Layering 101

Written By Hiba E

There are generally two goals someone has when layering. The first is to magnify the longevity and sillage of a fragrance. The other is to create a more bespoke scent for oneself. Here we’ll explore the basics behind both methods.

There are often two schools of thought amongst people — those that pick a standalone fragrance as their signature scent and those that create their own twist through layering. In my opinion, there is no right or wrong answer as it’s a highly personal preference. It’s akin to preference for a specific song or melody. Some will prefer the original track, with the self-defining element coming from their specific choice in that song / fragrance. Others may opt for a remix , admiring the same underlying melody but with a twist. So there really isn’t a  right or wrong answer to whether you prefer the original or the remix as they both entail their own signature elements of choice.

Let’s start with layering for longevity. As highlighted in Wearing Your Scents, moisturizing before spraying your fragrance prolongs its duration. Because many fragrances have alcohol in them, drier environments like dry skin more easily dissipate smell. In other words, dry skin won't hold on to an aroma as well as hydrated skin because the scent has less to adhere to. By introducing moisture back into the skin, you create the perfect canvas for scents to cling to—firstly by ensuring the skin is prepped to combat natural dryness and second by adding a hydrating lotion while the skin is still damp. Leveraging an emollient a.k.a. a moisturizer helps combat this dissipation. However, the type of emollient and the order in which you layer the moisturizer matters.

For simplicity’s sake, there are two primary types of emollients, occlusives and humectants. You can think of occlusives as the non-water solubles. These are the paraffins and petroleum jellies that don’t necessarily moisturize your skin but rather seal in the moisture your skin already has. Humectants, on the other hand, are water-soluble and attract water from your skin and external humidity to moisturize. Examples of humectants are the glycerin and hyaluronic acids of the world. Many lotions and creams can be a mix of both emollients, as humectants attract moisture to your skin and occlusives create a barrier to retain the moisture.

Personally, I use a humectant like a hyaluronic acid-based lotion before applying the fragrance, and once applied, add a light layer of the occlusive to lock in the scent. This method empowers both emollients play a role in accentuating your fragrance. The humectant enables fragrance molecules to more easily adhere to your skin and occlusives trap the scent, preventing it from evaporating quickly. 

Now that we’ve covered layering for longevity, we can discuss layering for a twist (i.e., the amplification of particular notes). While unscented lotions improve duration, scented lotions both improve duration and amplify certain notes to create a more tailored scent. If available, the easiest way to layer is to use the lotion version of your fragrance ahead of spraying the fragrance itself (e.g., MFK body lotion or oil ahead of spraying a MFK fragrance). The next easiest way is to use a lotion that complements one of the base notes of a perfume — vanilla, amber, musk, leather, etc. For example, using Apotheke’s Charcoal before Tom Ford Oud Wood will accentuate the woody smell given both have wood notes in their base. The next level of layering consists of using a lotion that complements the top note of a fragrance. For example, pairing a fruit-scented lotion like Eos’s Pomegranate Raspberry with L’Artisan’s Cuir de Grenat, a leather-based fragrance with fruity top notes will enhance the fruit-forwardness of the fragrance so it may seem more fresh and sweet than masculine. Lastly, while we won’t go in depth on this here, the most challenging layering technique requires combining two scents together. I don’t personally recommend it given the many variations in formulations. However, if you feel strongly about trying this, I recommend starting by using a fragrance that was made to serve as a base (e.g. D&S Durga’s Debaser, DedCool’s Milk Base, or a musk oil or spray) ahead of spraying your main scent.

If you choose to layer scents, you should have fun experimenting with the process and creating a sensorial experience that feels personal to you. Remember, not all remixes are made equally. If you’re having trouble getting started, here are a few moisturizer / fragrance combinations to try based on scent profiles that tend to go well together, kind of like melodies.

Hiba E
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