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How To Layer Fragrance & Personalize Your Scent, From A Pro

Author:

Hannah Frye

March 09, 2023

Assistant Beauty & Health Editor

By Hannah Frye

Assistant Beauty & Health Editor

Hannah Frye is the Assistant Beauty Editor at mindbodygreen. She has a B.S. in journalism and a minor in women’s, gender, and queer studies from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. Hannah has written across lifestyle sections including health, wellness, sustainability, personal development, and more.

Image by Branislava Živić / Stocksy

March 09, 2023

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Every beauty professional has their nonnegotiable steps. In our series, Like a Pro, we tap experts for the top three techniques they absolutely swear by. Here, you'll hear from a variety of industry insiders on the fail-safe tricks they always keep in their back pockets. We're all about simplifying your beauty regimen wherever you can, and sometimes the best routines are as easy as 1, 2, 3.

Fragrance is personal. Some swear by the same perfume and wear it for decades, some match their scent to their current mood, while others experiment with every new product that hits the market.

Regardless of how you wear it, if you consider yourself a fragrance fanatic, you're probably familiar with the concept of layering these products—but this practice can be intimidating. Here to demystify the feat is fragrance expert and founder of DedCool, Carina Chaz. To come, her top three tips for layering fragrance:

First, know there are no rules.

"Layering is an amazing way to exercise the power of personalization; we'll never suggest straying away from any layering combination," Chaz says. So if you're nervous about getting it wrong, remember fragrance is personal and unique to begin with.

Just use any two or three fragrances you already like, and you're sure to enhance the scent. It's OK if you aren't in love with one of the blends—in fact, mixing it with a product you already fancy might even create a novel profile that grows on you.

Start with lighter notes.

"When layering fragrance, I'll always suggest to start with lighter notes as a base and build with deeper scent profiles," Chaz says. So if you have one product that's a showstopper and another that serves an everyday purpose, apply the latter first.

Lighter notes including citrus, florals, and fresh herbs will be your starting point. Then thoughtfully mix in deeper scents, like vanilla, sandalwood, and cedarwood to shake it up.

Take note of your favorite combinations.

While there are technically no rules, some matches are made in heaven—like vanilla and citrus, Chaz says. Another combination that never misses is soft amber or bergamot with subtle skin scents (aka, white musks).

You can investigate your own favorite products to find out what you prefer. For example: Are you a spicy floral person? Or maybe warm musk is more your thing? Identifying the complementary notes in blends you prefer will help guide your layering process even more.

If you want to streamline the process, opt for the DedCool MILK Enhancer Fragrance—a one-stop shop for personalizing any perfume. A blend of bergamot, white musk, and amber add a memorable touch to any product you're loving right now.

Shop featured products

DedCool

MILK Layering + Enhancer Fragrance

$90

The takeaway.

Fragrance should be fun and experimental, and layering your products is just one way to play around. Remember that there is no right or wrong way to combine fragrances. Start with lighter notes, then thoughtfully add deeper scents to the mix. And if you're craving even more fragrance application tips, we have a full guide for that.