The temperatures are dropping and the holiday season is in full swing. When planning your outfits for upcoming holiday soirées you should be thinking about how to harness your creative powers to smell your absolute best. It’s time to bring out the big guns with some perfume layering for the holidays.
Layering perfumes has been around forever. The idea behind it is to create a fragrance cocktail that is uniquely yours. It takes the whole concept of a signature scent to the next level. Here are some tips on how to layer for the holidays.
There are basically two schools of thought when it comes to layering fragrance. On one side, there are the purists who believe that each perfume is a finished work of art and any tampering with it constitutes a moral offense. On the other is the avant-guarde view that combining different complimentary fragrances produces a synergistic effect, resulting in truly unique scent.
I fall into the more experimental camp and would like to share with you some tips on how to get started with “scent cocktailing”.
ALWAYS START WITH LOTION
The best time to apply lotion is right after showering. The moisturized you are the longer the yet-to-be-applied scent will last on your skin. I plan in advance the fragrance I’ll be applying later so I choose my body lotion accordingly. My go-to favorite body lotions are Philosophy Pure Grace, Diptyque 34 Boulevard Saint Germain, Fresh Sugar Lychee and Donna Karan Cashmere Mist.
THE HEAVIER SCENT GOES FIRST
The reason for this is that the lighter scent can be overpowered by the heavier one, diminishing the layering effect.
STAY IN THE SAME SCENT FAMILY
You want to begin layering with aromas that are close or in the same category, such as Citrus, Woody, Floral or Oriental. Scents with a common note such as Gardenia are good to start. If you are a fan of Gardenia, I recommend Pure Grace lotion, then adding Kai perfume oil or Child perfume oil. The next time, add them both but start with Child first.
KNOW WHAT COMPLIMENTS EACH OTHER
Fragrance families which play well together are:
Floral and Fruity
Citrus and Woody
Floral and Musk
Oriental and Gourmand
KEEP IT LIGHT AND HAVE FUN
Since no one wants to clear out a room upon entering, stick with fragrances that are not overpowering.
Enjoy creating your “signature” scent and if anyone asks you what you are wearing it’s OK not to tell! 🙂
Until the next time,
Wow Erica, what an interesting post. I have to say, it has never occurred to me to layer fragrances and I absolutely love the idea of it!
I guess it’s all down to experimenting to see what works best? Are there any particular combinations you have found that work really well?
Thanks for an interesting read 🙂
Louise
Hi Louise,
If you haven’t ever tried layering then you are in for a thrill. I have too many layering combinations to list here but you’ve given me an idea for another post.
Thanks for visiting!
Eric
Hi!
I stumbled on your site looking for a particular fragrance.
I know a few people that use 2 different perfumes and thought to myself they are courageous. But that’s why their scent is so unique!
I like floral scents, but now I know that you can pair it with a fruity smell too!
Hi Terry,
Happy you stumbled my way 🙂 Layering fragrance has been done for years but now more and more people are catching on to the idea and having fun with it. Once you start experimenting you may find your own favorite “signature scent” and then it becomes easier. I have a few tried and true combos and like to rotate them for variety.
Very interesting article on fragrance layering, I never really thought about applying more then one fragrance at the same time. You have it down to a very specific science with these fragrances, it does amaze me how you learned so much about applying different fragrances to give a positive fragrance effect .
Thanks for your kind words. It’s not so much as exact science, more like chemistry experiments to me but I do have fun with it. Thanks for dropping by!
Hi,
This is really interesting!
I’ve always liked trying to mix different aftershaves and experiment with what may work. Although I’ve never given it any serious thought as to how I go about doing it!
I didn’t know about putting lotion on first and that the heavier scent should go first so I’ll try that this weekend 🙂 thanks for the tips!
Nate,
It does indeed work! Good luck experimenting this week-end and leave a little extra time getting ready!