How to layer fragrances to transition to a new season

Certain scents – warm, radiant, with an effervescent splash of citrus – will forever conjure summer’s brightest days. Others – rich, opulent, a little mysterious – seem to create warmth from within, allowing one to withstand winter’s bleakest moments. 

But what to do on those weeks in between, when a brisk morning may erupt into a gloriously sun-drenched afternoon or, conversely, when every day seems a little shorter than the last?

The answer: scent layering, a neat trick that allows you to hold onto a favourite scent from the season past, while customising it for the coming months. Plus, it yields a scent that’s entirely unique to you. If you’re new to fragrance layering, first brush up on the technique with our beginner’s guide to layering perfume oils, then discover two of our favourite trans-seasonal combinations below. 

If you wear Tuscan Fig Perfume Oil in summer...

This luscious scent captures the heady days of high summer, when the sharp green tang of the fig’s leaves puncture the milky-sweetness of its fruit. Base notes of iris, musk and patchouli enhance the drowsy, sensual effect.

...Layer Desert Nights Parfum for autumn

Worn alone, Tuscan Fig will bring warmth to cooler days, but it takes on added richness when layered under a spritz or two of Desert Nights Parfum. The honeyed top notes of Desert Nights draw out the sweetness of the fig, before its velvety base of patchouli, sandalwood and oud descends, thick as the night sky in Marrakech.

If you wear No.352 Leather & Cedar Perfume Oil in winter...

With its opening spicy accord enriched with the elegance of leather, cedarwood and labdanum, No.352 Leather & Cedar is reminiscent of old libraries and artists’ studios. Its depth is alluring, creating a scent that’s not easily forgotten. But it’s also somewhat deceptive, for this leather-scented perfume oil was inspired by the inner-city neighbourhood of Surry Hills in Sydney, a city known for its sparkling sunshine.

...Layer Cuban Tobacco for spring

Amplify the inherent warmth of No.352’s amber and vanilla notes by layering it with Cuban Tobacco Perfume Oil or Parfum for spring days. You’ll experience a sharp burst of radiance, thanks to Cuban Tobacco’s opening refrain of tangerine, cloves and cardamon, before the mellow base of patchouli, musk and the eponymous tobacco creeps in. Worn in combination, No.352 and Cuban Tobacco perfume oils evoke a sophisticated past, where spring meant basking in the warmth of the day before retreating to the cosiness of the indoors once the sun went down.

Written by Michelle Bateman