shouldn’t be aged?

Niche brand Amouage professionally matures its own creations before release, highlighting 24 weeks of ageing on the bottle of Interlude 53, a deep woody and spicy extrait. As for -ageing? Ahmed says that spraying a perfume a few times and leaving it untouched for months isn’t a necessary step to improve its scent. “Perfumes are carefully designed and optimised for consumer use,” she explains, “and deliberately ageing a bottle after opening doesn’t guarantee a better fragrance.”

But the anecdotal evidence is mounting, and Nwasike does make a persuasive case. She wears her fragrance a few times first to “experience it”, then works out what she wants to improve. “It could be the scent itself – for example, if I think it could be smoother or richer. Or it could be the longevity,” says Nwasike. “I've had fragrances that smell amazing but only last four to five hours. Once I know, I store it immediately.” Introducing a little air into the bottle is key, she says. “Then the bottle needs to be placed somewhere cool and dark. I’ve stretched it to a year when I want to improve the performance of a fragrance.”

Whatever you do, keep the lid tightly closed, adds da Costa. She believes that most fragrances come to smell better with age, but, just like wine, she says it depends on the variety of ingredients used. “Citrus notes, if not stored properly, deteriorate the quickest and lose their effervescent sparkle,” she explains. Nwasike agrees – she avoids leaving citrus and “aquatic” fragrances – think crisp, salty or fresh perfumes like CK One or Issey Miyake L’Eau d’Issey – for too long. “Their bright top notes are made of small, delicate molecules that react with air over time,” explains Nwasike, “so rather than improving, they're more likely to fade.”

How can you tell when a fragrance has gone off?

There’s a fine line between letting a fragrance age and allowing it to spoil. “Many perfumes carry a shelf-life expectation of around two to three years,” says Ahmed, but she adds that this varies by brand and formulation. A change in colour might indicate that your fragrance is getting on a bit. “That doesn’t necessarily mean a perfume has gone bad, though,” adds Ahmed. “[In vanilla fragrances] vanillin, for example, can cause noticeable yellowing or browning over time, even when the fragrance remains usable and its overall scent is largely intact,” she says.

Changes in smell are often a more useful indicator of fragrance degradation, Ahmed says. “A perfume may lose some of its original character, become sharper, or develop an unexpected off-note. For example, a fragrance that initially smells soft and floral may gradually become sharper as certain components change or degrade.”

What’s the best way to store a fragrance to preserve its quality?

Say you love the smell of your fragrance but you don’t tend to wear it that often. Ahmed says that the best way to preserve a perfume is, first and foremost, to keep it away from prolonged exposure to heat, which can accelerate the degradation process. Keeping it away from light, oxygen and water – and that includes a frequently steamy bathroom – is also key, says Ahmed. “Ideally, keep it in its original box, and when you’re not using it, with the cap firmly on.”

That said, Ahmed’s final piece of advice acknowledges that fragrance is meant to be enjoyed, after all. “I say enjoy it rather than feeling that you need to let it ‘sit’ before it smells its best.”