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~by guest writer AlbertCAN
Fragrance layering sounds impossibly chic, but often harder than a trifle dab of this and that. Part of the delicate problem lies knowing the basics of your fragrances, somehow understanding how to rev the aromatic engines in harmony. Thus in layman’s terms I am here to put together a concise, easy to follow guide on the fundamentals of perfume layering.
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| via scent compass |
Before the layering can take place I want to show you a few simple application rules. Some of you might know this already but I prefer covering all grounds. Still, for those of you new to the game: less if always more. Discretion and common sense always is the key to success in fragrance layering: to start always choose to play with two. More only if you are confident.
Even perfumer Jean Claude Ellena advocates some wild combinations of scents (Angel and L'Eau d'Issey together?)
1. Layering doesn’t have to be merely pairing equal-concentration scents, meaning that parfum A can blend beautifully with, say, eau de cologne B. In fact that’s often how I layer. This is also taking into the accounts that historically houses (such as Guerlain and Chanel) have separate formulations for parfum, eau de parfum and eau de toilette even within the same line. (Personal example: Chanel No. 19 parfum & 4711 Eau de Cologne)
2. Ancillary products, such as deodorants, body lotions or body creams are absolutely fair game layering with regular fragrances. Still, often they are designed to amplify and to hold onto the fragrance molecules a little longer, so please take that into consideration when layering. Nothing worse, say, a tuberose body cream with an extremely diffusive spicy 80s fragrance! (Personal examples: Terre d'Hermès deodarant & Creed Green Irish Tweed eau de toilette; Chanel Allure Homme Edition Blanche deodarant & Terre d'Hermès eau de toilette)
3. Layering doesn’t mean applying everything on the skin. Try misting your undergarments with fragrance X and apply fragrance Y on your skin. (Personal example: misting Hermès Hiris on a garment & wearing Guerlain Mitsouko parfum to boost the iris effect)
4. Layering does not mean applying everything at the same time. Sometimes heavier fragrances such as the orientals or the chypres have lovely drydowns to pair with a different fragrance. (Example: extending a few drops of Guerlain Shalimar parfum with Guerlain Jicky eau de toilette)
5. Layer with purpose. Most of us in the know layer because we see an improvement in the combination, not because we want to wear something nobody else has. (If I do it for vanity reasons penning this article would be self-defeating.)
I shall further illustrate the last rule: I enjoy wearing eau de colognes but the sillage and the longevity of each, by themselves, tend to leave me wanting more. So my staple combination is actually 4711 Eau de Cologne x Chanel Eau de Cologne x Tom Ford Neroli Protofino, spraying 4711 on the garments (not directly on fabrics), body mist with Chanel, and then a discreet spray of the Tom Ford on my forearms as punctuations. Those three would last me a good 10 hours.
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| via www.ninfeobeauty.com |
- finding a common theme with the fragrances—such pairing a soliflore with an oriental (Guerlain L’Heure Bleue parfum & Chanel 28 La Pausa comes to mind).
- extend the nuance within the lighter fragrance—for instance I would describe layering Piguet Bandit with Osmanthe Yunnan as “the S/M tricks occasionally enjoyed by sexually frigid suburban housewives when their marriages are on the rocks”!
- (only if you know what you are doing) pair with another fragrance a very similar structural analogue: for instance the aforementioned Shalimar/Jicky combination. I also love smelling Givenchy Ysatis with Estee Lauder Knowing—but only with a deft hand on a very chic person who knows what on earth they are doing. Not for the faint hearted!
Now one caveat: marine/aquatic fragrances are case by case only, since though they are generally light in nature Calone (the watermelon-smelling "fresh" molecule) can be extremely dominant and unpredictable. I have never, for since, tried layering L’Eau d’Issey Pour Homme even though I have worn it since 18!
So there, now you are ready to play. How to test? The safest say is to spray the choices on test strips first—weeding out all the bad choices before applying gingerly on you. And just like entertaining: never prepare something for the first time right before a major event—stick with a tried and true layering combination in this case! Good luck!
For inspirations here are some further ideas:
Combos published in French Elle (21 July 2003)
Les Tuileries Bizarre Layering Challenge of the Day
PS. My all-time favourite layering combinations:
Chanel No. 5 Eau Premiere & Hermès Un Jardin après la Mousson
4711 Eau de Cologne & Chanel Eau de Cologne & Tom Ford Neroli Protofino (and if I am feel like pulling all the stops maybe an accent of Guerlain Eau de Fleurs de Cedrat)
Guerlain Shalimar parfum & Chanel Cristalle Eau Verte
Terre d’Hermès deodorant & Creed Green Irish Tweed
Robert Piguet Bandit & Hermès Osmanthe Yunnan
Currently I’m experimenting mint (Prada Luna Rossa, Cartier Roadster, Guerlain Homme) with iris soliflores (Hiris, 28 La Pausa)!
And a few of Elena's perfume layering suggestions:
Le Baiser du Dragon parfum + Narciso Musk for Her oil = the most delicious baby powder scent
Lancôme Trésor + Bvlgari Black = sweet, peachy rubber
Youth Dew body cream + Old Spice = delicious spicy carnation
Pacifica Spanish Amber solid + drop of Serge Lutens Ambre Sultan = mellow skin-like amber
Thierry Mugler Angel (preferably a fav product in bath & body range) + Serge Lutens Clair de Musc = a more floral & lighter Angel
Shiseido Feminite du Bois + rose hydrosol = lighens the oriental and emphasizes the smoother notes
Jo Malone Red Roses + Jo Malone 154 = woody, dark, earthy roses
The Body Shop Citrella + The Body Shop Amorito = Pink Sugar on the cheap
Serge Lutens Ambre Sultan + Serge Lutens Vetiver Oriental (both in tiny dabs) = gorgeousness!
YSL Opium + orange blossom soliflores = summery Opium
Dior Dioressence + Eau de Merveilles (Hermès) to reinforce the ambergris scent
Stay tuned for follow-up post, with perfume layering suggestions by perfume Francis Kurkdjian and by Serge Lutens!
We also welcome your own Layering Suggestions & Tips or Questions in the comments!
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Thanks for offering some new layering suggestions and combinations. I have a big bottle of Eau de Merveilles and while I love the woody citrus, the vetiver turns household cleanser on me. Not sure what to layer it with but you've given me something to think about and if anyone has any ideas, please say so.
ReplyDeleteR,
ReplyDeletereally? Hmm, let's see. I like to layer this with some vintage Dioressence which makes both behave on a different scale.
Since EdM is a skin-scent with a salty orange-y vibe, I would suggest you couple it with similar things: perhaps under the line's own Elixir des Merveilles (which has a more chyprish feel and a sweeter facet). It might also work with things like Terre d'Hermes etc.
R: Today I am layering, in the order of application--
ReplyDeleteDior Homme + Hermes Eau de Merveilles + Chanel No. 19 eau de toilette = vinyl amber with a sheer green veil
Often I layer EdM with Givenchy Vetyver, as I have large bottles of both, but guess that's out of the question as the vetiver amplifies in this case!
I really enjoy the layering of Chanel No. 5 with Lolita Lempicka. And a really bizarre but wonderful layering is NR edt with La Maison du Vanille Mexique.
ReplyDeleteJ,
ReplyDeleteI can see No. 5 working well with Lolita! As for the second suggestion I haven't tried but will add to my to do list :-)
Which Lolita lempicka do you use I'd love to try it out
DeleteI believe Albert meant the original Lolita by Lolita Lempicka eau de parfum in the lavender bottle.
DeleteMy winter fav is 24 Faubourg parfum with Floris lavender shower gel and body lotion, have been stopped several times with compliments and told that I smell sexy.
ReplyDeleteMy best layering combinations: Guerlain Iris Ganache with ODIN 04-Petrana = Petrana cuts the white chocolate overload of IG and amps up the iris. No such thing as too much iris! ;) Serge Lutens Fleurs d'Oranger and Guerlain Spiritueuse Double Vanille. SDV layers well in general with lots of things, giving them a cozier, more gourmand edge. The world's sexiest orange creamsicle! Chanel no. 19 parfum with vero profumo Kiki extrait. Heaven!
ReplyDeleteFor Hell...whoever suggested layering Amouage's Jubilation 25 with Serge Lutens Fleurs d'Oranger is far braver than I! I had a 14+ hour catfight on my skin that day. Never layer an Amouage. Unless you're prepared for a fight! ;-)
Dear Albert (and Elena)
ReplyDeleteThank you for such a no nonsense and eminently useful piece.
I find that very basic soliflores (or soi-disant soliflores) by Floris or indeed even Yardley can make excellent additions to heavier perfumed in their drydown - almost creating a new floral scent on a amber - patchouli or dar vanilla base.
Chypres I agree are the toughest, though an injection of iris onto a slowly fading oakmoss is always lovely.
Thank you.
Yours ever
The Perfumed Dandy
lovely article. i can't wait for the future post with suggestions from other perfumers also...
ReplyDeletei have been layering perfumes as long as i've been wearing them. typically i am trying to emphasize something i like in a given scent, or else using one perfume to decrease the sweetness of another, since many things go sweeter on me than they start out. often, i choose something that has much in common with scent A, but with a slight yet significant difference. an example would be lolita lempicka layered with mandragore. the mandragore cuts the sweet factor for me and seems to dial up the green component which i love. and the combination lasts longer than mandragore does alone. i also like to layer a wood and/or spice masculine with a floral for added depth. terres d'hermes works well with many soliflores...and when it comes to mixing perfume oils, it's utter playtime! one that i often mix up is rose + oud + cardamom. simple, but not as trite as it may sound. i love it for sleeping, but it seems pretty seductive generally.
Helg, I have never layered my perfumes! LOL
ReplyDeleteIts never occured to me to do this. I buy a scent and if I like it - great , another bottle may follow but if I do not like it - thats it - never buy again so .... maybe if I mix it up with something I do like I will get my moneys worth in the end??
I must try this now as it looks like everyone does it and I just might make a new gem with the bottles I am not that keen on ! :)
I usually layer when I feel something in a fragrance is lacking. For instance, I find light florals boring and I find myself wanting a base under all the nice flowers. So I'll layer with something earthy, leathery or resinous. An example is Diptyque Do Son with Andy Tauer's Pentachord Verdant. Pacifica Persian Rose pairs nicely with their Mexican Cocoa (both solids).
ReplyDeleteThere were some interesting layering ideas in this post. It made me want to get my hands on some Lancome Tresor so I can try layering it with my Bulgari Black. Fun. :D It also makes me (sort of) wish I hadn't given away my bottle of Jo Malone 154 so I could try it with Red Roses. I didn't like 154 by itself but I have a nice dirty jasmine oil (Attar Bazaar Tunisian Jasmine) that I liked to layer it with.
I rarely layer more than two scents together, except for one particular combo. I had gotten some Bond No.9 samples as extras in a swap, and I wasn't really crazy about any of them by themselves. But I found a nice combo with 3 dabs Madison Soiree, 2 dabs New Haarlem, and 1 dab of New York Oud to round it all out. I was pretty proud of it, but I don't think I'd buy three fragrances I don't like alone so that I could wear them together.
I like Givenchy Pi layered with Bvlgari Black. The benzoin kick from the Pi extends the base of the Black nicely without becoming overly sweet. Dior Homme is great with Bvlgari Omnia. I was inspired by the carrot note found in both of them.
ReplyDeleteI so wish I'd read this sooner. And even if you are a total novice (like I am), keep track of what you are doing. I accidentally made something that was sheer perfection on me, but can't reproduce it because I don't remember quite what I did. The proportions seem to matter and I've decided I'm just wasting fragrance. Some of the layers above sound very nice. I'd like to try Le Baiser du Dragon/Narciso and Bandit/Osmanthe Yunnan. Do proportions matter, or do you just play with it until it smells "finished"?
ReplyDeleteIsabella
Isabella: For the Bandit/Osmanthe Yunnan the application order is the most important thing: must be Bandit first. Otherwise you won't smell the Hermes!
ReplyDeleteWhen it comes to layering I'm a purist: unless ancillary products are used the spray combinations from commercial fragrance products must be in equal parts. Otherwise it's technically fragrance blending. That's why I have chosen not to cover combinations involving perfumery building blocks like peach aldehyde or Hedione, which are a tad too complicated for the scope of this guide.
Current Coco edp/edt layered with YD bath oil ... smells very close to the vintage Coco!
ReplyDeleteAlbert,
ReplyDeleteyou know, you have me curious with your Dior Homme+Eau de Merveilles+No.19 edt: I have all three on hand and should experiment, I love the idea of the vetiver-salty base effect this would create.
Jen,
ReplyDeletea ha!
It makes sense in a way, though I haven't tried such a wild combination (wild in the sense of opposing styles, not ingredients).
I'm noting down NR edt+ Vanille Noire de Mexique (again two frags I have at hand)
Albert,
ReplyDeleteVndM is a darkish vanilla, not food and I bet it'd make sense in the woody backdrop of NR. [mental note: I NEED to try this]
Anon,
ReplyDeleteoooh, sounds glamorous!
Tarleisio,
ReplyDeletehi there!
Your combos are quite complex!
I agree that SDV is a multi-tasker. It's vanilla, but has darkish facets which "joint" with many things.
Now, any combo suggesting pairing No.19 makes me look at my beloved staple, No.19 body lotion, with even more appreciative eyes.
TPD,
ReplyDeleteyou're most welcome. Albert owned the piece, I just added a small paragraph in the end.
You're right about the soliflores. In fact Jean Claude Ellena proposes Diorissimo for that effect exactly (adding lily of the valley "opens" it)
More iris or more vetiver should make a fine addition to a chypre, but I agree they're perfectly structured as is and one is veering into dangerous territory.
NFS,
ReplyDeletethank you for your addition and explaining of the rationale. I guess this is what was missing: WHY do people do it. Playtime but also wanting to decrease/increase a certain effect. (I guess it appeals to the "mad scientist" stereotype in all of us)
Love your sleep combo too! (sounds lovely, not trite!)
M,
ReplyDeletehoney, there's absolutely no necessity to do so! :-D
In fact I don't often layer on purpose, but when I do it's because I'm either in a playful mood ("let's see what happens if I put coriander and oregano in the same dish!" same thinking) or I'm trying to boost an effect (usually I am a pro-positive person, augmenting pleasure rather than salvaging displeasure the best I can)
Sweetgrass,
ReplyDeletelovely comment, full of ideas! Thank you!
I think 154 is a good layering building block; it's simple, austere, somber woods. Woods usually couple well with many things, a sort of passe-partout, like citruses.
Do Son and Verdant sounds a good idea; joined at the hip with the greenery.
Absolutely no sense in buying three fragrances you find lacking just for layering! I would think that if something NEEDS tweaking it's rather imbalanced to begin with.
Katy,
ReplyDeletefascinating: I always found Pi TOO sweet for me, but the rubber stuff in Black might cut it.
And never thought of Omnia as carroty (iris). Hmm! Now I will seek a sample at the store next time I'm at it.
Thank you!
Isabella,
ReplyDeletethanks for commenting!
Yup, not noting down things, it's a drag....I can feel for you.
The proportions naturally do play a part as does the way the application is done (with ancillary products that's self-explained). For the NR Musk oil and Le Baiser du Dragon, I had smeared my arms with the oil (small amount massaged on slightly wet skin after the bath) and happened to apply the LBDD parfum on my wrists (one drop on each): I was totally hit with the delicious baby powder note and noted it down.
A,
ReplyDeleteI should think not!!
(BTW, can you imagine that applying Clair de Musc and over it Dioressence vintage tends to "eat" away the Dioressence? This was an accidental discovery in between switching perfumes. Who would have thought???
And agree about the blending guidelines. It could go on complex routes, but it's beyond the scope.
Nicky,
ReplyDeletethank you, makes absolutely sense!! (Both spicy orientals, both constructed on the Mellis accord I explained in my Orientals primer).
I must now try this with YD cream/oil and current Opium to see if it can revert the latter into its former greatness. ;-)
Elena: Just again applied the Dior Homme+Eau de Merveilles+No.19 edt, just to make sure my nose wasn't, figuretively speaking, just playing tricks on me yesterday. Still got the salty vinyl amber vibe. The green in this combo is understandably muted but its presence is still felt and perceptable. Of course, aesthetically it's extremely complicated--to the point that I highly doubt that the combo will work out as a blend. Only in the realm of layering!
ReplyDeleteOne caveat: I feel strongly that it must be layered in that order. In fact I also tried reversing the application order of EdM with DM, and Dior Homme completely took over.
Thank you for this! :) It's been a pleasure reading and it seems I did some layering myself but only in the, body cream/perfume variety (and well, my hair products also give off a smell, that can't be helped unfortunately).
ReplyDeleteI will definitely try the Shalimar-Jicky combo, I was so happy when I finally understood their connection and I can already tell pairing them should work great.
Thanks for the tip. :)
Ines,
ReplyDeleteBy coincidence I just layered Shalimar parfum & Jicky EdT! When I wear them together I do indirect layering: Shalimar behind the knees and Jicky spray on the arms. Each diffuse independantly. Because of their structural affinities at each stage the diffusions will compliment each other. If they layer directly on top of each other at the same time the civet and musk will completely take over!
Now when I mention the connections between Jicky and Shalimar I can almost hear the ghosts of Aimé and Jacques Guerlain muttering in their graves...of course, legend has it that Jacques invented Shalimar by adding a few drops of then novel ethyl vanillin into Jicky. Well, there are some grains of truth to that--for if there's no Jicky there would be no Shalimar--but then it's like saying Jascha Heifetz was a great concert violinist because he had great violins!
I strongly feel that the success of Shalimar is owned by its two ends: the constrast between the citrus opening and the amber. Now bergamot plays a h-u-g-e role in Shalimar, comprising 30% of the formulation! In fact the importance is partially mirrored by the fact that Maison Guerlain has its exclusive grade of bergamot (Bergamote Guerlain). Octavian sampled it a few years back and told me that it's very round, fruity and smooth, with a slight nuance of cedar. The base uses ethyl vanillin, which is about three times of potent as the regular vanillin (used in Jicky).
Which brings me to Jicky. Now my nose detects a similar duo relation of citrus-animal notes, but instead of 30% bergamot we have a shared importance of lemon & bergamot, then the 'herbs de
Provence' elements of lavender and rosemary before the hay-like coumarin. Jicky also has a more pronounced civet compared to Shalimar, although it depends on the concentration: EdT has a more pronounced citrus-aromatic, parfum stronger base.
Over the years I've heard many stories on the fine points of these compositions--if I only had time to write them down!
Albert
It might sound weird, but Iris Ganache and Gourmand Coquin is great together. Sounds like chocolate overload, but it isn't to me. It softens the Iris.
ReplyDeleteAlso, Myrrhe & Delires and Gourmand Coquin together is great, it enhances the notes in Myrrhe & Delires.
Cheers
Safran
I've tried layering a couple of times, and have come up with two that I like so far. The first is Tauer's Incense Extreme and Le Labo Oud 27. The other is Shalilmar combined with Cologne du 68. The scents in both layerings aren't all that different, but the first makes for a more complex scent and the second created a different opening, but didn't change the dry down noticeably.
ReplyDeleteDear AlbertCAN - Always wonderful to read your writings.
ReplyDeleteLayering is one of my favorite perfume topics, and I try to spread the word on its benefits to my friends. The ability to improve on what I have, expand my existing wardrobe, AND create a bespoke are a constant inspiration. I also learn a little bit about fragrance creations as a direct result.
My 2 favorite combinations involve Joy, which I find very friendly for layering.
The first was to layer the edp with AG Rose Absolue, which became my wedding day scent. A saturated cotton pad tucked in the clevage lasted the entire day in the heat of a Mid-Atlantic June day.
The 2nd was to layer Joy edp over Apres L'Ondee edt, which creates my idea of heaven.
A favorite Guerlain combination is to layer Jicky edt over Shalimar Eau Legere, which adds a kick and takes some of the tooth-aching sweetness out of SEL's lemon icings. Jicky and Shalimar just seem to be a "no-brainer" combination for the reasons you already cited.
I also find Jicky and many of the Eaux to be great layering partners in general.
Finally, after reading reviews about how Jubilation 25 reminds of Femme (1989), I tried the comparison and discovered the opening notes of J25 reminds me of VC&A's First. I played with that combination [First edt over Femmed edp] and achieved a fair facsimile.
These combinations I've mentioned elsewhere, but I hope you get to play with some of them as I'd love to know what you think.
Cheers!
Dear OperaFan,
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for finding my article enjoyable and taking the time to share your thoughts! Joy, especially the vintage parfum, has a very high concentration of rose and jasmine absolutes, boosted by classic aldehydes. (I should know: the parfum was my mother's prized possession. Until my then four-year-old sister used the remainder in a play session. My mother duly used it as an excuse to ask my father to get her Chanel No. 5 parfum.) Thus the combinations you've mentioned would complement all the floral notes!
Shalimar Eau Legere I have little memory of (partly because the original works so well as a masculine). Both Jicky and Shalimar I find layering very well with eaux de Cologne (ditto).
Speaking of Femme...I have always wondered how will it layer with Mitsouko, for both are fruity chypres. Because both are assertive I would imagine indirect layering is in order, for the cumin in Femme and clove in Mitsouko would just be too much on top of each other! Hmm.
A
Always loved layering Ysatis with Shalimar. Don't know what exactly made that combo great but it was beautiful!
ReplyDeleteFrankincense and Myrrh goats'-milk and glycerin soap (from Central Market in Dallas, TX) paired with Bath and Body Works' 'Orange Sapphire' body lotion... heavenly! Or the same soap paired with BB&W 'Sensuous Amber' lotion... very sexy and very long lasting.
ReplyDeleteAnon,
ReplyDeleteboth being orientals with a common thread of amber and top notes of citruses plus a vanillic impression (in Shalimar via vanillin, in Ysatis via coconut dust) it's logical that they fit. Pretty potent combo, nevertheless. :-)
Schroedinger,
ReplyDeletesounds delightful all right!! Thanks for sharing.
Any soap with frankincense and myrrh in the name would catch my attention!
I've been bothered by the sweet ground spice I get from Opium edp after the flowers and adelhydes expire and been trying to bring some life into it. I found it works really well layered with Rose du Mai by L'Occitane, fairly 'wet' and somewhat dark rose, and this combo almost ends up chypre, in Aromatics Elixir drydown sort of way.
ReplyDeleteMonstroon,
ReplyDeletethis is such an interesting experiment. The rose in the heart of many classical Orientals could be reinforced in an added inclusion that wouldn't clash. I would dream of killing the spice in Opium, but you have me interested in trying the experiment to see how it skews into AE (another favorite). Groovy, to say the least! :-)
As crazy as it might sound: Mitsouko EdP plus Muscs Koublai Khan. The result is a dirtier, slightly more floral Mitsouko. A skin scent for me (just watch the quantity!).
ReplyDeleteThank you for the recommendation, this is an experiment I can readily test and actually it's not crazy, it makes sense (in that MKK is full of civet and that would underscore the floral part in Mitsouko and enhance it whereas it wasn't obvious before).
ReplyDeleteSo, testing this out ASAP.
great article! thank you so much for the tips.
ReplyDeletei really love mixing gres cabaret with jean marc sinan lune. such a fabulous green chypre. gorge i tell ya!
Anon,
ReplyDeletesounds delicious, will need to try it out for myself then! Thanks for the recommendation. :-)
Help with ag hadrian lingering longer. Have tried the gel and lotion, but no lasting effect.
ReplyDeleteI suggest using Cipresso di Toscana by Acqua di Parma ever so lightly underneath. It matches it well and should provide an anchor. Another idea: use some Molecule 01 as a base, then AG Hadrien. ;-)
DeleteNeed help with AG Hadrian lasting longer. Have tried the lotion, soap and gel. Is there another parfum that could be layered with it to cause it to linger.
ReplyDeleteI just replied above, hope it helps!!
Deletecan you layer or blend any of the chanel exclusifs together?....I have Coromandel and 31 Rue Cambon and wondered if blending them will work???
ReplyDeleteI doubt that it would be very successful. These are two beautiful and very complex fragrances in their own right and do not share many common facets. It might be better to try 31 Rue Cambon with La Pausa for instance. Or Eau de Cologne with Sycomore though I don't see the point really.
DeleteAt any rate a small test spraying one of top of the other might be worth it.
Thanks for the tips. Do you have any suggestions to lighten Chanel Sycomore? I love this fragrance but sometimes find it a bit harsh/masculine? Lately I've been experimenting with adding a tiny dab of Indult Tihota which I "think" works to soften the sycomore?
ReplyDelete@maria langley
ReplyDeleteI suggest you use a pure tonka or coumarin-rich scent to make it sweeter. Those go well with the smokier vetivers and would make it softer, but not betray its beautiful nature. ;)
Loved the article! I need your expertise for layering, though. I love the soft woody drydown of Burberry The Beat EDT, but the top notes are a bit too citrusy/spicy for my taste and it smells a lot like Michael Kors Sporty Citrus, which is just too sporty/gym type. I was thinking of layering with something simple that doesn't have peonies or lily of the valley. Basically, if I could just skip it all and go to those base notes I would... is there any way of making it more feminine and woody from the beginning without ruining the drydown? Thanks for your help!
ReplyDeleteNymeria,
ReplyDeletehope I'm not too late in replying.
I suggest adding a bit of sandalwood and vanilla when applying (either via lotion or via single essences/oils sold at most herbal stores). They should make the citruses blend and become luminous and golden rather than sharp and sporty. Hope this helps!
Blindly bought lots of perfume just based on youtube reviews, now i like none of them.
ReplyDelete