Fabulista Discusses: Layering

As promised in a previous post, this is a discussion with tips on how to layer scents. Why do we need to layer our scents? Layering, as the term suggests, reveals the subtle but important layers of a fragrance. It is what separates the sophisticated urban fragrance user to the generic one who simply splashes on the aftershave or cologne that’s on the bathroom shelf. More importantly, layering a scent extends the tenacity of a fragrance, reducing the need to lug a glass bottle around even when one is on a half-day-about-town trip.

First, we start with clean skin. In the shower, preferably warm, as it opens the pores for better infusion of scents, use a fragrance-neutral shower gel or perfumed shower gel to gently exfoliate with a buff or sponge. Dead skin cells hinder the infusion of the actual EDT and should be eradicated as much as possible. Also, if one is using a perfumed shower product, it should be the same as the EDT. Complementary scented showers are for the experts only. You don’t want to risk the possibility of smelling like a hospital – imagine pine soap with sweet geranium notes. Not a good thing.

Next, moisturise thyself. Fragrance products adhere best and last longest on hydrated skin. In fact, there are oil based perfumes available for people with severe dry skin. For the rest of us who stick to alcohol based products, keep the body moisturised with unscented or same-line perfumed body lotion. As with before, complementary scented lotions are for experts only.

Finally, your body is ready to wear the fragrance. Remember, you are supposed to wear the scent, NOT the other way around. It is not ideal when people know you are in the midst... from a mile away. To make sure the latter does not occur, use this two-step method:

1. Cloud: produce a fragrance cloud with three to four spritz of the EDT into air and walk into it, allowing the vapours to douse itself on your body.
2. Pulse points: spritz on ONE of these two areas, neck OR wrist.

Resist the urge to spritz fragrance on clothes. Perfume evaporates quickly from fabric and without any skin chemistry reaction, the resulting sillage can be a dull, one-dimension fragrance. Besides, some fabric reacts with the alcohol carrying the fragrance to leave an ugly stain – not desirable.

Here’s a final tip. Most fragrances fade and do not last a whole day. Recharge if necessary after every 6 – 8 hours depending on tenacity of fragrance. Do this well (it really is simpler than it sounds) and you’d have people turning heads as you walk; the greatest compliment is when some stranger comes up to you and asks, “You smell great! What are you wearing…?” without a hint or sarcasm.