Layering of fragrance is something that Estee Lauder introduced to the mass-market. From a parfum companies perspective, it literally involves producing multiple products with the same fragrance.
For example, BYREDO Blanch produce 4-5 products with the same base fragrance
And of course, our semi-favourites, Forest Essentials have taken this to the next level and produced similar fragrances, which you can layer and layer.
For example, the Parijat range includes a Body Mist, Body Cream, Body Oil, Shower Wash, Body Soap, Body Mist and a Body Lotion. That’s 7 products, which come in different sizes too
Should you be layering all the same fragrances, one on top of each other?
In a nutshell, the science behind new smells, is your body is using its instinctive survival mode and therefore, you can smell a new fragrance, because its not familiar to you.
All of us have experienced the joys of a new perfume – which lasts the whole of about 3-4 days for me.
After that, I cannot smell the perfume on myself.
Its called “olfactory fatigue.” Essentially, your body doesn’t consider the perfume as a threatening smell and therefore, you stop smelling it.
When you layer 4-5 products of the same fragrance base, the olfactory fatigue doesn’t change: trust me, I have tried with Forest Essentials.
By the 4th day, I absolutely cannot smell the parfume.
Is this just a marketing ploy by fragrance companies to increase their profits?
Of course, the cost of body wash is less than the cost of a parfum, but not a Forest Essentials’ soap cost under INR 500 while the full size body mist (130ml) cost INR 2,675
Its also a good way for consumers to test out a smell before they make a larger commitment.
That’s in fact how I test out new Forest Essential smells – I buy the cheaper soaps.
BUT I absolutely do not buy all products from the same fragrance range: I cannot imagine a more incredible waste of money