As a little girl I was taught to put perfume on my "pulse points" (i.e. wrists and neck) but I've found that applying certain scents directly to the skin makes it evaporate very quickly (especially for my scents since I tend to wear lighter, airier eau de toilette's and not parfum). I like to spray my perfume over my clothes instead of on my skin, it lasts much longer. If you are a man wearing cologne, dab it on your neck instead since cologne's tend to be very heavy. It really depends on the scent. If it's got a high concentration of fragrance (eau de parfum or parfum) then I would recommend just a dab on the wrists and neck, but for a lighter, cleaner eau de toilette, spray onto clothes for longer lasting fragrance.