Scent of a Woman: How to design your signature fragrance?
updated the 6 October 2015 à 23:15
Floral, woody, oriental… Whatever your olfactory preference is, it’s imperative you have a go-to perfume that you can create by layering different scents.
Designing your own fragrance
Who said layering is only for fashion? You might be surprised that perfume, too, can be layered. Perfume layering, or superposition, involves two fragrances to create a customised scent that is unique to you.
Following this trend, Parfum d’Orsay launched a new line Al-Kimiya (alchemy), composed of Agarwood (Oud), Amber and Musk, scents deemed to be the base for layering. “These are enhancers,” says Amélie Bourgeois, perfumer and co-founder of Flair. “Spray whichever preferred aroma on them. The notes will multiply and we will get a new facet (of the base scents), a fragrant with unprecedented depth.”
At Jo Malone, their perfumes are also devised to be mix and matched, which they call ‘fragrance combining’. “Whatever the project is, we seek to create fragrant notes that can blend well with all the others. This is a prerequisite when developing a perfume,” says Céline Roux, creative director of Studio Jo Malone in London.
The perfect alchemy
The first step to layering is hydration. “The notes apply much better on well hydrated skin. So set your sights on a scented body lotion or dry oil of your choice to create an olfactory basis,” Céline suggests. “Then simply accessorize with a fragrance.”
Overlap sprays or apply perfume on various pulse points. “One touch behind the ears, one on the neck and one on each wrist — but without rubbing them against each other because it will wear out faster,” says Benoît Verdier, co-founder of Ex Nihilo, a french fragrance house. “If you want a more sensual spot, try the back of your knees when you are wearing a skirt.”
With all these tips and insights from perfumistas, you can now discover your own signature scent, be it sweet, fruity, oriental, floral or woody. Try experimenting with your own collection of perfumes at home or flip through our gallery for some perfume ideas!
Isabelle Lafond and Natasha Gan
