Fragrance Layering for a Custom Signature Scent!

Crafting a custom scent is a fun way to express yourself and bring some fun into your daily routine. Personal fragrance layering is one of my favorite ways to achieve a unique signature scent. Layering scents adds complexity and depth that is difficult to achieve with perfume alone. Through intentionally layering fragrance notes within your personal care routine, you’ll achieve a scent that’s longer lasting, and truly unique to you. 

Understanding fragrance notes is key to building your custom scent, so let’s take a quick lesson! A fragrance consists of three main notes: top, middle (heart), and base. Each of these notes has a different job. 

• The top notes are your initial impression of a fragrance. They are perceived immediately upon application but are usually quick to dissipate. The function of a top note is to capture your attention at first sniff. Softer, very pleasant scents are found as top notes. Some examples are bergamot, orange blossom, or basil. “Clean” or soapy fragrances such as cotton or linen are classified as top notes as well. 
• Middle notes form the main body of a fragrance. They are longer lasting, and form the character of a fragrance. In a heart note, you’ll find bolder florals, earthy elements, as well as spices. A few heart notes are rose, lavender, clove, and cinnamon. 
• Base notes form a foundation for a fragrance, and tie everything together. Base notes are the longest lasting, and will linger long after the top and middle notes have faded away. Think musky, woodsy, and sweet. A few of our favorite base notes are cedarwood, vanilla, and amber. 

Now for the fun part - let’s build your custom fragrance! 

Step One: Base Scent

As mentioned above, these notes are typically musky or sweet and will form the foundation for the rest of your fragrance, as well as keep you smelling lovely all day long. I start my routine with my body wash. My go-to’s are cedar eucalyptus or cashmere and vanilla, depending on what I’m feeling that day. If you lean more towards earthy scents, cedarwood or sandalwood are a great option. If you prefer more luxe or cozy scents, try something with vanilla or amber. 

Step Two: Middle Notes

Okay, you’ve lathered, and rinsed, and you’re ready for step two! We’re adding our middle notes now, and my favorite way to do this is in the form of a moisturizer! I have been loving body oil this winter when my skin needs a little extra love, but lotion is great too! I try to focus here on bolder florals. I love to pair lavender with earthier bases and rose with more romantic, sweet bases. If florals aren’t your thing, you could lean more into the spice category, and try something with cinnamon or clove! I love our chai body oil to hit those spicy notes. 

Don't be afraid to experiment! If you're local to us, you can even buy as little as half an ounce of a product in our refillery to test it out!

Step Three: Top Notes

We’re getting somewhere now, and it’s time to add the final touch with top notes! The foundation for your fragrance is done, so now it’s time to get creative with top notes!! I love to finish off my fragrance with one of our plant-based perfumes. My favorite will always be cardamom + grapefruit. The light, playful sweetness of the grapefruit balances out the moodier, more romantic middle and base notes of spice and vanilla. It softens the boldness and brings everything together. Light florals work really well here too - gardenia is one of my favorites, as well as herbs like sage or patchouli! Keep in mind that your top notes are what people will perceive first, but they won’t linger as long as your base and heart notes. Once you find a top note that ties together the rest of your fragrance, you’re done! 

My perfume typically lingers in my hair and on my clothes, while the base and middle notes are applied directly to my skin. This adds a really nice subtle complexity that brings all of the notes of the fragrance together. 

Creating a signature scent that is unique to you is a really fun way to express yourself and your identity. I love to switch it up depending on my mood or my activity. With a few basic staples, you can create a lot of unique scent combinations. We have a wide variety of scented products for you to play around with, though we always recommend using what you have first. Our products are also always phthalate, paraben, and mutagen-free. So you can smell great, without having to worry about what’s going on your body. 

So be creative, have fun, and discover your new signature scent! If you create a combo that you love with your FD Market products, make sure to share it with us on socials! We love seeing what you create!