Fragrance used to be simple: pick a bottle, spritz a few times, and head out the door. But in 2024? That’s not enough. Perfume is having its main character moment—it’s not just an accessory; it’s the final layer of your outfit, your presence, your personality. Let’s be real—smelling good is a non-negotiable. The outfit can be perfect, the makeup flawless, the hair laid, but if you don’t smell like something special, something that makes people pause, what was the point?
We are living in the fragrance era. TikTok is flooded with scent breakdowns, perfume is selling out like hype sneakers, and smelling expensive has become the new beauty flex. It’s not enough to just own one signature scent anymore—layering is how you make it feel custom, curated, untouchable. The reality is, perfume is deeply personal. The way it smells on you, how it reacts with your skin, how it shifts from morning to night—that’s what makes it special. And when every second person is wearing Baccarat Rouge or Glossier You, layering is your way of making a fragrance truly yours. But it’s not just about mixing perfumes—it’s about depth, longevity, and making sure your scent stays on skin, in rooms, on clothes, and in memories. Here’s how to do it properly.
1. START IN THE SHOWER—YOUR BASE MATTERS.
If you’re spraying perfume onto dry skin and hoping for the best, I need you to fix it immediately. Scent starts in the shower. Your body heat determines how your perfume will develop throughout the day, so the foundation needs to be right.
A scented body wash is the easiest way to start layering. I always go for something floral but fresh—rose is my go-to. Even if I’m layering with something deeper later, rose always brings in a touch of that feminine, effortless, put-together energy. It’s clean but still sensual.
The trick here is cohesion. Your body wash shouldn’t compete with your fragrance; it should set the scene. Think of it as the first brushstroke on a canvas.
2. MOISTURISE WITH INTENTION.
This is where most people mess up. If your skin is dry, your perfume has nothing to grip onto—it disappears in hours. But when your skin is prepped properly? That scent melts into you and lingers for the entire day.
The best way to do this is with a scented body cream and an oil. The body cream adds an extra layer of fragrance, and the oil acts like a seal, locking in hydration and holding onto the scent like a magnet.
I usually mix a few drops of oil into my body cream to get the best of both worlds. Baby oil does the trick, but if I’m really feeling myself, I’ll use a perfumed oil that matches the scent I’m wearing. This makes your fragrance richer, deeper, and more intense. It’s giving money, effortlessness, main character energy.
3.HIT YOUR HOT SPOTS WITH OIL BEFORE SPRAYING.
Now, this is the real secret. Everyone knows to apply perfume to their pulse points, but how you do it makes all the difference.
Before you even pick up your perfume bottle, take a tiny bit of oil or even Vaseline and dab it onto the warmest parts of your body—your neck, wrists, behind your ears, and the centre of your torso. Then, and only then, should you spray your perfume directly on top.
Here’s why this works: oil holds scent. When you apply perfume to bare skin, it evaporates way too quickly. But when it’s layered on top of an oil barrier? The fragrance clings to it, develops more beautifully, and lasts for hours longer than it normally would.
I promise, once you start doing this, you’ll never go back.
4. LAYER, LAYER, LAYER.
If you’re still wearing just one perfume at a time, we need to talk.
Layering fragrances is the ultimate way to make sure you don’t smell like anyone else. Think about it—if your perfume has already gone viral, at least a million people are wearing it too. But when you mix it with something unexpected? Now, it’s yours.
The key is choosing scents that enhance each other. Florals melt beautifully into gourmands, woody scents add depth to fresh citrus, and vanilla makes almost anything smell expensive.
For example, if I’m going for a soft, warm, rich scent, I’ll start with a rose body wash, use a vanilla-scented body cream, add a little sandalwood oil, and then finish with a mix of a musky fragrance and a gourmand one. The result? Soft, sweet, mysterious—like old money, but make it romantic.
This is where you get to experiment. The goal isn’t to mask your perfume, it’s to create a new version of it—one that’s completely unique to you.
5. HAIR PERFUME = NEXT-LEVEL SEDUCTION.
This is the final step, the one most people forget, and the one that makes all the difference.
Your hair holds scent longer than your skin does, and it moves. Think about it—every time you flip your hair, every time the wind catches it, it’s releasing fragrance into the air. That’s power.
A hair perfume is specifically formulated so that it doesn’t dry out your strands, but if you don’t have one, you can lightly spritz your regular perfume onto your hairbrush and run it through your hair. Just don’t go overboard—alcohol-heavy perfumes can be too drying if sprayed directly on hair.
But when done right? This is what makes people smell you before they even see you.
THE FINAL SPRITZ
Smelling good is a luxury, a statement, an energy shift. When your fragrance is layered properly, it’s not just a scent—it’s an experience. It’s what makes people pause when you walk by. It’s what lingers on someone’s clothes after they hug you. It’s what cements your presence in the room, even after you leave.
Your scent should be as intentional as your outfit, your jewellery, your attitude. And when you layer it the right way? You’re unforgettable.
