The Fabric of Scent

As layered as the oils are in your fragrance – eu de toilette or perfume - so it is also important to note how fragrance should be layered on the body

by Guy Little

The notes and oils of a perfume, or other constructed fragrances like eu de toilette, weave together and intertwine to uncover its scent.  A friend in the cosmetic sales industry once mentioned something about the ‘layering’ of fragrances.  I thought nothing of it at first, and understood him to mean it is the way in which fragrance is sprayed onto the body.  What I didn’t realise at the time was that the creams and lotions we apply to our bodies also contain fragrance and a certain amount of perfume.  The layering of fragrance thus refers to complimenting creams with your eu de toilette or perfume.

It is however rather easy to get the layering-fragrance technique wrong.  As one who is always conscious of smell, applying Nivea body lotion underneath Terre d' Hermès
 EDT was not a good move.  I ended up reeking of some potent sunscreen lotion.   Obliterating the Nivea lotion and switching to another fragrance-free brand, I seemed to have the problem solved.  Later, whilst at my grandmother’s house, I remember scratching around for some hand cream and stumbled across a tub, from the Crabtree & Evelyn's Wisteria range.  I opened it up half-expecting to smell a mix of something relating to granny-floral drawer liners.  It was very floral indeed - in quite an unobtrusive way and rather fresh smelling – very fluid and easily absorbed.  I applied the cream and later realised how well it emphasised my Eu de Parfum – Tom Ford Black Orchid.  I revelled in my new find.

Crabtree & Evelyn’s Wisteria range of body care works excellently with Tom Ford's Black Orchid EDP – for both men and women.  For more information, visit www.crabtree-evelyn.com or www.tomford.com

It is fantastic to emphasise your fragrance through the fragrance of a cream or body lotion.  Most design houses that make perfume carry body lotions to compliment their signature fragrance. In my case, Black Orchid’s range of creams was a little out of my budget and I was lucky enough to find a cheaper alternative.  Something in C&E’s Wisteria cream clicked so beautifully with Tom Ford’s Black Orchid EDP.  I had found a winning match.

Visit www.clarins.com - or any Clairns counter - for more information on their range of body moisturisers

Be Inspired

• Visit the Tom Ford counter at Stuttafords’ Flagship Stores and take a whiff of all the latest in his bespoke fragrance range.  For more information visit www.stuttafords.co.za
• Always apply body lotion or cream to your body before spraying on your fragrance.  The moisturisers will help your fragrance and scent last longer. Another great product is the Clarins Moisture Rich Body Lotion.  It has a great smell that mixes well with most fragrances.  It works especially well with the Nina Ricci perfume, Ricci Ricci.

Ricci Ricci by Nina Ricci.  Visit your nearest Stuttafords or visit www.ninaricci.com for more information