All About Layering

In some Middle Eastern cultures, people layer up to SEVEN fragrances at a time. Sometimes many more! Never be afraid to play with perfume. (The wonderful thing about fragrance is there is no right or wrong: if you like something, then it’s right. If you don’t, you can wash it off. It’s not a tattoo after all.)

One listener recently wrote in with a specific question about layering options throughout the day (and into the evening); but before we get to that, we go back to basics and tell you ALL the things you need to know about layering (without overwhelming yourself or others!) in an easy how-to guide…

First: Decide what you are layering for. To make a scent last longer? Or so you can add more nuance / alter an aspect you’re not as fond of (eg you want to make it sweeter, or cut through the sweetness)? Or perhaps to carry a daytime scent through to more a sultry evening vibe?

The best way to begin layering is to practice with an existing fragrance you wish had more oomph: Start by selecting a scent you like a lot but wish could last even longer / add more character to.

Then, before you spray a single drop…

Moisturise, moisturise, moisturise! Particularly in warmer climates. Nothing makes fragrance disappear more quickly than dry skin. Try using a matching body lotion or oil to your fragrance (many have matching products like shower gels as well – the more layers of the scent the better!) Aroma molecules evaporate far slower on well-hydrated skin.

For the truly devoted, layering with matching scented body products can create a beautifully nuanced aroma.

Try also spraying the scent into your hair, so it wafts around you all day. Hair doesn’t heat up as much as skin, and will absorb the smell more deeply. It also billows beguiling around you all day if you have longer hair. Do a patch test, first, to ensure the fragrance doesn’t discolour your hair (spray on a tissue to be sure!) Be on the lookout for matching hair mists to your favourite perfume - increasing numbers of brands do these, now.

Next: add a body mist (again, a huge number of fragrance houses releasing these versions of beloved favourites).

Now: Spray your fragrance. This can be done immediately or, if you just want the subtlety of the mist to breathe on its own for the morning, you can carry a travel bottle or decant of an eau de toilette or eau de parfum to top up layer in the day.

Suzy’s top tip is to spray a scarf (or jacket lining) with your chosen scent, as fragrance lasts way longer on fabric (like hair, it’s more porous and doesn’t heat up as much as skin, the aroma molecules don’t evaporate as quickly).

If you’re wanting to increase the longevity of a perfume that’s proving to be annoyingly fleeting, you may also add an ‘amplifier’ or fragrance booster. Several of these are available, but some of the best known ones are:

Escentric Molecules Molecule 01: Primarily Iso E Super, which gives a velvety, cedarwood skin-like scent that boosts longevity and creates a personal musky aroma.

Juliette Has a Gun Not a Perfume: A minimalist scent featuring cetalox, making it a popular choice for adding a cleaner, soft white musky enhancement.

DS&DURGA I Don’t Know What

A unique fragrance enhancer that acts as a "molecular primer" to boost, lengthen, and add depth to other scents with notes of bergamot, Iso E Super, vetiver, and civetone

Ellis Brooklyn Iso Gamma Super: A "green chemistry" synthetic booster that acts similarly to enhance woody and amber notes.

Glossier You

Clive Christian E Cashmere Musk

If you’re wanting to change the character of a scent or add depth to it, consider these options…

If it’s too sweet:

Look for another scent in your collection (or to add one) that has dominant citrus notes like bergamot, neroli, mandarin, lemon, lime or ‘green’ notes such as galbanum, tomato or violet leaf, green tea, marine/aquatic accords (synthetic recreations of sea-like, watery smells) and aldehydes (often described as being like Champagne bubbles).

To soften more aggressive scent:

Vanilla and tonka bean can ’round’ a perfume, making it swoon on your skin (and addictive to smell), as can touches of synthetic notes described as ‘caramel’ or ‘dulce de leche’, ripe fruits, chocolate or even candy floss. For a smoother, woodier sheen to a scent, add a sandalwood-rich or cashmere/powdery scent on top. These notes feel cocooning, adding a layer of soft comfort to spikier ingredients.

If you want to add several layers of differing scents - build your bespoke scent as a perfumer would a formula: from the base (heavier notes like resins, woods and strong spices) through florals / fruity notes, to top (lighter) notes like citrus / grassy / green aromas.

Try to add less than you think you need, as adding more is always easier than taking away, and a little of these can go a long way!

Layering from day to evening:

Consider boosting the base notes of the scent you’re wearing – these tend to be the last to linger on your skin, being made of heavier molecules, and are likely to include ingredients such as patchouli, labdanum, olibanum, vetiver, woods or musk. Or pick out a spicy note for extra sizzle!

Also think about investing in a stronger version of your scent – an eau de parfum, if you use the eau de toilette; or an extrait or pure parfum if you have the edp. Do try these on skin first (separately) though, as often these intensified versions add other ‘guest’ ingredients, rather than just being stringer. Also be aware pure parfum / perfume oils / attars while lasting longer on skin, tend not to project as much - so they’re more intimate and others have to be in close proximity to smell them on you.

Now, on to our listener question…

Nancy Lichtman asked:

Hello Suzy and Nicola! Thanks for your lovely and fragrant weekly distractions from the grind of daily life.

I would love to hear suggestions and ideas for day to night fragrances or better yet, fragrance layering. Here’s what I mean: every year I attend a three-day conference (military expo) for work. I spend all day meeting people, making connections for future articles for the magazine I edit, and podcasting from the convention center floor. So I’m in close quarters and don’t want to overwhelm everyone with my perfume. On the second night there’s a black-tie gala but I’m always in a rush to get ready.

So I’ve been trying to think of day to night layering. The only thing I came up with was Jo Malone London Poppy & Barley for day with Jo Malone London Scarlett Poppy for the gala.

I’d love to hear both of your thoughts on this.

Again, thank you for what you do!!

Nancy L.x

Suzy seems to recall Nancy once had a request for a dazzling / golden smelling scent for a special occasion, and that she prescribed Goldfield & Banks Ingenious Ginger. That has notes of:

So, taking that as an example, you could wear…

In the morning:

A citrus fresh shower gel / body lotion

A sparkling citrusy body mist

Throughout the day:

An eau de Cologne in a travel mist you could top up as needed. Or, Escentric Molecules 01 + Mandarin.

Then in the evening:

spray a vial / decant of your Goldfield & Banks Ingenious Ginger.

The citrus / mandarin links both fragrances so wouldn’t smell muddled, and the ISO E Super would meld everything together and enhance both the body mist or Cologne, and the edp you spray in the evening.

If you wanted to do the Jo Malone London Poppy & Barley for the day, look at the notes:

Top - Blackcurrant

Intensely juicy and ripe, it gives a crisp edge to the fragrance.

Heart - Poppy

A colourful, floral note and adds a fresh and crispy facet