The same perfume can last most of a day on one person and vanish within two hours on another. Skin condition is one of the larger reasons why.
Fragrance sits in the skin's oil film
Aromatic compounds used in perfumery are largely oil-soluble, so they dissolve readily into the sebum and lipids present on the skin surface.
That film acts as a reservoir. Molecules leave it gradually into the air rather than evaporating all at once from a bare surface.
Dry skin has less of this film available, so a smaller proportion of the applied fragrance is retained and the remainder evaporates quickly.
Water content changes the surface too
A well-hydrated outer layer is smoother and more pliable, while a dehydrated one is rougher and sheds surface cells more readily.
Fragrance bound to cells that are about to flake away is lost with them, which shortens wear independently of the oil question.
This is why the same person can find a fragrance lasts differently in summer and winter without changing anything about how they apply it.
Why moisturising before applying works
Applying an unscented moisturiser first supplies the emollient layer that dry skin lacks, giving the fragrance something to dissolve into.
The effect is most pronounced on the pulse points where fragrance is traditionally applied, since those areas are warm and drive evaporation faster.
The moisturiser must be unscented or very lightly scented, since a competing fragrance changes the composition of what is ultimately smelled.
Where and how it is applied matters
Warm areas project more strongly but exhaust the fragrance sooner, while cooler areas release it more slowly over a longer period.
Rubbing wrists together is commonly discouraged because the friction generates heat and mechanically disturbs the film, accelerating the loss of the lighter materials.
Clothing and hair hold fragrance far longer than skin does, since fibres are porous and lack the warmth that drives evaporation.
The trade-off is that fabric releases scent slowly and weakly, so it extends how long a fragrance is detectable while reducing how strongly it projects at any moment.
Composition sets the ceiling
No preparation makes a citrus-dominant fragrance last like a resinous one, because the difference is in the volatility of the materials themselves.
Fragrances built on heavier woods, resins and musks persist on almost any skin type, which is why they are common in evening compositions.
Understanding this prevents the usual conclusion that a short-lived fragrance is poorly made, when it may simply be built from materials that were never going to linger.