Are you one of those people who are obsessed with fragrance? Do you have a signature fragrance but you like to try new scents? Are you trying to build a fragrance wardrobe or like to layer other scents underneath or on top of your signature scent depending on the occasion or the season? If you can answer yes to any of these questions then you probably want to build a fragrance wardrobe. The thing is that fragrance can be rather expensive. Still, there is a way to build a fragrance wardrobe without emptying your bank account. Start by purchasing the full size of your favorite or signature fragrance. For me, it’s Tom Ford’s Black Orchid.
I always receive compliments whenever I wear it and it works all year round for me. So this was my big splurge. I can wear it alone or I can layer it with other scents. What is key for me when I choose a signature scent is that it has staying power and Black Orchid has incredible staying power for me all day. I do like to layer this scent especially as the seasons, my mood, or the occasion changes. So to maximize my fragrances I purchase a ton of mini and travel size fragrances that I can layer or wear alone.
When ever I want to soften my scent I reach for something that is floral to tone down the fruity notes but retain a hint of sweetness. Nest fragrances are one of my favorite mixers. One of my favorite Nest fragrances to achieve this scent is Dalhia and Vines. Rose is one of the notes so it adds a hint of daytime sophistication – basically that means that I’ll often wear this mix when I’m going to the office.
On weekends when I usually run my errands (food shopping, shoe repair, hair appointments, etc) I might try to cancel out the sweetness all together opting for a cleaner scent. Depending on my mood I might start out with a spritz of Black Orchid and follow it with two dabs of Nest’s Verde. Sometimes I might even wear Verde alone.
Here’s a third and one of my favorite pairings. On a night out I’ll mix equal parts of Black Orchid and Elizabeth and James Nirvana Bourbon. It’s basically my little black dress when it comes to my fragrance wardrobe. It’s warm, slightly sweet and bit provocative.
I can go on and on as to how I layer. On top of all of that these options are budget friendly. I splurge on the signature and then purchase travel sizes of my “mixers”. The best value is when I’m able to purchase a coffret. It’s like a pre-made scent library. Sometimes they’re all the same brand and other times they are different brands. My favorites come from Nest (obviously) and the Sephora collection where you can purchase a coffret that has scents from different brands with a voucher to receive a full-size fragrance of your from one of the selections. Talk about bang for your buck. Below I’ve listed my favorite travel-size and coffret options.
Sephora Favorites Deluxe Perfume Sampler
NEST Eau de Parfum Collection Coffret
TokyoMilk Dark Femme Fatale Collection – Tainted Love No. 62 Rollerball
Commodity Best Dressed Travel Spray Kit
How do you build your wardrobe? Let me know in the comments.