It’s true that natural pheromones and our own personal scent mean fragrances smell slightly different on everyone, but if you really strive for originality, or simply love making things your own, and you haven’t delved into the world of fragrance layering yet, now’s the time. Finding a scent combination that feels like ‘you’ might take some time, but there’s something wonderfully creative about olfactory experimentation, and it could lead you to discover your new beauty niche.

Maurice Barr, luxury service and education coach for Jo Malone London (a fragrance brand with a long-held philosophy around mixing scents) says fragrance layering is simply “layering two fragrances together to create something that feels intentional and personalised to your own olfactive tastes and personality. The idea is to build different notes together to create a fragrance that feels unique to you.”

Barr says a good place to start is with a “skin scent” as a base. In the Jo Malone London stable, Wood Sage & Sea Salt is his pick, as it enhances and elevates the fragrance you pair it with “much like salt does with food,” he explains. Other well-known skin-like scents include Glossier You, Escentric Molecules Molecule 01, Juliette Has a Gun Not a Perfume, and Diptyque L’Eau Papier.

Let your chosen skin scent settle on the skin for a few minutes, then choose your second layer. For winter or an evening occasion, this might be a heavier, more heady scent with notes of vanilla, rose, or patchouli.

If you’re after something lighter and fresher, notes of citrus, herbs, or fruits, such as pear or berries could create an interesting combination. If you don’t have a skin-like scent to play with as a base, another safe entry point is to pair fragrances that share a note, mood, or family. Think citrus with citrus, rose with musk, vanilla with amber, or fig with green notes.

For something a little more complex, you can create richer scent combinations by applying a heavier fragrance first, followed by a single spray of something brighter on top. Combining scent with body care is also a deliberate yet subtle way to experiment with fragrance pairings. “Using scented body lotions, oils, shower gels, or hair mists can also help enhance the longevity and intensity of a fragrance, as hydrated and nourished skin helps scent wear more beautifully throughout the day,” says Barr.

As evidenced here, there are certain “rules” that can be followed, especially if you’re still figuring layering out, but there’s also plenty of fun to be had in throwing the rules out the window and simply going for it. Take your time, let your scents dry down before deciding whether or not you’ve hit the mark, and always experiment on your skin, not on a chic-looking piece of cardboard at a perfume counter. As Barr puts it, “It’s an opportunity to step outside your comfort zone, experiment with unexpected combinations and discover new favourites along the way.”