Why Mini Perfumes Are The Easiest Way To Experiment With Fragrance

Finding a new signature scent can be a time-consuming and expensive task, especially if you’re shopping online (ahem COVID). The reality is: no matter how well you know the individual fragrance notes, sometimes a perfume can smell completely different to what you expected. If this has happened to you, check out our guide to buying fragrance online, then open your mind to the art of layering fragrance.

Layering fragrance is a Middle Eastern tradition that involves spritzing multiple perfumes on top of each other to create your own unique, personalized scent. Typically, Middle Eastern men and women will start with an oud base, as this is the heaviest scent, and as it’s oil-based it clings to the skin for longer. However, you can also use other common base notes, which act as the heart of the fragrance, such as musk or vanilla. Once the base note is applied, layer lighter, more floral notes like orange blossom, jasmine, white flower, and rose. It’s SO quick and simple but it’ll help you create the most intoxicating, signature scent.

If you’re currently thinking this sounds great but also hella-expensive, we totally get you. If you don’t already have a fragrance library, investing in multiple fragrances can set you back a lot. This is when we love a good mini fragrance! It may surprise you but most designer perfumes are available in cute miniature sizes for less than $30.

Aside from the fact that miniatures are so adorable and perfect for experimenting with layering, they’re also a super convenient size for carrying with you. We love layering our KAYALI miniature perfumes, which are our newest addition to the KAYALI Collection! The cute 10ml size, $25, means you can mix and match more affordably and wherever and whenever you want.

Your Guide to Layering Fragrance Notes

If you’re a newbie to the practice of layering, check out our guide for the scents that blend and layer beautifully:

Once you start layering, we swear you won’t be able to stop – it’s so much fun experimenting with different scents to suit your mood. If you’re looking to get in the mood for date night, try layering scents that have aphrodisiac properties. For example, layer a vanilla-based scent like the KAYALI VANILLA | 28 ($25 for 10ml), which is a fragrance note that has been used for hundreds of years to get people in the mood with a fresh and uplifting floral like our KAYALI Déjà Vu White Flower | 57, as it has beautiful floral notes like jasmine and rose that complement vanilla perfectly.

Right now, we’re also obsessed with creating empowering and calming scents. If you’re feeling the fatigue of 2021 already, look for a fragrance with notes of ylang-ylang. The scent (pronounced “ilang-ilang”) is super floral and is often associated with strong feminine energy. It layers well with musk, vanilla, or oud. Similarly, while we’ve been WFH we’ve used citrus notes to keep us focused, as just sniffing citrus fruits can boost alertness and make you feel energized. Studies have shown the smell of lemon can also help you de-stress. Our go-to citrus fragrance is the KAYALI CITRUS | 08 , which also has notes of blackberry, pink pepper, and rhubarb.

Let us know your favorite layering combinations in the comments below.