I'm a perfumer, so hopefully I can help answer your question.
Typically, all-natural perfumes don't last as long as their synthetic counterparts. Synthetic fragrances are made to last while natural aromatic oils retain the most accurate scent but they are not naturally made to last. And alcohol based perfumes, generally speaking, don't last as long as oils because of the evaporation rate of alcohol. But with added synthetics, it is possible for alcohols to outlast oils, especially against natural perfumes. Also with natural perfumes, the balancing between notes is much more crucial. A perfume made out of top notes won't last long because top notes are generally defined as the notes you first smell, but they also evaporate faster than middle or base notes.
In perfumery, fragrance strengths are given names depending on the percentage of aromatic ingredients (like synthetic or natural jasmine) to carrier ingredients (like perfumer's alcohol or oil). The higher the percentage, the stronger and longer lasting the fragrance is. The general list of perfume strengths are as follows, from weakest to strongest.
- Eau Fraiche - similar to a body splash.
- Eau de Cologne - around 3-5 percent fragrance in carrier
- Eau de Toilette - around 5-10% fragrance in carrier
- Eau de Parfum - around 10-20% fragrance in carrier
- Parfum aka Extrait - Around 25-30% fragrance in carrier
As you may think, the higher the fragrance percentage is, the more expensive the perfumes are.
With regard to roller balls or sprays, I personally like the roller ball because I can control where I want the perfume to be. If you want to make the best out of your fragrance, apply perfume on the warm parts of your body like your inner elbows, decolette, behind the knee, on the wrists, etc. Heat helps spread the scent like lighting a scented candle. Behind the knee is not often noted, but it is an excellent place to use perfume. It is an area that is often warm, and because fragrance rises as it evaporates, the scent rises to the rest of your body as it evaporates.
But with regard to packaging and making perfumes last, a spray or a ball does not affect the lasting ability of the fragrance. The percentage as well as the natural to synthetic factors are the biggest players in making a scent last.
Admittedly, I make my fragrances around the Eau de Parfum strength, but they do not last nearly as long as others simply because I choose to be 100% natural to present the most accurate scents. This is an example of how both key elements should be considered to pick out a fragrance based on lasting power. Although my fragrances are classified as an EDP, they do not last as long as, say, a Dior perfume that is also classified as an EDP.
