Have you ever felt like despite dousing yourself in perfume before you leave the house, your favourite scent seems to have worn off just a few hours later?

The longevity of your fragrance could be down to the way you're storing it.

According to a Victoria's Secret Beauty expert, keeping your perfume in direct sunlight or a warm place may be the reason it loses its intensity and impression.

Mark Knitowski, senior vice president of product development and innovation for Victoria's Secret Beauty, told beauty site Byrdie: "The best way to keep your fragrance fresh is to store it in a cool, unlit space, like a refrigerator. It can make the fragrance last up two years longer.

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"Because when fragrance is in heat and sunlight, it loses its intensity and impression due to heat's ability to evaporate the fragrance character."

READ MORE: • Experts reveal how to apply perfume correctly

And while part of the appeal when buying a perfume can often be in the pretty bottle design, Knitowski suggests covering fragrances with tin foil. He believes this will help them last much longer and preserve their potency.

The UK's fragrance ambassador for Dior, Carl Groenewald, agrees with Knitowski, telling the Daily Mail:

"Once a fragrance has been purchased and unopened it should be stored in a dry cool environment, preferably in its original box. If these rules are followed the fragrance should be protected and good to use for two years."

How to tell if your perfume has gone off

Groenewald suggests testing your scent on a tissue. "If it seems to smell sour, heat and oxidation many have broken down the fragrance molecules and then unfortunately the fragrance is unusable unless you want to smell of vinegar."