6 min read
Best perfume oils for layering
Musk, amber, oud and gourmand oils: what each one does underneath a perfume, and how much to use.
Read article →For men
Men's perfume layering
The same rules apply, with a different palette: amber, tobacco, birch and coffee instead of vanilla and florals. Less product, more base.
Guides
Men's Layering guides
Formulas
Routines from this collection
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Dark • Warm • Assertive
Coffee, tobacco, amber
- BaseUnscented Shea Body LotionGeneric
- LayerAmber Perfume OilNemat
- FinishAsad Eau de ParfumLattafa
Amber oil rounds off the coffee note, which is the part of Asad that can smell harsh in the first half hour.
Fresh • Smoky • Sharp
Sharp and clean
- BaseUnscented Shea Body LotionGeneric
- FinishClub de Nuit Intense ManArmaf
Some fragrances need nothing added. This one only needs a moisturised base to hold the birch and blackcurrant in place.
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Products for this routine
Perfume$$
Asad Eau de ParfumLattafa
Dark • Warm • Punchy
A drop of amber oil underneath smooths the coffee note without dulling it.
- Notes
- Pineapple, Tobacco, Coffee, Amber
- Lasts
- Very strong
Perfume$$
Club de Nuit Intense ManArmaf
Sharp • Smoky • Confident
One spray over an unscented base. It is already dense; a scented lotion makes it muddy.
- Notes
- Blackcurrant, Pineapple, Birch, Vanilla
- Lasts
- Very strong
Perfume oil$$
Amber Perfume OilNemat
Golden • Resinous • Long-lasting
Apply to pulse points before spraying. Amber oil is the "expensive" note most cheap perfumes are missing.
- Notes
- Amber, Resin, Warm vanilla
- Lasts
- Very strong
Perfume oil$$
Dahn Al Oudh Perfume OilAjmal
Woody • Deep • Ceremonial
One touch, not a swipe. Oud oil belongs under a rose or amber spray, never over it.
- Notes
- Oud, Rose, Smoke
- Lasts
- Very strong
Questions
Yes, and it is the most common way to add longevity. One dab of amber or oud oil under a fresh fragrance stops it vanishing by midday.
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