Perfume layering: what is it?
Find out everything you need to know about
layering perfumes, or combining perfumes, not to be confused with the same
practice for beauty treatments. Bahisht Aroma tells you everything.
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| Perfume Layering |
The principle of
layering in perfumery
Name that comes from the English layer which
means layers or superpositions in French. This principle consists of
superimposing and combining several perfumes in order to have a personalized
scent. It is an assembly of scents to compose a fragrance that is unique to
each person. To satisfy in fact the desire to have a tailor-made perfume without
having to pay the price that goes with this exceptional service.
This demand comes mainly from perfume lovers.
In the West, perfumers or purists are rather opposed to this practice, indeed
we can understand that a perfumer who takes a year to two years or more to
develop a successful artistic composition, does not want to see his creation
mixed with a second one.
This layering trend has emerged under the
influence of a common practice from the Middle East, where men and women have
long been mixing many perfumes without complexes.
Different styles
of layering
We also knew about layering beauty
treatments, a very advanced and precise practice coming mainly from Japan and
Korea. Like a mille-feuille, it consists of a superposition of several forms of
cosmetics, gel, emulsion, serum, cream.
Classic layering in perfumery consists of
superimposing body milk, or body cream, talc, shower gel, deodorant and then extract at the pulse points (perfume for oneself) and then eau de toilette or eau de parfum on the clothes for the sillage (for others). This layering
technique allows to intensify the hold and the sillage.
Also Visit: Chanel No. 5 Perfume
Layering in the
Middle East
This practice is very common in the Middle
East. It is a ritual where women first apply a musk-based cream to the skin, then men or women perfume their clothes and skin with their
mixture which is personalized each time. Called bakhour, cassolettes with oud wood and
different resins that burn on coals, we then apply an oud-based perfume and
finally on top of all these fragrances a Western perfume.
It is worth noting that men in the Middle East are not afraid to use very feminine Western perfumes. Wearing a single fragrance is out of the question for them; they truly want to wear something distinctive and enigmatic. In the Middle East, oud wood, leather notes, saffron, and rose are the most favoured raw components.
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Some tips on
olfactory layering
You have to be careful and try several
combinations because if the desire to play with perfumes is strong, indeed we
all want to be apprentice perfumers, we can quickly fall into a cacophony of
scents. A bit like putting a piece of Brahms in the same room with a piece of
Mozart.
There are no real rules, you have to experiment with several superpositions, use your intuition knowing that a beautiful perfume must correspond to your olfactory heritage.
Some layering
tips to avoid the worst
- The idea of associating a very
vanilla fragrance with a spicy fragrance. (cf. Spicy facet , Gourmet facet )
- Fruity fragrances pair well with floral fragrances. Opposites sometimes attract.
- You can accentuate a trait in the same olfactory family, add almost pure vanilla to an oriental perfume that is often already vanilla.
- To enhance the character with an
oriental fragrance, add just a solinote like a patchouli note or an oud -based perfume . The oud note will thus be more subtle.
- You can lighten a dense, compact
perfume with a very fresh cologne.
- Fresh citrus notes blend well with gourmand notes.
- Floral notes generally blend well
together.
- You can consult the article create your own perfume, in order to have other suggestions.
Rules to follow
for layering
A first rule is to apply the most powerful or
heady perfume first and the lightest one afterwards. This will prevent the
powerful perfume from overwhelming the second, lighter one.
Avoid mixing two perfumes with a very strong
personality or that are too faceted or too complex.
Limit yourself to two fragrances to layer.
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My advice for working in perfumery
What is a generic or equivalent perfume?
Good layering surprises
I felt unexpected and yet successful blends
like Mitsouko with Double Vanille by Guerlain. Homme idéal with Néroli Outre
Noir, also by Guerlain.
Conclusion on
layering
For Bahisht Aroma perfumes , I would recommend lightening a too heady
perfume with a very fresh and soft breath of the Dovana perfume
from the Muscs Collection.
Why not try Oranzo which is very fresh, citrusy and green with Smeraldo which
itself is green and musky?
Layering does not have any rules, it is up to
you to try different combinations, according to your instinct, also according
to your olfactory heritage. Perhaps you will have examples of successful
layering to share with us.
Bahisht Aroma
Perfumes
Discover Bahisht Aroma's brand with its Orange Blossom,
Musk and Vanilla Collections. You can try them with the Discovery Boxes (5
Eau de Parfum x 2 ml) and rediscover these raw materials as you have never
smelled them before.
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