How to layer your perfume to create your signature scent

Deciding on a signature fragrance is a deeply personal experience. While some may prefer floral and fruity smelling perfumes, woody, intense and aromatic are preferred scents for many. Wearing a fragrance is a highly intuitive process as it needs to appeal to one’s sense and personality. This is where the art of fragrance layering comes in.

Fragrance layering is the art of mixing two or more different formulations of a note to create an entirely new smell. While wearing more than one perfume may seem a bit excessive, when done correctly it is a genius hack to achieve your own bespoke scent.

Here is a guide from the UAE’s leading perfume manufacturer, Swiss Arabian to ace the art of layering in style.

Heavy to lighter notes

While there are no specific rules, a good first step is to start with the heaviest scent that you love and test out a lighter scent on top of it so that it doesn’t overshadow the previous scent.

Tip - remember to wait a few minutes after putting on the heavier scent to let it settle well before applying the lighter one.

Use moisturizer

Layering might sound like a complicated beauty ritual, but it really isn’t. The art of layering fragrance starts as soon as you apply a scented shower gel or a soap, or even your moisturizer. A good moisturizer will hold the fragrance to your skin and help it last longer, especially if you moisturize your skin right after a shower.

Tip - try using a perfume and lotion that have similar fragrance notes. For example, if you’re using a vanilla-scented lotion, pair it with a vanilla-based perfume or something you feel may go well with vanilla.

Apply perfume oils on pulse points

Alcohol-rich perfumes can dry out our skin further making it harder for scents to stick. Oils, on the other hand, trap scents making them bloom. Swiss Arabian perfume oils are completely alcohol free, which makes them stick to your skin for a longer lasting fragrance. Just apply a few drops on your wrist, behind your ears, and all your other pulse points and gently tap it in. The strong fragrance of the oils, combined with the freshness of spray perfumes will ensure the scent stays on for longer.

Tip - This works best in hot climates since sweat cannot remove oil easily!

Create a signature scent with similar fragrance families

One of the easiest hacks to creating a bespoke single base perfume is by sticking to perfumes from similar families such as woody, floral, oriental, citrus etc. So, if you’re a lover of woody fragrances: combine Swiss Arabian’s Oud Malaki oil with Oud 01 perfume, for a beautiful rose aroma try combining our Rose Malaki oil with Rose 01 perfume.

Use bakhoor for an extra dose of scent

The perfect Middle Eastern ritual for fragrance layering is to prepare bakhoor to allow the smoke to permeate your clothes and hair. This is followed by application of perfume oil on wrists and behind the ears, followed by a spray of your favourite scent to suit the mood of the day.

Be creative

If you want to experiment, try and mix different perfumes together to form your own exclusive scent. Creativity is the most crucial aspect of layering! If you want to create a strong bespoke perfume, mix a heavy woody perfume with a vanilla-based perfume or spray an oriental perfume with a rose scent for a date night.

Remember, layering is all about trial and error. Keep experimenting to master the art and find your own process. Fragrance layering is perfect for anyone who loves to tailor their scent to their vibes each day anew.

If you’re looking to discover the best collection of perfume oils to mix with the Middle East’s top fragrances, check out Swiss Arabian’s offerings that are the perfect start to trying your hand at fragrance layering.