Create a signature scent for your space using non-toxic, better fragrance products.
What Is Fragrance Layering?
Fragrance layering is the art of combining different scents to build a more complex and personalized aroma. This can be done in the home or on the body; either way, this practice allows you to transcend past the constraints of purchasing what fragrances are on the market to customize fragrances to better express yourself and your unique taste. It is a fun and creative endeavor that brings a new way to indulge the senses in a lovely, self-care kind of way. In this article, we’ll focus on fragrance layering in the home, but this practice is applicable to body fragrance as well.
Using different modes of delivering fragrance—like reed diffusers, room sprays, and (coming soon!) candles—is another way to layer fragrance. Rather than spraying three room sprays at once, in which all three would be competing for attention, utilize different types of products to create balance in your scent story—diffusers hum in the background, room sprays layer on top, and candles add an emotional element as the cherry on top.
Why Practice Fragrance Layering?
- Personalization: Tailor your home’s scent to your style, season, or mood.
- Mood Elevation: Certain combinations can help calm, energize, or center your space.
- Depth & Dimension: Layering adds subtle complexity that changes as you move through your home.
How to Layer Home Fragrance
1. Start with a Base Scent:
Choose a foundational scent to anchor your space. It is best to focus on deeper, richer notes for a base scent and then layer lighter and brighter fragrances on top. Bungalow and Ember have rich tones to them that can make them excellent bases, for example.
2. Add Complementary Notes:
Build complexity by layering a brighter or crisper scent on top of your base. Try blending:
- Sunroom (base) + Garden (on top) for a fresh, vibrant combo
- Ember (base) + Laundrette (on top) for a warm, clean balance
Use our Room Spray Trio to test different combinations.
3. Use Multiple Fragrance Forms:
- Diffusers - whether electronic plug-ins or classic reeds, diffusers serve as an ideal fragrance base because they are a very low-maintenance way to generate consistent fragrance over long periods of time—we’re taking months, not hours or days.
- Room sprays are a great second layer to a fragrance program. Great for an immediate burst of fragrance on demand, room sprays are ideal before greeting a house guest, after using the bathroom, or to set a mood or create a vibe.
- Candles (coming soon!) further enhance the mood with fragrance and are like the cherry on top of fragrance layering. The charm of the primal, flame and the crackle that come from wooden wicks add a cozy element that truly never tires.
4. Match Scent Notes to Each Room’s Function:
Note: be sure to use fragrances that are made with real essential oils to enjoy the aromatherapy benefits from each ingredient
- Bedroom - Lavender, sandalwood, vanilla, amber, and musk evoke calm and relaxation, perfect for drifting off to sleep.
- Living Room - Citrus, floral, green and spearmint notes uplift, which can improve sociability. Bungalow, in fact, is scientifically proven to improve feelings of well-being and overall mood.
- Bathroom & Kitchen - Soft musk, cotton, citrus, white florals, and powdery woods evoke a sense of freshness, purity, and lightness that characterize cleanliness.
- Home Office - Scents with notes of citrus, peppermint, lavandin, rose cedarwood, and sandalwood are known to boost alertness, improve concentration, and heighten mental clarity.
5. Adjust Seasonally:
- Spring/Summer - Light florals and citrus like that of Garden
- Fall/Winter - Cozy, rich bases like that of Ember
Best Tips For Fragrance Layering
- Stick with Clean Ingredients: Creating a layered aroma in your home requires higher product usage, so it is crucial to ensure you are using products that are safe for you and your family to inhale over time. All our fragrances are nontoxic, paraben-free, phthalate-free, and mutagen-free, so you can enjoy every bit of having a pleasant-smelling space without any of the health risk.
- Don’t Overdo It: Use a light hand. Stick to 2–3 complementary scents to avoid clashing or overwhelming the space. It’s easy to go “nose blind,” so bring someone else in to your layered space to check your work and make sure it’s not too strong.
- Test & Play: If you’re not sure where to start, first find your favorite scent with a deeper scent profile and get it as a diffuser. Next, find your favorite scent that has lighter/brighter scent notes and get that as a room spray. Set out your diffuser and spray your room spray, and see what you think. Tweak as needed. Once you find an ideal pairing, play around with adding a third scent element, like a candle, and tweak as needed until you find your ideal, custom scent profile. Scent is truly such a personal thing, so there is no one-size-fits-all formula for what will smell the best for everyone. As you experiment, keep in mind that our bundles are a great way to experiment affordably!
Ready to Layer?
Fragrance layering lets you go beyond the basics and curate a truly signature scent story. Whether you’re hosting, relaxing, or refreshing your space, fragrance layering can help you create a vibe you are going to love.
🕯️ Start your layering journey with our Better Fragrance Collection and let your home tell your unique story.