Hi there Perfume Posse, Layering was a thing that my Mother used to talk about a lot. It rarely comes up so much nowadays. Mum would try and have the soap, moisturiser and fragrance of her favourite scent at any time and would tell me how it was so much better, gave her longer lasting fragrance with much better projection and a longer scent trail. These days I tend to layer my scents in a different way. Leathers, White flowers, Citrus or Aromatics all have a correlating but not from exactly matching product lines. Here are some examples:
Bath, Moisturiser and Fragrance Layering
Photo Stolen Fragrantica
If I’m wearing something, say, Knize Ten then I will go layering with my Aramis invigorating body wash, Amouage Memoir body lotion, Knize Ten deodorant and fragrance. They are all leather based or leather adjacent and they harmonise beautifully. It does extend my wear, projection and sillage.
Photo Stolen Fragrantica
What about those days I wear Versace Blonde? Layering starts in the bath with Madonna Truth or Dare Shower Gel, then Fracas by Robert Piguet body lotion and Versace Blonde fragrance. I am a BWF explosion.
Photo Stolen Fragrantica
DIOR Escale & Portifino? Bathe with L’Occitane Cedrat body wash as bubble bath, Molton Brown Vintage 2015 LE with Elderflower body lotion, DIOR Escale & Portifino as fragrance and I’m good to go. Here layering leaves me smelling zesty and fresh all day.
Photo Stolen Fragrantica
Maybe I’ve chosen Coco by CHANEL as my daily spritz. Layering is a bit harder for Coco but it’s a Fl-Oriental so something oriental underneath. So how about Tabu shower gel? It’s dirt cheap and smells incredible. Then perhaps Amouage Dia body lotion. Then a spritz of Coco EdP and some serious Parfum dabbing and I’m set to go.
Yes, you’re right. Layering with different pieces of the puzzle does change the fragrant outcome. It is sometimes quite noticeable but mostly it is only a slight change. This is for day to day wear and personal enjoyment. When I’m testing it’s scentless soap and deodorant, I’m still looking for a truly scentless moisturiser because they all seem to be full of white musk or jasmine, not scentless at all.
If you liked this then why not drop over and say HI at Australian Perfume Junkies. We’d love to see you over there too.
So please tell us some of your not perfectly similar layering matches and how they’ve worked for you.
Portia xx
If this video doesn’t bring a Happy New Year smile to your face I don’t know what will, enjoy and have a safe, joyful and peaceful 2016.
A trick taught to me by Linda Beth Ross:
Not only layer the ancillary products but the different concentrations. Such as Mitsouko body shampoo, Mitsouko body lotion, Mitsouko dusting powder, Mitsouko EDT, EDP, parfum.
I layer the Aqua Allegorias with Guerlain Vetiver as a DIY Vetiver Pour Elle. Aqua Allegoria Cherry Blossom and Vetiver becomes Vetiver Pour Elle Sakura. Aqua Allegoria Winter Delice and Vetiver yields Vetiver Pour Elle Christmas. Etc, etc. You get the picture.
Happy New year!
I am not very brave when it comes to testing layering, but love to read about it. It seems to me it was more usual in the eighties, I for sure had more scented soaps and lotions to go with my perfumes back then. By now I have so many perfumes I could not possibly buy matching shower gels or soaps for all of them.
Happy New Year, dear Portia!! Thank you for the tips on layering (I’m taking notes!) and a year full of great posts. I have some little Amouage body samples, some Lush Rose Jan, and a bottle of Coco shower gel, plus a dab o’ Carnal Flower, so I’m aiming to have a ball playing soon. Hope you and Jin are having a wonderful 2016 so far and will all year. Hugs, Ann
Oops — that should be Rose Jam! Hope my typing improves in 2016, ha!!
OMG Ann,
What a fabulous fragrant frolic you’ll have. Thank you for always reading and commenting, it’s appreciated.
Have an amazing 2016 full of the good stuff that makes memories that last forever.
Portia xxx
Inspired by your post I took a luxurious bath in the hotel we’re at using the Fracas shower cream I just found at a perfume discount outlet just around the corner(how convenient!) and applied some Songes body oil that’s been sitting in my travel duffel since the summer. Topped off with a smidge of Diptyque IE Jasmin. I’ve been mauled by white flowers 😀 and feeling like I’m in a tropical paradise even though we’re in the land of strip malls 30 minutes outside of NYC. Happy New Year to you and thanks for the inspiration today!
WOO HOO! Firstly, super lucky find on the Fracas! then, FABULOUS! I bet they can smell your gorgeous self next door. YUMMY!
I am smiling a big cheesy smile at your choices. Excellent.
Happy New Year.
Portia xx
Thanks for the video, Portia……a joy. Happy New Year to you and Jin.
Thank you AndreaD,
Warm wishes welcomed. Have a great 2016.
Portia xx
I’m afraid I’m very unadventurous with my layering ( that and my perfume collection far surpasses my body products). Brazil Nut from the body shop works well with some of my scents that lean into bittersweet (Coromandel, Profumum Patchouly, Boyfriend). I’d like to get my nose on Rose Jam and see if it might play well with anything I’ve already got.
Happy New Year, posse!
hey Becky,
That’s why I have to later with different products, because my frags far outweigh my body products. That’s how it all started.
Rose Jam is fun, I have a big bottle that gets quite a lot of use. LUSH is cool.
Happy New Year to you.
Portia xx
Every time you post bath and body products Portia, I try to imagine having a tub & shower big enough to hold everything, how nice! My tiny old house is in desperate need of a bathroom remodeling, it is cramped to say the least. Anyway, I’m a fan of layering albeit in a smaller way. Kiss My Face Peaceful Patchouli lotion goes under things that need depth, Boyfriend body oil under Barbara Bui is a fave winter combination. Yves Rocher Vanilla lotion is wonderful under orientals and gourmands. I need to find some Tabu shower gel! I used to wear the dusting powder.
Hey Rosarita313,
When we bought the new apartment I had a very short but definite list. With a few weekends of bargain hunting and finding people who would do at reasonable prices we found some gems. The bath ended up being less than 1/5 what we expected to pay (Jin is genius). For all my stuff Jin gave me 2 glass & chrome shelves that look fabulous and were only $25 each at an online sell out store, including postage!
Your layering sounds lovely. Boyfriend is YUM! Never thought to use the oil as a base. Thanks for the tip.
Portia xx
Dear, dear Portia! Happy New Year to you. I can’t remember the last time I layered with things complementary or dissonant. Maybe for 2016 I will experiment once a week.
Thank you for making every Thursday morning of 2015 an occasion to smile, laugh and climb out of my usual morning brain fog with your sunny outlook on perfume and life.
Hey Chris,
You’re so welcome. Thank you for the praise.
Happy New Year.
Portia xx