Beyond the signature scent: The Perfume Shop on the rise of fragrance layering
The Perfume Shop is seeing a shift in how customers approach fragrance, with shoppers experimenting with different scent combinations rather than relying on a single signature perfume.
The British fragrance retailer, which operates more than 210 stores nationwide, says the practice of layering - from pairing two perfumes together to combining scent with body lotions, shower products and hair mists - is giving customers more ways to wear the fragrances they already own and adapt them for different moods and occasions.
"We're seeing people become more creative with the way they wear perfume," says Karla Woolley, Head of Buying at The Perfume Shop. "A signature scent doesn't have to mean just one bottle anymore; it can be about having different combinations that suit different moments.
"Layering gives people the opportunity to explore the perfumes they already love and discover new ways to wear them. Whether that's adding warmth, freshness or a different dimension, it's about making scent feel personal."
Social media drives discovery
"Social media has definitely helped people discover new ways to wear perfume, with scent communities sharing combinations, recommendations and tips," explains Woolley. "But layering doesn't have to be complicated. It can be as simple as pairing a scented body lotion with a favourite perfume, adding a hair mist or combining two perfumes with complementary notes."
Valentino Beauty's Born in Roma Hair & Body Mists
Search and social data reflect the trend. Fragrance-layering searches and social media posts grew 63.9% year-on-year in 2025, according to Spate’s 2026 Global Fragrance Trends Report, with TikTok users sharing combinations built around fruity and gourmand notes such as vanilla, pistachio and guava.
Meanwhile, Pinterest’s 2026 trend forecast, which calls the behaviour “scent stacking”, recorded searches for “perfume layering combinations” up 125% and “niche perfume collection” up 500%.
How shoppers are layering
"The best thing about layering is that there are no rules," adds Woolley. "There isn't one perfect combination because scent is completely personal. It's about experimenting, finding what you enjoy and creating something that feels like you."
For customers new to the practice, the simplest entry point is to match products from the same fragrance house, where a coordinated shower gel, body cream or aftershave lotion is designed to reinforce the same scent profile. More confident shoppers can pair fragrances with complementary notes across different brands.
The emphasis on personal expression aligns with The Perfume Shop's wider positioning, with research commissioned by the retailer revealing that more than 36% of people associate perfume with confidence and 23% with identity.
Brands and retailers build for the trend
Layering is reshaping product strategy across the market.
"It’s no longer about finding one signature scent, it’s about layering, experimenting and choosing something that reflects your mood," says Cult Beauty's Rina Teslica. The online retailer has also identified scent layering as a key trend for 2026.
Most recently, in June, Marks & Spencer launched its STUDIO fragrance range, a collection of eight unisex eau de parfums at £22.50 for 100ml, designed to be worn solo or combined, allowing shoppers to build what the retailer calls a "scent wardrobe".
Valentino Beauty took a similar route with its Born in Roma Hair & Body Mists, a gourmand-led range created to layer over the brand's existing eau de parfums.
For The Perfume Shop, the opportunity lies in helping customers get more from bottles they already own while opening the door to complementary purchases, whether that is a matching body cream, a hair mist or a second fragrance chosen to change the character of the first.
