Olfactory Overtures: The Fragrance Layering Thread

[danielledanielle]

Similar to the Lips on Lock 🔐: List Your Lip Combos 💄👄 thread, I needed a place to list wanted to explore scent combos, this is my favorite thing to do with Gucci Gardenia line and Maison Margiela Replica line.  Maison Margiela is even known for having fun names for their combos, so feel free to name yours (if you want to) 

Some of my power pairs:

Fenty Beauty by Rihanna Fenty Eau de Parfum + Maison Margiela 'REPLICA' Jazz Club Eau de Toilette with Tobacco Leaf, Pink Pepper, and Rum ... This knocks out that patchouli note in the Fenty I don't like

Maison Margiela ‘REPLICA' By the Fireplace Eau de Toilette with Chestnut, Vanilla, and Clove Oil 3.4... + #Maison Margiela 'REPLICA' Beach Walk Eau de Toilette with Coconut Milk & Musk ... This is their "Bonfire on the Beach" pairing

Take Me to The Candy Shop:

#SKYLAR Boardwalk Delight Hair & Body Mist 2.7 oz / 80 ml spray + SKYLAR Vanilla Sky Hair and Body Mist 2.7 oz ... This is very, very sweet

Ellis Brooklyn Queens Caramel+ KILIAN Paris Angels Share Eau de Parfum with Tonka Bean & Cinnamon .. I don't have a name for this one yet, but it smells delicious to me

Rabanne Fame Parfum with Patchouli & Jasmine 2.7 oz parfum spray + Rare Beauty Eau de Parfum ...Spicy Fame 😂

[danielledanielle]

Coffee Addiction: Yves Saint Laurent Black Opium Le Parfum with Vanilla & Coffee + SKYLAR Nude Skin Eau de Parfum 1.7 oz / 50 mL eau de parfum spray .  Something in the Skylar bumps up the coffee notes is Black Opium in the right way.

[caitbird]

Today's scent of the day was another layering experiment: Glossier Glossier You Eau de Parfum 1.7 oz / 50 mL eau de parfum spray + Ariana Grande Cloud Eau de Parfum . I was looking online for fragrance layering inspiration, and I saw someone (on Reddit I think) say these two layer well together. They're both 2 of my favorites, so I thought, why not try it?

I did quite like this combo, and would definitely try it again. It was interesting to see how the 2 scents meshed together. They seemed to blend fairly evenly at first into an interesting mixture of both, but Cloud does last longer than You overall, so by the end of the wear time I was mostly getting Cloud on its own. Next time I try this combo, I'll try moisturizing with Vaseline before I apply the fragrances (which I like to do sometimes to extend wear time), and see what difference that makes.

I have no idea what to call this fragrance combo...Cloudy You? You When It's Cloudy? Cloudy with a Chance of You? 😂 suggestions welcome!

[danielledanielle]

Cloudy with a chance of you!!!!!  🫶🏽 @caitbird 

[Margalee]

A couple recent mixes:

Diptyque Fleur de Peau EDP with Vilhelm Perfumerie Poets of Berlin EDP and Creed Carmina with Montale Arabians Tonka

I wanted to add a touch to Poets of Berlin and then Fleur de Peau I like, but has this strange quality to my nose. So I added it hoping to have a touch of something else and Fleur de Peau is decently lightweight to me. Even when I overdo this fragrance it's almost like it's there, but not there. It's kind of hard for me to pin down the notes. Kind of like when I smell Hermes Twilly. I actually enjoy this mix. I don't think one overpowers the other.

The Carmina and Arabians Tonka I wanted a spicy Rose floral. This mix I am not totally sold on as I love Creed Carmina on its own. I know some people think it's meh but I think it's near perfection in a bottle. I can't afford a full size bottle and sometimes the thought that if it were in a hundred dollar bottle would I love it so much comes around, but I really enjoy it. And what did I expect from Arabians Tonka in the mix? hahah I feel like the spice in Arabians Tonka overthrew Carmina on several points of wear. Possibly I should have used a much less forward fragrance for the spiciness. But drying down it does give me a much more feminine feel than the Arabians Tonka on its own. Maybe three spays to one next time.

[danielledanielle]

It's interesting the ratio of sprays and even where you spray can really change it up @Margalee .  I'm always looking for better spray points, but I usually stick with sweaters, blazers, scarves for clothes and put of elbows, wrists and behind the ear... But the wrist gets multiple applications because of hand washing.  Where do you like to spray your combos?

[Margalee]

Anyone have a layering favorite for Sol de Janeiro Delicia Drench?

[danielledanielle]

@Margalee , let's workshop this...

Delicia is kind of powdery with a vanilla scent.  Do you want to amp up something or blend it in with something else?  I would go skin scent or floral, like a Chloe scent..🤔

[Margalee]

@danielledanielle I do have a little of that so will give it a whirl. Thanks!

[Margalee]

Recent layering experiences:

Beekman Dark Cherry and Pistachio with Banana Republic Dark Cherry and Amber. I bought the Banana Republic to amp up and extend the cherry in the Beekman. It did work and they smelled nice together.

Banana Republic Dark Cherry and Amber with Clean Reserve Whipped Cherry. This did tone down the amber in the Dark Cherry and Amber which is what I was aiming to do. It also brought out a bit of spiciness but I did use Dion's Vanilla Bean wash so possibly that spiciness was the body wash and not the sprays. 

Dior Rose scrub with Creighton's Rose Hip Oil body butter and Clean Reserve Whipped Cherry. I find Dior's sugar scrub absolutely amazing and I love the way my whole bathroom is scented with it throughout the day I use it. Creighton's Rose Hip Oil body butter is what I consider an old fashioned "bathroom" rose scent. I do think it is strongly scented and was a little worried about people thinking I smelled like toilet spray but it is fine and the Whipped Cherry with those two turns out quite lovely and I will pair this trio again.

Jo Malone Scarlet Poppy Intense and Jo Malone Myrrh and Tonka Intense. I like Scarlet Poppy Intense all by itself but the Myrrh and Tonka Intense really warmed it up and I enjoyed this pairing. For me Scarlet Poppy Intense is a bright and tart-ish scent. It makes me think of summer sunny days so I feel like the Myrrh and Tonka Intense really pushed it along to late summer, fall, spicy pumpkin or cider drinks.

I did buy the Clean Reserve Whipped Cherry to be a mixer, mainly to bolster the cherry opening notes in other fragrances. But I also wear it alone. I really like this fragrance.

[Margalee]

So, some typos in my post up there:  Dionus Vanilla Bean Goat Milk Crème not Dions Vanilla Bean body wash - thanks for the Dions, autocorrect- and that's Dior's Exfoliating Body Oil body scrub, not the Dior's Miss Dior Rose Granita Scrub (in the tube). To me this product doesn't seem oily, it's really like a sugar scrub to me. So I am constantly thinking it's sugar scrub, not exfoliating body oil. I have been eking this product out all year because of the price, but will definitely repurchase if I can. I do think it's worth it.

[danielledanielle]

Oooh, thank you for this @Margalee .  I forget about the BR fragrances, I believe @fatimamummy had posted about them in the past (?)... Didn't know there was a dark cherry one...I have a Sephora Favorites voucher that I'm still back and forth on, you might've sold me on CLEAN RESERVE Whipped Cherry Eau de Parfum with Vanilla and Coconut , I have to double check

[itsfi]

A spritz of Origins Ginger Essence adds an extra ginger zing (and longevity) to Jo Malone Ginger Biscuit. One spray each, Ginger Essence first, then Ginger Biscuit. The biscuit scent isn't overwhelmed by this ordering. 

[Margalee]

I smelled Jo Malone Ginger Biscuit in store. I like it quite a bit. It seemed not too complex so I think I might enjoy layering quite a bit.

[Titian06]

I don't normally layer fragrances.  The other day, I re-tried DIOR Miss Dior Blooming Bouquet .  I really don't like it; it's too floral, and just short of migraine inducing.  I decided to add Maison Margiela 'REPLICA' Afternoon Delight Eau de Toilette with Vanilla & Sandalwood on top.  I dislike this one as well.  It's much too sweet and just short of migraine inducing.

The result was a toned down floral with a softer sweet edge that I was much happier with.  I plan to try this combo again.

Miss Dior Blooming Bouquet 

Top:  Sicilian Mandarin 

Middle:  Pink Peony, Damask Rose, Apricot, Peach

Base:  White Musk

Afternoon Delight 

Vanilla, Whipped Cream, Madeleine, Sandalwood,  Musk

[caitbird]

@Titian06  that's great that by combining/layering two fragrances you dislike on their own, you were able to get something you like better!

[caitbird]

Another fragrance layering experiment I tried recently: Glossier Glossier You Doux Eau de Parfum 1.7 oz / 50 ml eau de parfum spray & #NEST New York Turkish Rose Body Mist 4.2 oz / 125 ml spray . I looked up fragrance layering ideas & tips, and found that floral + woody combos often work well together. Nest Turkish Rose has base notes of blonde woods, and I thought that might mesh well with the soft woody notes in Glossier You Doux. This was a nice combination - I would try this one again.

[caitbird]

Today's fragrance layering experiment...Yum Pistachio Delight? 😂

I really like KAYALI YUM PISTACHIO GELATO | 33 Eau De Parfum Intense  but I am still working out how I feel about Tru Fragrances Pistachio Delight, a recent addition. The dry down is a lovely sweet, creamy pistachio praline, which is exactly what I was hoping for, but the top notes at first spray smell like buttery caramel popcorn to me, which I don't love. Layering it with the Kayali helped tone down the popcorn aspect somewhat, so 👍

[danielledanielle]

@caitbird Ok, the kayali... What drives the pairing for you, because I like KAYALI YUM PISTACHIO GELATO | 33 Eau De Parfum Intense 1.7 oz / 50 mL eau de parfum spray , but on me, it didn't pop... Latest I tried was Maison Margiela 'REPLICA' Afternoon Delight Eau de Toilette with Vanilla & Sandalwood with it, and it was ok.  I'm seeking nutty goodness and not getting it

Also, I like that both our pairings aim for delight 

[caitbird]

@danielledanielle  to be honest, with this pairing I was more motivated to work out a way to enjoy the Tru Fragrances perfume more than I do on its own - I personally really enjoy the Kayali as-is. I would have to try this combo again to see whether combining these two really increased that pistachio nuttiness (I would say yes? but further testing needed to confirm).

[caitbird]

@danielledanielle  oh, I love this idea for a thread! I haven't really tried fragrance layering yet, but I want to! I'm really interested to see others' fragrance layering ideas and pairings for inspiration 👀 Thanks for starting this thread!