Make Your Own Unique Scent

Fragrance and flavor are pretty much interchangeable. In fact, approximately 90% of our ability to taste food is, in fact, down to our sense of smell.

Smells Good? Throw It In The Mix

So, in the same way that a seasoned gastronome knows what culinary ingredients will work together, different colognes can be mixed and matched according to a wearer’s personal preference, creating a one-of-a-kind scent.

The technical term for this pick-’n’-mix approach to perfumery is “layering,” and it requires a fair bit of “spritzing” experience.

A brand like Jo Malone has simplified the idea with their fragrance combining concept, whereby select fragrances from their range can be paired together, allowing customers to express their individuality.

What Jo Malone recognizes with their set menu of colognes is that you can’t just combine a bunch of different smells together and expect the final result to work. If anything, there are some hard and fast rules to layering fragrances.

Beginning, Middle, End

For starters, it’s far easier to blend single-note fragrances than it is to throw together the multifaceted or complex fragrances that are most likely sitting on your shelf. Most commercial colognes are already complete, in that they have a combination of different ingredients that, collectively, create a story of sorts.

A fragrance has a beginning, middle and an end, and the different notes that create this story feature in varying strengths throughout the narrative.

In contrast, a single-note fragrance features one ingredient as the headlining act: Guerlain Vetiver, Le Labo’s Santal 33, Prada Amber Pour Homme, etc. While there is still a beginning, middle and an end, the star of the show is never overshadowed by the supporting actors.

It stands to reason that it’s simpler to work with these single-note concoctions or, if you’re really going to push the boat out, perfume oils. Experiment with complex, multifaceted fragrances and you’ll end up smelling like a Mother’s Day hamper.

The best way to go about the job is to imagine you’re constructing a three-story building. As such, you would need to work from the bottom up by building a solid foundation. Without a sturdy base, the rest of the fragrance is going to crumble.

Moreover, the base is the strongest and most long-lasting of all the ingredients you’ll use; it’s the trail a fragrance leaves behind hours after your first spray. Cedarwood, sandalwood, suede, tonka bean, amber, oakmoss and leather are all classic solid base notes for men.