The Art of Layering Scent

An oil base increases the longevity of a perfume, as the oil can penetrate and even benefit the skin, while alcohol based formulas just sit on top of the skin. This makes a perfume oil easy to layer, and fun to experiment with. We formulated our Yoruba Goddess perfume trio with Marula oil, which is full of essential fatty acids, amino acids and antioxidants to replenish and hydrate the skin. Oils linger on the skin much longer and react with us differently depending on the temperature of our body. When we are really warm, our perfume will probably smell stronger.

In fact, some people swear by applying fragrance to their stomach; even inside the belly button! This is because our tummy generates the most heat, which in turn helps to intensify and maintain the scent. Other body parts where heat is easily generated include the inside of the upper arms and the nape of the neck, where our hair starts growing.

Layering scents is a process of combining scents to achieve your desired effect. This might be in order to create your own totally bespoke fragrance at a fraction of the price, or to benefit from the different energetic properties of your natural fragrances. You can also layer throughout the day, so your morning scent begins to react with a secondary scent applied in the afternoon to take you into the night.

Intuition and instinct can come into play when it comes to layering scent too. As our mood changes through the day, we might turn to different scents for their mood-changing capabilities. It is comparable to how we often crave certain foods; we can be drawn to the scents that will have the harmonising effect we require at a particular time. 

When it comes to layering, experimenting is key. There’s no right or wrong way to do it, and it’s all about finding what works for you. Start by layering two scents in equal measures, then you could bring a third into the mix. Play around with quantities too, if you know you love one scent the most, use it in a 3:1 ratio with another. Each layer brings something additional to the blend.

Try out different combinations for different times of the day. The LIHA perfume trio can take you from morning to evening, and everything in between. We’d suggest starting your day with Oya, to benefit from its invigorating properties and kinetic energy. If you’re doing a yoga class at lunch time, apply Yemoya to help ground you in your practise. After the session, layer Oya on top to get you in the zone for an afternoon of meetings. To unwind from your day, pop some Oshun with another layer of Yemoya on top to switch off and chill out.

In essence, fragrance layering is a fun way to explore and experiment to create something bespoke and personalised, without any complicated procedure. All you need to do is combine two or more different scents together on top of each other and create an entirely new smell, especially for you!