Roll On Perfume – What Is It & How to Use It?

When you start appreciating perfumes, your taste and curiosity don’t let you stop at the bottle you’ve fallen in love with. You want to explore and see what other hidden gems the olfactory world has to offer. And among these, less mainstream perfume media is the roll-on perfume.

Roll-on perfume is a concentrated liquid fragrance nested in a container with a rollerball. The ball rolls as it is rubbed against the body and applies perfume in the process. A roll-on perfume can be alcohol-free and even be fragrance or essential oil.

In this article, we will dive deeper into this type of perfume, so you know where to apply a roller perfume and how to do so properly. You will also learn what makes the perfume in a roll-on container different from the one found in the standard bottle.

Above all, you’ll discover our best-rated roll-on fragrances.

How to Apply Roll On Perfume?

Applying roll-on perfume might seem straightforward: pin the ball against your body and move the roller. Doing so will wet an area of your body with fragrance oil. However, the proper way of applying a roll-on perfume features certain subtleties.

To apply a roll-on perfume, you must dab the rollerball with dry tissue paper to get any dust off it. Then, you must use your finger to see that the ball is moving smoothly without any jerking motion. Finally, you must pin the ball against your skin and move it in one direction.

Each one of these steps plays a crucial part. Whenever you put a cap on your roll-on bottle, you leave the roller ball exposed to a certain amount of air (and dust). The particles in the air can easily stick to a wet rollerball, especially when it has a layer of oil on its surface. To remove this layer, dab the ball with tissue paper.

Remember, you’re not rubbing the ball with a tissue as that would force the dusty side back into the bottle. By dabbing, you prevent motion while lifting the oil and dust from the exposed region of the ball.

The next step is less critical but still essential for the right application of a perfume. You check for even motion because, unlike a spray or an atomizer, perfume distribution isn’t automated in a roll-on perfume. It is based on two factors: how you move the roller and how consistently the roller moves.

If the ball moves unevenly, gets stuck, then jerks into motion, you risk getting blobs of perfume oil and dry patches in the region you’re applying the perfume. That’s why you must check for consistent movement with your finger and then proceed with the application.

In the application stage, you’ll notice, we recommend only one direction application. It is tempting and easy to move the roller back and forth, but roll-on containers rarely feature dilute fragrances, and covering an area with a double layer would be overkill.

Where to Apply Roll On Perfume?

Less is more when you apply perfume in the right places. If you’ve used an atomizer or a spray, you may be accustomed to applying fragrance on your armpits, wrists, and your neck. Does this also translate to the rolling medium?

Generally speaking, roll-on perfume can be applied to the pulse points. You can apply roll-on perfume to your arms, especially your elbow pits and wrists, as these are warmer regions and give your fragrance a chance to vaporize through heat and environment exposure.

The application suggestion for roll-on fragrances is different not because of the roller but the contents of these perfumes. Usually, roll-on perfumes don’t have a lot of alcohol that helps vaporize the perfumes once applied.

Therefore, you rely on airflow and heat to let the perfume breathe and be detected. Your arms move throughout the day, and your elbow pit, as well as your wrists, get hot because of blood circulation. This makes these spots on your arms the best place for a roll-on perfume.

What is the Difference Between Perfume and Roll-On?

The difference between a perfume and a roll-on is that a perfume is a fragrance often featuring alcohol and bottled in a container that uses a nozzle or an atomizer to distribute its contents, whereas a roll-on is mostly an oil or a concentrate applied with a rollerball.

Not only are the containers different, but the contents aren’t similar either. Perfume is best for those looking for a traditional application as well as a decently vaporizing fragrance that fits the norms.

A roller is best for those who want perfume on the go and do not mind mastering an eccentric application method that masks body odor at any time of the day.

Is Roll-On Better than Perfume Spray?

Whenever two options are presented, opportunity cost arises as you’re not going to go to your office wearing two different types of perfumes. And if you’re wearing one of the two, you want to know which is better.

A roll-on is better than perfume for some because airborne fragrance can give them headaches and watery eyes. A roller is also more portable and often alcohol-free, which makes for a friendlier, more hydrating fragrance for one’s skin.

To others, the alternative might be better because it is the standard. And because it is mainstream, most perfumers use perfume bottles to package their fragrance.

In other words, if you fall in love with a perfume someone is wearing, good luck finding its equivalent in a roller form; you’re more likely to get it in a standard bottle.

Top 3 Recommendations for Roll-On Perfume

You don’t necessarily have to get your perfume recommendations from a friend who smells nice. No one likes a copycat anyway. Below are some roll-on perfumes that will not only smell great but will ensure that you smell distinct since this media isn’t as commonly used for personal fragrance applications.

1. Amber Perfume Oil by Nemat Fragrances

This arabesque fragrance is unisex with a masculine leaning and features consistent woodsy amber notes. Since the roller features perfume oil, you must use it sparingly. With a single roll application along each arm, you’ll be set for the day.

In case you do not immediately pick up on the floral opening of the fragrance, apply a second layer. Since the perfume interacts with your skin to produce the resulting scent, it vaporizes to different degrees on different people.

2. Blossom Roll-on Perfume Oil Infused with Real Flowers

The opposite of the amber oil and its woodsy body is this floral fragrance that features Jojoba oil and has comparatively subtle results.

This, too, is a unisex perfume, albeit with a feminine leaning. It is made in the US and is infused with real flowers. The coconut nectar scent is concocted with a coconut-free ensemble of fragrance oils and flowers.

3. Inis Energy of the Sea roll on

This aqua fragrance is popular among women and has ranked well in personal care and women’s cologne categories on Amazon, a site where it also holds a 4.6 out of 5 stars rating from a collective average of over 2000 reviews.

Notes prominent in this roll-on include sandalwood, Lemon, Lily of the Valley, and Clove. Unlike most roll-ons, this does feature alcohol and is the closest to a bottled perfume in a roll-on form.