Layering Perfumes to Create a New Signature Scent

Happy Saturday, fellow fans of all things smelly! :-) 

I am happy to report that - FINALLY - my sense of smell seems to have mostly returned. *throws confetti in the air and does a happy dance while sniffing all.the.things*

Many of you already know that I'd been struggling with my sense of smell since last summer after having COVID.  I sent out an email detailing the whole situation a couple of months ago after beginning to fear that maybe my sense of smell was MIA forever.  I got so many kind responses, you guys really warmed my heart. Thank you! ♥

It was a scary and depressing time for me. I guess I've always taken my sense of smell for granted.  It never really occurred to me that it could just vanish and I'd have zero control over that fact, even though in the back of my mind I know that people can lose their sense of smell for a variety of reasons.  We just never think it's going to be *us* that it happens to.

In any case, in celebration of the fact that I can once again (mostly) smell, I've been smelling all.the.things, which really got me thinking about something that I haven't talked about in a long time - layering your favorite scents with one another. 

I know this is something that many of you may already do with your favorite brands.  Most of us who love indie perfumes love them because we don't like to smell like everyone else, and they tend to be very unique fragrances.  That's a big draw for us.  What better way to avoid smelling like everyone else than taking it even a step further and creating your own signature blend by pairing scents together? 

If you've not explored this before and you're not quite sure which scents would work well to pair with others, never fear!  I've got ya!   Here are some of my favorite pairings from the Traveling Vardo catalog.

Artorius + Bombay = The rich, earthy, spicy red musk of Bombay and the amber and smoky sweetness of the oakmoss in Artorius create absolute MAGIC together!  Each of these blends are perfectly unisex on their own, and the same is true of the resulting scent when they're paired.

The Stately Raven + Bombay = You guys. O.M.G.  This pairing smells ahhhhhh-mazing. The smoky, peppery, faintly leathery notes of Stately Raven absolutely kick ass with the red musk and patchouli of Bombay. Swoonworthy.

The Stately Raven + Nomad = The amber and patchouli of Nomad pair very well with the smoky, peppery, learthery sex appeal of Stately Raven.  Mmmmmmm....

Crown of Roses + Feather = To be fair, Feather will pair well with many scents because it's a soft and understated white musk that can work as an unobtrusive anchor for other perfumes... but this pairing is beautiful.  Feather lends a bit of warmth to this light, fresh "youthful" rose, while also helping anchor it a bit.

Rarotonga + Sweet Marie = The coconut and ylang ylang of Rarotonga pair well with the sweet, musky, vanilla orchid and yellow cake of Sweet Marie.

 Valley of the Kings + Seraphim =  Since Seraphim already contains an Egyptian musk note, this blending works quite well to amp up the musk if that's your thing.

If you like layering natural essences, you might want to try some of the following:

Frankincense + Rose Damask Absolute = I absolutely love these two together!

Frankincense +  Myrrh from Namibia = This is the classic pairing, of course... and these two in particular are absolutely beautiful!  The Namibian Myrrh is delicate and fainly citrus/lemony.  Without a doubt the most beautiful Myrrh I've experienced!  Pairing it with Frankincense Frereana creates something spectacular.

Blood Cedar + Aged Black Patchouli = Cedar and Patchouli truly smell fantastic together.  If you really want to put it over the top, add Myrrh from Namibia.  These three together create one of my absolute favorite accords for unisex and masculine perfumes.

All of my single note botanicals and perfume oils come in roll-on bottles, which make it easy to layer scents right on your skin. 

If you've read this far, THANK YOU!  There's a 20% off sale running on all single note botanicals at the moment, with code BOTANICAL at checkout. The sale runs through Tuesday, April 20th.

Do you have any favorites from the Traveling Vardo catalog that you like to pair together?  I'd love to hear about them!  Leave me a comment below! ♥