These 11 solid perfumes are a sustainable way to wear your favourite scent

Solid perfumes elicit the same degree of excitement as holiday minis. Pocket-size versions of our favourite scents, they are significantly less weighty than a 50ml bottle in your luggage and handy if you want to avoid everyone around you catching too potent a whiff of your favourite scent in a public space.

Typically they are condensed into a small bar made from a combination of natural materials like beeswax and almond oil with fragrance added to it. However, more novel formats have landed as this fragrance category gains steam, including sustainable singe-dose fragrance capsules and even a paintbrush and pencil.

How long does solid perfume last on the skin?

Solid perfumes are often more concentrated, so they can last longer on the skin. Founder of Tenth Muse, Sophie Beaumont Willis, maintains that the brand's solid perfumes will last three months when swiping twice a day.

It's also worth remembering that perfume can be clingy by nature and needs something to grip onto. In the same way that you use a primer to extend the lifespan of your fragrance, solid perfumes can be used as a base coat to amplify the notes and guarantee longevity.

“Solid perfumes are also particularly great for layering with an eau de parfum or eau de toilette for additional fragrance intensity," Amanda Morgan, Managing Director of Diptyque UK, notes. "The fragrance will also last longer on moisturised skin, as it will hold the perfume longer.”

How to apply a solid perfume

As for application, solid perfume is designed to be dabbed directly onto the skin with fingertips or via the applicator. “The scented balm reveals its fragrance when released onto the warmth of the skin,” says Amanda. “To make your scent last longer, as with other perfumes, you can apply on your pulse points where your body releases most heat – wrists, inside elbows, at the base of your neck and behind the ears.”

Solid perfumes are ideal for scenting on the go or slipping in your handbag for touch-ups throughout the day. There is one caveat though: avoid extreme temperature changes. A solid perfume kept in a car's glove compartment or a pocket may melt.

Are solid perfumes better than sprays?

There's a place for both solid perfumes and sprays in your fragrance wardrobe. Your choice of one over another will depend on what your individual needs are. For example, solid perfumes play nicely with dry skin as they rely on a blend of perfume oils and hydrating vegetable oils or beeswax.

The absence of alcohol, which can dehydrate already parched skin, is key, too. “As the balm is created from alcohol-free wax, it makes it a gentle option for scenting the skin,” notes Amanda.

Solid perfumes are also typically more sustainable than liquid perfumes. Most come in refillable packaging rather than a heavy glass bottle with a pump dispenser that contains plastic and cannot be recycled. Better still, they can also be a more affordable way to test drive a perfume.