I did an article on perfume layering back in 2007, and in addition to providing a general introduction to the subject, it includes lots of great ideas for viable fragrance combinations, especially in the comments. But we've had a request for more, so here it is:
What two (or more) fragrances do you like to wear together?
And a few quick reminders:
The Ormonde Jayne contest is open until noon tomorrow, and we'll announce the winners on Sunday.
Tomorrow (Saturday) we'll announce the winner of the Prix Eau Faux (if you missed the finalists, you can find them here).
Some time over the weekend (when I get it ready!) I'll be posting a "help wanted" article, looking for new contributors for Now Smell This.
Note: image is I am in two minds about this shot [cropped] by 1Happysnapper (photography) at flickr; some rights reserved.
I layer Tom Ford PB Tobacco Vanille with Guerlain SdV. Also, Thierry Mugler Pure Coffe with Pure Malt. Do I win the prize for first thread entry? HA!
You win! I don’t know *what* you win, but you do win
Carlos – LOL! I read sports blogs too, and I suppose because a lot of young guys post, it seems to be a big deal that whoever posts first, literally just says – “First”. Then everyone else makes fun of him for being so stupid (usually worse language though).
Sports blogs?
I have to break it to you that they do that FIRST! thing on tacky, tacky, low-class gossip-rag blog sites like TMZ and DListed as well.
So I’ve heard.
SNORT!
Ahhhh….ok! Hehe. How can I change my avitar?
double snort!
Sheesh….and here I thought I was being cute by saying first. Oh well.
hey, I thought it was cute and I thought we were all enjoying a snicker together over it. And the snorting was more over Joe having just a tad too much knowledge about the tacky, tacky, low-class gossip-rag blogs that I’m sure he has no personal experience with….
Yes, exactly.
I also layer Tom Ford PB Tobacco Vanille, but with Le Labo Rose 31 (first the LLR31, THEN the TFPBTV). And that’s after shaving with either The Gentlemen’s Quarter “Cavendish Black” shaving soap, or QED’s “Wild Rose” shaving soap.
Interesting, I’ve got to try that.
I like to layer Ferre to add a touch of floral to something that is stronger like…Bois Blond or a leather like Cuir de Lancome…Also if I want to add a little vanilla to the mix I layer on bottom Un Bois Vanille or Havana Vanille if the smokiness will work too…
…and sometimes add Bvl. Black to make a scent more…intersitng!
Is this the 2005 Ferre? I keep hearing about this one… sounds like a must try.
Yes, the 2005 Ferre is a must try. It is a lovely green-violet-musk floral. It isn’t earthshattering – it *is* closely related to the more cooly refined Iris Poudre – but warmer, “greener”, better blended. Ferre is super easy to wear, lovely. I always get compliments when I wear it. But IMHO it is also one of those lovely little fragrances that is a great background scent- I wear it to meetings and close socialization situations when I want to smell really good, but not offend. I don’t think I’d ever layer it with anything, lol!
Thanks Ann! Prices on this one seems awfully reasonable.
Is there any comparison to Mythique?
I’ve not smelled Mythique, so I can’t say…. bummer. There are very good prices on Ferre online at discounters. I think they also sell samples of it at TPC if you only want to try it.
operafan – contact me at kalishka on mua if you are interested in a swap for some Ferre (2005).
OK! Look for contact from “annymack.”
While in Japan I began layering CdG Avignon w/ SMN Melograno. While both heavily incense based fragrances, Melograno is warmer and brighter than the former and when worn together were much more inviting that Avignon alone. Perfect for touring ancient Buddhist temples.
I did layer three fragrances yesterday and the end result wasn’t bad, actually. I have several sample vials of Voyage d’Hermès from a recent Neiman’s purchase and decided to spray it on yesterday morning. There’s something about this scent that smells distinctively like Gin to me, which while not unpleasant was not was I was looking for at all yesterday. Attempting to mask it I sprayed on my latest purchase, Pamplemousse Rose — unfortunately this fragrance does not last on me at all — and then dabbed on a tinsy bit of Voyage Tauer L’Air du desert marocain. A crazy mix, yes, but somehow it faded into a lovely citrus-y, woodsy incense after a few minutes.
k: I just have to ask … you find Melograno to be a heavily incensey fragrance? To me it is soapy (SOAPY!!!!!) aldehydes. But I kind of like it. You’ve made me curious to layer it with Avignon. I’ll experiment this weekend!
There is a fine line between soap and incense, I think… I could call it either way w/Melograno.
Wow, I’ll have to try it with incense on my mind instead of aldehydes on my mind. Never in my life would I have gone there with a description… and you know I’m someone with a LOT of incense fragrances!
Lots of people say Melograno is very incense-y…I don’t smell it that way either. Soapy aldehydic for me too.
Just trying a sample of SMN Melograno-it wears nicely with Guerlain’s Tonka Imperiale….. I get a chemical sweet note with Tonka Imperiale but the SMN tempers that.
J, for me Melograno turns into incense. I can definitely see how one could find it soapy because it is that as well, but it is a definite incense on me. SMN fragrances are sometimes a little bizarre & Melograno, I find, has a lot of different elements to it, but ultimately for me it’s an incense. I think it layers beautifully with Avignon and recommend you give it a try.
Then again, perfumes with any incense note tend to turn to almost pure incense after a few hours on me. Which is fine as I’d probably prefer smelling like that over anything else.
Let me know how you like it layered.
I don’t layer purposefully – I think I just don’t have enough brain space to manage combinations.
The one accidental layering I liked, and have repeated a couple of times since, was a drop of Beyond Love over the very far (12+hours after initial application), vanilla-liqueur-like, drydown of Havana Vanille. You’d think it would be too sweet, but it was *amazing.* It did not work with Carnal Flower, for some reason.
I like a hint of vanilla too, with the white flowers!!
And maybe a bit of sandalwood, and an even tinier bit of amber!
Mals,
If you like white flowers on vanilla, then definitely give the Carla Fracci a try!
I’m still too busy playing with single scents to do much layering, except for one happy accident. I sampled two frags one day (SDV and Bois de Paradis), and the combined sillage was entirely too yummy. I don’t like to layer directly, though…somehow it doesn’t smell as good that way. So I put on SDV, and then dab just a teeny bit of BdP on the side of my wrist or back of my hand.
SDV is such a great layering scent!
I think that I lack the creative gene … I have a really hard time imagining what to layer with what. This probably explains why I only wear solids, and own about 20 pairs of black pants. So I am going to note all of these combos for future “experiments back in the lab” The only thing I’ve layered is Terre de Hermes, which, like the black pants, seems to go with everything.
Yeah, TdH is great for layering. I should see if they do a lotion.
OOh! Fun! I layer Agent Provocateur with Sa Majese La Rose. It’s a potently delightful blend that I might have to set aside until the weather cools down again…
Oh, that does sound lovely!
It hardly counts, but lots of Demeters, being simple one-note scents, layer extremely well with one another. Vetiver plus Lavender is gorgeous, Black Pepper plus Caramel is unexpectedly good, and Sandalwood plus Fiery Curry is really nice. I bet you could use Demeters to add oomph to other scents, too.
Hermessence Ambre Narguile and Poivre Samarcande are luscious together: I find PS a bit thin, and AN adds the warm boost it needs.
On that note, I just ordered Demeter Sugar Cane to layer with Havana Vanille… It seems fitting to add sugar, no? I’ll post the results!
I only layer by accident, but have often found that a touch of Demeter works well with other more complex perfumes. I love Gingerale and find a smidge of it often improves what ever I forgot I already had on.
I should just go ahead and snap up some Gingerale without waiting to test it.
It’s only $20 for 4 oz at overstock.com! And if you want a sample, I’d be more than happy to send one your way since I know I will never use up my 4 oz bottle!
I’m having the same thought… does this mean there is soon to be a run on Gingeraie? : )
Well, there was just a run of one, anyway…
They have quite a few Demeters but mostly I don’t know them well enough to spring for 4 oz.
You should (and I can’t believe I didn’t send you a sample!). It truly does smell just like gingerale…complete with bubbles. I have no idea how they do it, but it truly smells FIZZY, like bubbles-up-your-nose FIZZY.
I use Gingerale over ELdO’s Rien, which is just too mean the first hour. Demeter scents only seem to last about an hour, so they’re good if topnotes don’t quite work in a perfume. An SA at the Beauty Bar swears by Coconut to make a perfume more gentle.
Wow! I’m a fan of Demeter fragrances, and happen to have their Vetiver. I’ll try it with Guerlain’s Aqua Allegoria Lavande Velours, next time I shave (with QED’s Lavender shaving soap, of course).
Also good are Demeter’s “Pipe Tobacco” and “Whiskey Tobacco” (either one layers nicely, on top of Le Labo “Rose 31”).
I enjoy mixing Poive Samarcande with Vetiver Tonka but I have to think, “How much is this perfume outing costing me?” Such is my spendthrift way.
hermès – eau des merveilles with bvlgari- au thé rouge
CdG – synthetic: tar with JPG – gaultier2
christian lacroix – tumulte with CdG for H&M
can’t think of my other combinations….i’m living off a limited selection of fragrances at school….
Woah, spacy! I own Eau des M and Au Thé Rouge, so I may take that combo for a test drive. Not something I would have thought of to be sure!
I have a hard enough time figuring out which 1 fragrance to wear each day that trying to figure out which 2 would work together is more than I can deal with. although if I see some combos here I have, I will certainly give them a try!
Happy Friday everyone!
I’ve layered Bvlgari Au The Rouge with Rose Essentiale. Bvlgaris are good for layering as most have that similar base. As both of these scents are a one-note or linear, mixing them makes it more exciting.
I also bought the original Halle Berry on a whim, but found it was too sweet. I mix it with a bit of Estee Lauder Sensuous or Black Cashmere sometimes to make it woodier.
My favorite layering combos:
Bois des Iles + Tam Dao
Divine Bergamote + AA Mandarine Basilic
Cashmere Mist body creme + Escale a Portofino
Cashmere Mist + AG Neroli
I use layering in 1 of 3 situations:
1) when I feel the need to either boost a quality I love (eg sandalwood in Bois des Iles)
2) for tempering the strength of a scent that’s a bit much for me (eg. Mandarine Basilic & Divine Bergamote). On their own I find Mandarine Basilic just a tad sweet and Divine Bergamote a bit sharp. Together they are juuuust right
3) with scents that are a good, quiet scent on their own but also seem to ground some of my more frivolous, crisp, summer scents (Cashmere Mist crème). I’ve recently acquired a bottle of AG Musc Nomade and think it will be another good layering option for this purpose.
Oh, I agree about Musc Nomade. Ambrette has this nutty, leather goods shop smell to it (at least to me!) and I love layering it.
I literally just layered Angela Flanders Earl Grey over SJP Lovely body lotion – something magical happened here. The bitter lemon in the Earl Grey has suddenly become ‘spring skin’ ( I don’t know what that means, but something softly animalic is playing out on my arms…think it’s the muskiness of Lovely stepping in….)
I am wearing Chanel body cream layered with Annick Goutal’s Mandragore…It was by accident and it turned out to be a wonderful accident, Mandragor usually does’t last but 4 hours on me, however layered with the Chanel body cream it’s lasting power increases.
I also layer the Bvlgaris with Chanels as well, I get a gorgeous fragrances layering them together.
Chanel Coco (body cream) and Havana Vanille is nice too.
Now this is sounding good-the Coco and HV. Love them both.
Some layering combinations I absolutely love:
1. Joy + Apres L’Ondee – for me, it’s pure dream even though each is perfection in its own right
2. Joy + AG Rose Absolute – my wedding perfume!
3. SSS Jour Ensolelle + Champaign de Bois – I love each on its own, but when I put them together, I can’t stop smelling myself…
4. Still experimenting….
Oh… there is a #4! Montale Taif Roses on top of Aoud Roses Petals – The ARP is too raw, but when I top it off with a touch of TR, it becomes a beautiful exotic rose.
I need to get some Joy.
Those sound lovely.
Wow! I’m surprised Joy doesn’t eat Apres l’Ondee for breakfast!
That’s the first thing I thought too, Joe. So I used two spritzes of Apres l’Ondee with a half spritz of Joy vintage edt, and it did the job perfectly.
OF, the Joy + Apres l’Ondee was such a provocative layering idea, I had to try it. Wow. You are right. A mystery why, exactly, but somehow it works. Thank you – it’s Saturday morning in bed with a cup of tea and the paper, and I smell great.
ooo–I’m going to try it right now!
I second that.
I don’t know how you came up with the Joy Apres combo, but WOW they really do smell great together! I just feel like I added a whole new beautiful green spring floral to my wardrobe. I would never have tried that in a million years! Thanks for the tip Operafan!
I’m so very glad I’ve made a few of your day! It’s a favorite combination. I’ve never thought of Apres l’Ondee as melancholic as others have pointed out – but merely mellow, but Joy does seem to perk it up a lot. I’ve no idea how I came up with that idea but I’ve done it for years. One spritz of Joy edp + one of Apres L’Ondee edt. Once I got in the car with a friend on the way to the mall and she fell in love with the scent right away!
I am not a fan of layering, I always hope a perfume is a maserpiece in its own terms (which of course is not always true)!
But I do have a few lucky tests or ideas to share:
– ( l’AP) Havana vanille + tea for two;tested
– (Jo Malone) Anise vanille + tuberose; tested
– SL chene + something sweet (un bois vanille? Ambre Sultan?)
and I have a really perverse layering craving, I am both ashamed and proud about daring to share it:
– 31 Rue Cambon + Coconut
yes, I am *that* weird!
I’m a fan of fragranced body creams and lotions (I think that’s considered declassé, but it’s my nose and skin, and I’m fine with it.) I love Byredo’s Green body lotion with Tulip frag. Also Jo Malone’s Lime, Basil, Mandarin body cream with Verbenas of Provence EDT. The new (if much blander) Eau de Campagne (Sisely) goes well with Byredo’s Green body lotion as well.
I hadn’t thought about it, but I do like to layer “lowbrow” stuff like B&BW lotion with “better” fragrances. The Aromatherapy Orange Ginger is wonderful under Theorema (okay, it WAS, until I got sick of that dang cocoa note in Theorema and gave my mini away). Moonlight Path layers nicely with No. 5, and Butterfly Flower is nice under light florals.
You know – I don’t know many B&BW scents, but I do adore the Aromatherapy Orange Ginger! My cubical neighbor likes to use their freesia lotion on her hands. It scents the air around the perimeter.
Yep, this is what I usually do too. TJ Maxx always has a surplus of mainstream perfume’s lotions and some brands I’ve never heard of. I have some that smells like ivy or boxwood that layers nicely. Vera Wang Princess (which I bought for my daughter I swear! LOL) is a nice background for any number of florals. L – by Gwen Stefani didn’t impress me as a perfume but it layers well, epecially with men’s frags.
Yesterday I used B&BW butterfly flower lotion after my shower and put a little Burberry original on my neck and had 4 people come up to me and ask me what I had on. It’s always nice to hear “you smell soooo good!”.
It is fun matching body wash and lotions with frags. I find Korres Bitter Almond layers wonderfully with Apres L’Ondee and really makes it sing.
I should add that instead of layering I would like to have the power of “unlayer” some fragrances, stripping away some notes:
– remove most melon from LPDT
– remove melon and bubblegum from CF (but I’ll buy it as it is, anyway!)
– remove most of the vanilla from Songes
– remove most of the vanilla from shalimar
– remove fruit fenzy from the pdn
ok, I’ll stop it here, while I’m still polite
(I’m still puzzled as to where you’re getting the fruit from in LTdF… :))
Oh, are you talking about le temps d’une fête?
I haven’t tried that one: I got fruit from sacre bleu and fruity sickening-sweetness from juste un rêve and vanilla tonka and another couple of nameless pdns. I know that these perfumes get a lot of love, and I respect PDN for her work at the Osmothèque so much, and because she is charming and unpretentious; but I don’t get any magic from her perfumes. Actually, I feel the urge to scrub.
I have trouble with some PdN’s too.
Ack, the urge to scrub! I thought you said you had tried Le Temps and didn’t like it because of the fruit, but perhaps it was that PdN’s usually go fruity on you.
I love this idea, Zazie! I’d love to have:
L’AP Timbuktu minus most of the celery/cumin note
Guerlain Vetiver pour Elle minus most of the white musk
Zazie – I think that’s a very interesting idea, to “un-layer” some fragrances!
Are we spraying a frangrance on top of a fragrance?
I do occasionally spray on of my arms and spray a differant fragrance on my neck….I’m a wimp to layer them together.
I’ve started doing that at work. I apply a dab heavier scent under my hair and maybe decolletage, then something lighter on my wrists that customers might catch a whiff of as I move around.
Philosykos, followed with Eau de Merveilles has always worked for me.
I’m kinda crazy about SJP’s Lovely but have been on the lookout for something to start with for a base to keep what I call the bloom in Lovely that I love. I read a suggestion about Badgley Mischka?….but I don’t know if that’s going way too floral for a guy in Florida. Any ideas?
Bandit is where it all begins for me…….so sometimes I’ll add a quick bit of Jicky on top if I”m in the mood.
I love those two I must try them together over the weekend….now I have worn Chanel bath oil, and two sprays of Bandit on the neck, and wuala!!! also Chanel bath oil with a dab of Magie Noir lovely.
Woo-hoo, another set I own. Taking notes, here.
I used to layer a lot, but I don’t do it much anymore. I remember layering Clarins “Eau Dynamisante” with Rochas “Femme”, and Guerlain “Shalimar” with Comptoir Sud Pacific “Vanille Abricot”. I recently tried Parfumerie Generale “Papyrus de Ciane” with Eau d’Italie “Paestum Rose” and they were lovely together – fresh with a hint of smoke.
I also remember layering the Lagerfeld “Chloe” with Clinique “Aromatics Elixir” many years ago. People always used to tell me that it smelled “really clean”.
I just remembered that I also layered “Aromatics Elixir” with Dior “Dune” about a hundred years ago. That one probably cleared rooms.
LOL – bet you thought people were fainting for another reason? I have loved and worn both of these in the past ( at different times) wondering if I can get the courage to spray them together next time I’m in the cosmetics hall.
To be honest, I’d be afraid to try that one again – you’ve been warned! I was waitressing at the time I wore that combo too. However, it was prior to the smoking ban in restaurants, so huge smells were all that ever surfaced over the food and cigarette aromas.
Chloe is so huge that I’m bug-eyed at the thought of Chloe + Anything! You are braver than I am…
Hi Peke
That sounds like a good combo-have you tried Aromatics Elixir with Chanel No 5 body lotion? The No 5 adds a powder to the woodsey note.
I am wearing Miel de bois and Chergui…X
My favorite pairing as of late is Amouage Homage as the base layer, topped off with a few spritzes of Tauer Incense Rose. To me they work quite well together — Homage is dense and stays close to my skin, while Incense Rose adds liveliness (sort of similar to how I feel about pairing a number of extraits with their EdT partners).
Yum. Must get attar….
It is senseless, I know, but I can’t make myself layer really expensive fragrances — sort of like if something costs as much as Homage, it had better be perfect as it is! My own stupidity.
No, I get that, Robin! I feel vaguely guilty doing it
(it helps that I didn’t spend $350 on a full-size bottle of Homage…I got a 3ml bottle for about $100. still crazy expensive per ml, but a lower overall investment frees me of a little guilt!)
My fav layerings are with the Sonoma Scent Studio line:
Velvet Rose with Rose Musc
Rose Musc with Tabac Aurea
Opal with Velvet Rose (super lovely combo)
And then I like to layer Chanel No 5 body cream with No 5 Eau Premier – they really compliment each other (duh?) but the cream gives the eau Premier a bit more of a heavy anchor. And sometimes I will wear some No 5 parfum on my neck and Eau Premier on my arms.
I also like to layer the current No 19 edt with Lancome’s Mille et Une Roses which is normally just too wimpy for me to get much out of it, but it is a great rosy booster for the dry vetiver in No 19 drydown.
Sometimes I layer AG Mandragore and Eau d’Hadrien, but not often, lol.
I do the exact same thing with Chanel Premier and #5!
Hey – great minds!
I think the use of the original No 5 gives EP some gravitas, while at the same time the EP brightens up the original. They compliment so well for me and it makes it a lot of fun to use them both. One of these days I am going to get the No 5 satin body oil to layer with EP – really whoop things up!
No. 19 and MeuR? Hmmmm, must try that… MeuR is so soft and quiet, it might take the edge off 19 on days when I don’t want the Invisible Armor effect.
OTOH, I could just wear Silences…
Yes, exactly – no body armor, lol. I love that iris galbanum opening of 19 so much that I love wearing it, but some days I just dont want that sharp drydown. The Mille has that super soft powdery floral musk drydown that really softens it up. I don’t actually put them on top of each other though – just nearby – I’m afraid the No 19 would eat the Mille alive! Sometimes I’ll just wait to put on the Mille *after* the 19 has progressed into the heart notes – dont’ want to interfere with that gorgeous opening!!
I usually do 2 scents layering.
A heavy scent (applied to the base of my neck and the inside of my arm)
And a light scent (applied behind my ears and on the inside of my wrists)
For light scents I use:
ANY CITRIC SCENT
ANY LIGHT “SPORTS” SCENT
ANY LIGHT “FRUIT” OR FRUIT FLOWER SCENT (this gets tricky, as I don´t like it very feminine on the “light scent ” on the other hand it is a way of getting away woth using a more feminine scent with a heavier base as a “MASK”)
For heavy scents I use:
A STRONG VETIVER, THE DRYER THE BETTER…
A STRONG MUSC, FROM STRONG TO BORDERLINE SKANKY (no light muscs need apply)
A STRONG ORIENTAL (THE WOODSIER THE BETTER)
And I am currently performing combinations…
I usually layer O Boticario Vetiver Brasil under Arancia di Capri or Fico di Amalfi from Acqua di Parma.
Also Kiehls Musk (or Kielhs Amber oil) under some adidas sport scent (like Ice Pulse) this is very disconcerting for many people and MOST love it!
I love the Kiehl’s Musk oil too! I love it all by itself, but It’s a great base for layering with florals or fruits. I like it with La Chasse Aux Papillions, Petite Cherie, and Shaal Nur.
I’ve only tried shaal nur of those 3…
I’ll give them a try
How many times do I have to hear about Shaal nur before I try it?
Meadowbliss: I just got a small vial of Shaal Nur recently after hearing people talk about it for forever- and all the rave reviews were totally warranted! I fell head over heels for it. It was positively addictive. I couldn’t stop reapplying (lasting power isn’t as long as I would like) so my vial was empty after 3 days! You should definitely try it.
When testing from the vials, I usually spill tiny drops of whatever I’m testing and blends together with what I’m already wearing (not the best way to test) anyhow at times the results are amazing.
I have been known to dab a little MKK on with Musc Ravageur oil which is lighter and sweeter than the spray. I also apply EdT or EdC after the shower like Shalimar, Coromandel, Vetiver, Old Spice, etc., and then apply my SOTD later. Shalimar works with vanilla or when you want add a little vanilla, lemon, Old Spice plus a carnation or spicy scent like Black Cashmere. I also like to add a drop (tiny dab) of Une Rose Chypre to deepen lighter rose fragrances.
I like to layer Gucci pour homme with The Body Shop “Dewberry”.
I also use CDG Avignon to tweak just about anything else I might be wearing…always makes for an interesting comment.
Forgot to add another combo I like….Karl Laugerfeld (original) with plumeria oil
I layer COMME des GARCONS series 3 Avignon with Hermes un Jardin Sur le Nil, especially in the summer.
I’ll have to try that. Love both separately, and it might make for an interesting combo. I find Avignon difficult — or should I say a bit one-dimensional — to wear on its own very often, so it seems it would be perfect for layering.
Same here. I have yet to find anything that I can mix it with. I think I would ideally just like to spray it around my house. I’ve been holding off on buying the incense. Anyway, so far all of my attempts to layer with Avignon have failed. I will try UJSLN.
I did try Avignon + Sur le Nil on Saturday; it was surprisingly good. The Avignon added a bit of depth that was really nice. My problem with layering is that it seems like what ever is layered on top seems to always dominate. Not sure I’ll ever make layering a habit. It happens most frequently when I have a previous scent left on my clothing and then wear something else on another day.
True Confession: I used to layer Azuree with Chantilly. This goes back to 20 years ago. I admit I’ve occasionally tried it again, but the Azuree overpowers unless the combination is perfect. And why bother now? I believe it was this kind of experimenting that led to my association with NST and other perfume sites.
I rarely layer now because I’m learning about the real perfume that exists that I was always searching for. Layering Chantilly and Azuree says a lot about my quest. When I spritz Vol de Nuit on myself I am complete.
Oh, I love Chantilly. It also goes back to my childhood when my mom gave me a small splash bottle of it – I thought it was so pretty and romantic. I still keep a bottle that I wear once in a while. And I love Azuree too – I don’t wear it, but I know a woman who wears it as her signature scent, and she always smell amazing. Good choices!
Thank you, Ann. That was like coming out of the closet as admissions go. I stuck with Azuree for years because the compliments kept coming. Reading all the comments is making me want to play with my samples now.
Hey, you love what you love. Chantilly was one of the only fragrances I could wear when I was pregnant b/c it is so light and soft and it didn’t overwhelm my nose and senses. I love Love’s Baby Soft and Emeraude too!
Ditto on all of those!
I agree with you. I used to layer a lot, but haven’t done much at all since I started sampling a range of fragrances and learning about perfume chemistry.
two days ago I wore Magie Noir vintage– behind the ears, and sprayed Guerlain Champs Elysees on my arms…(It smelled so good) Hubby asked me if I bought a new perfume…again?
Most wicked combination I’ve stumbled on is DSH’s Dirty Rose with Montale’s ouds. It came out a fuming leathery oud with a variety of facets depending on the particular Montale.
Wow – wicked indeed – all that rawhide, aoud and spices. Yeowh.
YSL Parisienne on Hermes Hiris. It gets rid of the slight stuffiness of Hiris on its own and is far less candy-sweet than Parisienne by itself. It becomes very wearable and pleasant.
That sounds like such an unlikely combo that I’ve got to try it!
Way too chicken and un-creative to try this on my own so I’m thoroughly enjoying this poll!. Some great ideas to try and some to avoid!
I just layered my fragrances for the first time today: DSH Ashram and L’AP Timbuktu. I love each of these worn alone but today the weather is cold and wet, so I thought I would sexy up the Timbuktu with the Ashram, and brighten up the Ashram with Timbuktu. Sounds funny, I know…but I really like these together.
What would be good to layer with EL Youth dew? I wear the oil to bed at times, but would like to layer with something interesting, to wear in the day time.
Ditto.
I love Youth Dew.
Don’t really know what you could layer with it, but I too love wearing it to bed!
I am on a Youth Dew kick. I was looking for the lotion today and my friend at Saks’s asked if I was having a flashback or something. I bought some of the dusting powder and plan to sprinkle it on the sheets tonight. It is sticky humid down here and it should be lovely.
I have the body cream and it is lovely and the jar is fancy, it looks beautiful on my dresser.
Pick one of the notes in YD and accent it. Perhaps rose?
Yeah Ive never attempted to layer. I really dont know how to. I dont know what would go w/ what? : (
I also don’t really layer.
Actually, I retract that: From the notes on paper I wanted ELdO Fat Electrician to be a much more vanillic vetiver, so I’ve layered that at different times with both SDV (too expensive and yummy to layer on any regular basis) and with Maison de la Vanille – Vanille Noire de Méxique. It’s a good combination.
Daisy also got me into her Hiris-Prada Infusion cocktail, though I don’t wear that often. Much more interesting and wearable than Infusion on its own.
Testing 4 to 8 fragrances each night isn’t layering?
Absolutely not! They’re all at least 2 inches apart!
Their sillages are bound to mix at some point – even if you’ve got only 1 on each limb…
Only two inches apart – tomato-tomato? You have the tower of Babylon of sillage surrounding you each night!
Maybe I’ll change my login here to Tower of Babylon of Sillage.
It’s never that bad, I don’t think. When I skin test I usually use only a drop or two of each scent. Then again, who knows what I might smell like to someone from “outside.”
more like marinating…
ONLY 8???
well, they all laughed at me once for admitting that I had dabbed samples down my legs (because I ran out of arm space) and labeled the spots with an ink pen….it really seemed reasonable to me–I mean if you’re going to go to the trouble of sniffing your knees and ankles you want to at least be sure what you’re sniffing, right? I did look rather like an allergy test gone horribly wrong….
you are so funny I was about to shock on my apple.
sorry! I was laughing so hard, I ment choke.
My fav layering combo is Gucci pour Homme with Narcisse Noir. I don’t even like to wear them by themselves anymore because I love the combination so much.
Now that I am writing this down, there are quite a few:
Un Jardin sur le Nil with Kiehls Coriander Essence
SSS Egyptian Musk with Baume du Doge
Bois des Iles with SSS Champagne de Bois (no brainer)
Tam Dao with Flowerbomb or Mora Bella
L’Heure Bleue Cologne with Sacrebleu or Le Maroc Pour Elle
Chanel #18 with Asja
Keihl’s coriander is so wonderful! I totally forgot about that until you mentioned it. Many years ago, when I lived proximal to a Henri Bendel, I used to get that coriander – I loved the lotion and shower gel. Great stuff! That is a great combo with UJSLN!!
Kiehl’s Coriander body lotion and a few sprays of Chinatown-Bond 9, Kiehl’s Gardinia body lotion and Fracas Pure Parfum is very sexy, and stunning.
Sounds like a lovely potion you have discovered!
Wait, those are two potions, right?
yes, two potions.
I like to layer scents, it’s like cooking. When one ingredient calls for another, like endive salad with fresh basil that just needs some slices of mandarin to be perfect (and some ginger!). Or making chai and mixing all the spices to get a special taste. My current favorites are CdG 2 Man with Magie Noir oil and PG Brulure de Rose with AG Ninfeo Mio (the bitter and sharp rosewood I get is just magical).
But I got a lot of inspiration from all the comments and I’ll try more different things.
The only layering I have done is with Dancing Waters with Cool Water. I know not really a difference in the scent. I would love to layer with Cool Water but what would I use to kick it up a notch.
I guess it depends on which part you want to kick up…I’d think something dry/woody would be nice.
sometimes in my eagerness to sample all things simultaneously …there’s incidental layering happening….like today: the SOTD is Bond Chinatown…and then I got a sample in the mail: Carthusia Numero Uno —-so naturally I spritzed it on an unoccupied spot of skin-real-estate….and I’ll tell you what! –I smell great! and the real kicker here is that Numero Uno has LAVENDER! yes, that’s right—sends Daisy screaming from the room lavender…but it smells GOOD!
My usual favorites for layering:
1. Mitsouko EdP & Theorema –heaven in the cold!
2. Hermes Hiris & Prada Id’Iris —best of both
3. SL Clair de Musc & Le Labo Fleur d’Oranger 27 –this will get you sniffed by strangers….so be careful!
I can relate to that, the problem with me is that I forget the combinations…I must get me some Theorema as I love Mitsouko and did’nt think to ever mess with that one…Mitsouko is a very mysterious and I just leave that one alone..but I want Heaven in the cold!
they are both good on their own…..but mix them just one time and you will experience the magic!
Ohhh Daisy that combo number 3 sounds heavenly!
It really is!! LL Fleur d’Oranger is a delightfully happy scent but you mix some Clair de Musc with it and it gains a lot of depth and a little mystery….
I just got my Le Labo FdO sample-and had the strangest skin notes. Mix floral orange blossom with anise and latex gloves.
Of course my mother in law experienced beautiful white floral notes…. I really got my hopes up on this one.
I just bought bottle of Clair de Musc and have large decant of Fleur d’Oranger so I’m almost ready for my first layering experience. Love the thought of tantalizing hundreds of strangers on NYC subway!
Carolyn
SL Un Bois Vanille and CdG Incense: Avignon is HEAVENLY together. I like my vanilla quite dry, not too sweet – and this is incredible with the ripe Frankincense of Avignon.
I don’t ususally layer, but I’ve had some fortuitous accidents. Hiris + Kiehl’s Musk, most notably. Sounds absolutely vile, but it works for me. YMMV, and don’t hold me responsible for any mishaps.
I may have had more layering successes, but I can’t remember for the life of me at the moment.
By chance, yesterday I layered for the first time ever. The SA at Barney’s told me her favorite fragrance was layered Le Labo Bergamot and Le Labo Fleur d’ Oranger, and I was like, ha, ha, very funny, who can afford that. But she gave me samples of both, and yesterday I was wearing the Oranger, and it was a little too sweet, so I slapped some Bergamot on top, and what do you know–fantastic. I’m not gonna fall for it, though, I swear.
Hey, Robin, if you’re reading, I had another idea for a poll:
Worst fragrance mistake
What did you wear to an event that was exactly the WRONG thing.
Ohhh, that’s a good idea for a poll. I’ve done some doozies that’s for sure!
Great, added it to the list!
Hi all and Thank goodness it’s Friday!
I like to layer the following:
-NR Musc Oil for her with SL Borneo 1834. The musc works well with the chocolate and patch notes in the Borneo.
-Laura Mercier Minuit Enchanté with her vanilla body lotion.
-Montale Patchouli Leaves with Laura Mercier vanilla body lotion.
-Jo Malone White Jasmine and Mint with JM Lime and cedar body oil spray. Very refreshing and green.
Those combos sound delicious…Smokey Toes.
Right now, my favorite two to layer are CdG’s 2Man and Laura Mercier’s Vanille Gourmand. The slightly smoky vanilla warms up the spices and incense of 2Man and cuts the sourness of the vetiver. It also makes it all much more feminine.
Well I’m a bit in the ‘artiste’ stand alone camp, but I did experiment (after reading Turin) with layering the original Feminite du Boise with The Unicorn Spell to see if I could get something like Lutens Bios de Violette, and heck, it really worked! So well I privately call it my Bois de Unicorn!
I probably shouldn’t mention the La Nuit-Tabu combination in polite company – I have actually mixed those babies together in an atomiser!
Sometimes too much is never enough….
I like Bois de Unicorn!
I have to say that I’m finding Bois de Violette SO similar to Feminité that I don’t think I’d need to own both. I’ll need to test side by side on skin to sniff out the subtle differences.
HOLY COW, La Nuit and Tabu… everybody is so much braver than I am.
One of my fave layerings as of late is CDG Kyoto over a tiny spritz of Indult Tihota. I also like to wear a bit of CSP’s Vanille Mokha under the original Angel, and a really fun mix is YSL’s Paris over a bit of BBW’s Pink Grapefruit or for a more romantic take, a soft misting of Paris over Clair de Musc. I think BK’s Love has a lot of good layering potential but I haven’t played around with it too much since I don’t have a lot to work with, but I’d be curious to put it over a soft patch or vetiver to give it more solidity. Candy with an edge.
I love Body Time’s oils because they make so many fragrance combinations/tweakings possible, too.
Ah Tihota, got my sample a couple of days ago and the darn thing is just haunting me – I expected it to pack more of a whallop like a Comptoir Sud or Spiriteuse, but it just seems to sing a siren song, despite me thinking I need more bang for 250 bucks – did you find it seems to get more enveloping and ‘present’ as you wear it, sort of like a genie or something???
Yes, I find that with Tihota, it doesn’t go on like a vanilla bomb, but rather a soft cloud. It’s likely one of those situations with me where the musk gets hard to smell after a while, but I’ve gone out hours after putting it on and had friends notice (and love) what I’ve got on. And the staying power’s amazing for a pretty much straight up vanilla. I put it on in say the afternoon, and I can still easily smell it the next morning before I jump in the shower. It is also especially snuggly on my clothes. I bought my bottle roughly two years ago, I believe, and it is potent enough that it is still two-thirds full. It was expensive, but definitely worth it in the long run, IMNSHO :).
I like Chinatown with Loukhoum Eau Poudree, Tauer Incense Extreme with VCA Gardenia Petale, and Estee Lauder Sensuous with Ineke Field Notes From Paris.
Oh yeah! I forgot… I also recently accidentally combined Tonka Imperiale with Amaranthine and it was surprisingly yummy!
1. Lacoste Love of Pink/ Givenchy Only
2. Avon Millenia/ Alfred Sung Shi
3. Valentino Rock n’ Rose Pret a Porter/ Inspire
I just remembered what I layered the other day! A little too late, probably. Shalimar (PdT but extrait is probably just as good, if quieter) and Lubin’s Le Vetiver. The powder of the vetiver really added a beautiful depth to the Shalimar, and made it a bit more user-friendly. Of course, I love both of them by themselves. I keep forgetting that I need some Shalimar before summer really starts in.
By accident, as they both came yesterday, L ‘Eau Laura Ashley (a fantastic citrus chypre) and a vintage Coty L’Origan (L’Heure bluish and lovely)…It works!
Lately I’ve been layering Van Cleef & Arpels Oriens with Ateleir Cologne Orange Sanguine…the combo makes me think that spring will soon arrive here in the mountains!
Noir Espices with Stella. I bet it would be good with Le Labo Rose 31 too.
Ooh… now I want to try Noir Epices with Le Labo Rose. I’m already wearing Lyric woman so maybe I’ll try it with that.
SL Louve with CdG Palisander. Each on its own is nice but a bit one-dimensional.
I think Louve can be layered nicely with quite a few other scents with a wood base.
Interesting, Calypso! I remember liking CdG Calamus but finding it a bit one-dimensional. I wonder what would go with that…
Any basic lily of the valley…very pretty combo. I used to wear it with CdG lily & also with Borsari Violetta di Parma.
Ah, those sound lovely – thank you, Robin!
I don’t layer because it’s too complicated (I know – simple little me!) There are so many fragrances to try that I don’t crave *more* variety. Besides, each fragrance is a work of art on its own, yes?
back in university, [1992?] i used to get a secret thrill from layering chanel #5 with poison… i know… ?????you’re thinking what??? but it was soooo delicious…a boy passed me a note and told me that he loved the way i smelled, so orangey marshmallowy…i really loved it and thought no one would else would ever do that or guess what it was!! i have neither of those anymore….
Cool!
A La Nuit + Bandit = sexiest thing ever
Wow…that’s a bold combo!
I’ve mentioned it a few times already, but layering Hermes Eau de Gentiane Blanche and Pamplemousse Rose is a winner. Other than that I don’t actually layer much, but I like thinking about how different combinations might turn out.
The worst layering experience I’ve had was unintentially putting SJP Lovely over Parfum d’Empire Cuir Ottoman. A steel-like note emerged that was utterly horrible and of course unscrubbable.
I’ve found that layering Body Shop’s Moroccan Rose bodymist with L’Artisan Al Oudh ends up with a lovely woody rose scent that lasts all day. Odd, considering normally Al Oudh disappears within an hour, but definitely pleasant.
Hello, my first time posting here!
I experiment a lot with layering…two that I just love are:
EL Beautiful body lotion and AA Rose Magnifica
Chanel #19 EdT and EL Pleasures Delight EdP
Welcome aboard!
Hi and welcome! Love the sound of the Beautiful lotion with a rose scent…
I wonder what else Chanel 19 would layer with?
Today…Mkk and Bandit…X
I’m so late to the conversation, but I guess better late than never!
I don’t layer very often, but not because I’m opposed to it per se. Mostly I don’t layer because I’m still getting know my growing collection and so often I prefer to keep things simple.
HOWEVER, last summer I bought a bottle of Hampton Sun Privet Bloom. At first I really liked it’s straightforward green freshness; but over the course of several wearings, I realized that it was bit simple for my taste and perhaps a bit too girly-pretty for my style. So I went searching in my perfume cabinet for something to modify it a bit. My discovery? Terre d’Hermès layers fantastically with Privet Bloom – and it’s the perfect combination for summer. In fact, I wear the two layered more often than I ever wear Terre alone, and I adore Terre all by itself. They just work together so well.
Another layering experiment I performed earlier this week was Chanel Cuir de Russie EDT + Eau Première. I had put on CdR and found the leather a bit too heavy for the balmy spring weather we were having. So I brightened it up and softened it out with Eau Première. It worked in the moment, but I’ll have to try it again to see if I really enjoy wearing them together.
Now off to read and take notes on everyone’s layering combos…
I like layering Sarah Jessica Parker’s Twilight with Kiehl’s Amber and Musk oils (I have the oils in the roller ball applicator) . I spray the Twilight on my wrist, neck and then the spray walk through. . .and then add a line of Amber to both wrists and one side of my neck and the same with Musk – but on the other side of the neck. I like the combination and how it lingers all day. I did this mainly in the winter months but it sounds so yummy after writing about it I may have to try again soon.
I’m always intrigued by accounts of the long-lost Iris Gris, a peach-iris perfume which LT, Denyse/carmencanada, Robin and other impeccable sources consider one of the best ever created. I wonder if there is a way to get an idea of this by layering existing iris and peach perfumes. I have L’Artisan’s Iris Pallida, a fabulous iris soliflore. The closest currently I have to peach is TDC Osmanthus, which is said to smell like apricot. The combination is certainly pleasant, but I’d like to try this with a sample of something really peachy. I wonder if anyone else has tried iris-peach combinations or has suggestions for peach scents worth trying?
Ooh, I’m glad you revealed your “recipe”, because you had me curious the other day when you mentioned your quasi-Iris Gris experiment on Angela’s post.
I don’t have Iris Pallida, but I may experiment with iris+peach myself. I’d recommend Keiko Mecheri Peau de Pêche or MDCI Péché Cardinal.
Right, Joe, I saw your earlier question just today and thought you’d be more likely to see the answer here.
Both of these peaches sound well worth sampling in their own right. I’d love to hear how your iris-peach combos turn out, as well.
I’d also suggest, for a very reasonable price, trying to track down a bottle of The Body Shop’s Fuzzy Peach perfume oil. It is one of the best and least candy-like peaches I’ve ever owned and layers well with a great many things. I’ve worn it under Fracas, CSP’s Vanille Passion and Tihota Manacara (sp?) with really fun results. It would be awesome under a heavy chypre, too, I think.
That Fuzzy Peach sounds so useful, Absolute Scentualist – I need to track it down! Please let if you ever try it out with an iris, too.
Oh no, not me: I’ve never smelled it!
Ooops, Robin, I meant Angela, who wrote about sniffing Denyse’s Iris Gris in one of the Paris posts.
Of course, Iris Gris probably had musks that no longer exist and other accents. Nevertheless, I’ve been reflecting on Denyse’s lovely review of Iris Gris, in which she describes sniffing her fabulous find with Octavian, who had brought samples of peach and iris to the occasion, and how the peach or iris notes come to the fore depending on which you are focused on. So I’m thinking there may be a way to catch a glimpse of the idea of this famous perfume – all the while wishing someone would do a serious recreation, as happened with Fracas et. al.
What an interesting (and apt) picture!
I prefer to wear my fragrances individually; the only combination I’ve worn is Jo Malone’s Amber & Lavender and Grapefruit Colognes.
Oriental Lounge and Passage D’Enfer
bit late for this, but I tend to layer my Serge L.’s: to fierce up (can I say that?) nice but somewhat tamer relatives, e.g.
MKK with AG’s Musc Nomade
TC with Diptyque’s Do Son
and: I used to layer Bvlgair’s Thé rouge with something, it was nice but I’ve forgotten what… help, getting senile!
P.S. I’d hoped that layering Demeter’s Holy Smoke and Black Pepper would be a reasonable (and reasonably-priced) facsimile of Armani’s Bois d’Ensens, but no.
Sounds bizarre but Le Labo’s Patchouli 24 under Pure Poison makes for one of the most interesting combinations I’ve ever worn. It’s like mixing a uber-nerdy librarian with a woman who never wears a bra (or, given the plumes of silicone in her chest doesn’t need to). Which, in my strange fantasy universe, is the kind of woman I want to be – minus the “augmentation.”
In other words, though the stiletto heels and the old-bookishness of the two seem diametrically opposed, the deep vanilla of Patchouli 24 and the musk of Pure Poison seem to (after about ten minutes of weirdness) blend together beautifully.