The fascinating and luxurious business of fragrance layering has two meanings:
Intensifying
Firstly, it is the practice of intensifying the effect of a perfume by applying it to the skin in different formats. Layering is practical: your perfume will last much longer and have much greater throw and sillage. So, use a scented lotion, body cream, bath gel or hair mist in addition to your signature scent and revel in the extra depth and richness.
Alternatively, use the body products only for a subtly different perception of your favourite perfume. See for instance the Frederic Malle, Maison Francis Kurkdjian & Teint de Neige ranges for a wide range of sumptuous accessories including hair and body oils.
You will notice that perfumers will vary the basic formula of their fragrance according to product, highlighting different notes. A hair mist for example may accentuate light flowery accents whereas a body cream offers a muskier, more sensual interpretation. Once fully perfumed you will radiate every facet of your chosen scent, emanating an olfactory symphony of variations which will keep pulsating for twenty-four hours or longer.
Combining
Layering is also sometimes known as combining. In this sense it refers to the practice of wearing two or more fragrances in tandem. This is an art and some folk are more skilled at it than others. The good news is that it’s an art quickly learned and is also tremendous fun; it trains your nose and above all it offers every individual the chance to create their unique personalised tailored scent without spending a fortune on a bespoke commission!
Come and practice in our beautiful boutique OR order samples for use at home.
The Results!
Perfume smells richer, fuller and stronger on those warm and often muggy days so typical of an English autumn. This is the time when every facet of a fragrance is revealed, unfurling like a flower and enhanced by warm skin. So remember to balance your scent with the atmospheric pressure: work with the weather! And as always, trust your instinct! When combining scents, it’s usually best to apply the fragrance you perceive as the stronger first: wait for the skin to dry. Then spray on your lighter choice and let the magic begin.
To start you thinking, here are some modest proposals that you might care to try. We have tried to suggest combinations that say a little something about the moods and colours as well as the smells of autumn - Legends of the Fall, you might say...
Midnight Saffron with Moment Perpetuel - for those who love nostalgia, aromatic herbs and the scent of lavender: the last sunny picnic afternoon before winter comes.
Bois Datchai with Moment Perpetuel - another twist on the same theme but a little further into the woods...black tea, dark shadows, bitter-sweet berries.
Sicilian Wood with Easy to Love - the golden and abundant fruit harvest of Italy poured out for the sensual and those who love all the good things of life.
Oscarine with Fille en Aiguilles - oranges again, with piquant berries, on a warm resinous bed of pine needles. Reflective, sophisticated, sumptuous.
Santal Volcanique with Virgile - pluck vibrant smoky herbs and blend them with creamy vanilla; add aromatic cinders and scorched earth. Something for the epicure of rare and disturbing sensations...
Noir Epices with Geranium Pour Monsieur. The autumn flowers - scarlet, orange and every shade of yellow. Geraniums and pepper: a tingling combination and a fabulously flamboyant hot floral combo.
De Profundis with Splendiris for those romantics and aesthetes who love the sadness of the season; the dying of the year. The sweetness of the Dusita violets lift the damp bronze and purple chrysanthemums of the Lutens wreath... but not excessively!
Vetiver Extraordinaire with Eau d’Italie. Icy green frost fingers and a stiff autumn breeze nip at the summer-baked terracotta tiles of an Italian loggia. Unusual, witty and expressive.
Ambre Royal with Cardinal. The iconic Cardinal has a delicious cleanliness and classic woody purity about it; layer on top of Ambre for added richness and autumnal warmth.
The Night with Olyssia. The darkest and most arousing of oud oils are already piquantly blended with orange blossom. Enhance the contrast with an excess of floral florality and perversely powdery base accord. For the daring and uninhibited.
Aventus with Aventus Cologne. Here’s an example of layering two versions of the same fragrance and coming up with a third! Try? Why not! Aventus is the living legend of 21st century perfumery so results will be interesting and stylish at the very least.
Une Rose with Albaura - another great floral for true perfume connoisseurs of any gender. The dark moist earthiness of Une Rose is frosted by the blue ice and tingling morning air of the Isles.
Elixir de Musc with Musc Eternel. Take two musky masterpieces by Alberto Morillas and splice for a smooth, sexy extravaganza as delicious as the finest vanilla ice cream.
Ambre Sultan with Milky Musk. Milky Musk is enchanting on its own of course; use it also to add a creamy sweetness and September warmth to an austere and stately woody oriental.
B683 with Ganymede: try combining Marc-Antoine Barrois’s magnificent creations: both are best-sellers. Add a citric smoky presence to the smoothness of tobacco and leather.
Cacao Porcelana with Fortis - If the sandalwood feels a little too raw and sombre, sweeten it a mite with cocoa and vanilla.
Santal Nabatea with Love and Crime. This evocation of Petra smells of rose red rocks in the sun; you can soften and feminise it with a layer of the deliciously gourmand L&C!
Saffron Rose with Fleur Diamantine. This gorgeously dramatic spicy floral can be rejuvenated - maybe for morning wear? - with the sparkling dewy Diamantine rose.
Thirty Three with Zeste de Gingembre. Add more spice to your port wine and fruit with a boost of ginger. For those greedy for life’s every moment!
Baccarat Rouge with Love and Crime: almost too exquisite to imagine...a fluffy downy cloud, stained pink with sweet wild raspberries.
So there you have it: 20 great combinations to spark ideas: let’s see what you can come up with! ENJOY!!