One scent. One bottle. One identity. That mythology died the moment Gen Z discovered TikTok and Reels. The signature scent, that aspirational cornerstone of Western fragrance culture, promised singular perfection. A Chanel No. 5 moment. A Dior girl forever. Except forever is too long when you contain multitudes, and one note can't capture a mood at 9am that's completely different by 5pm. Just like clothes are meant to reflect mood (multiple clothes and not just one jacket), similarly it’s multiple perfumes that are picked and chosen to create an ample wardrobe of moods and personalities.
What’s happening now is less rebellion and more revelation: Boston Consulting Group found that 73 percent of Gen-Z and Millennial respondents regularly use three or more scents. #PerfumeTok saw 110 percent year-on-year growth in the first 10 months of 2024. But TikTok’s #PerfumeTok didn’t invent fragrance layering. The Middle East did, centuries ago, long before Western beauty editors discovered it was “trending”.
“For me, fragrance layering has never been a trend; it is a deeply rooted cultural ritual that I grew up with in the Middle East,” says Mona Kattan, founder of Kayali, in an exclusive interview for Vogue Arabia. She’s right to reclaim it. In the Middle East, layering different formats of fragrances (including oud and musk oils on the heat points of the body, as well as hair perfumes) are popular practices, woven so deeply into daily ritual that wearing a scent, especially one with plenty of projection and sillage, is seen as a sign of generosity towards others, but also a practice of self-care.
The traditional layering process starts with a base of musk, then moves to the application of oud, followed by a spritz of your favourite perfume and finally finished with bakhoor incense. This four stage process, musk base, oud application, perfume spritz, and bakhoor incense finish, creates a fully immersive scent experience. This wasn’t experimental. It was ancient wisdom wrapped in ritual.
What's changed is that TikTok made it visible, and one brand made it accessible: Kayali. When Mona Kattan launched the brand, international investors and consultants didn’t quite get the concept. “I was developing the concept, telling everyone, ‘It's all about layering.’ Everybody thought I had three heads, and they were like, ‘You're crazy. This is never going to take off’,” says Kattan.
Kayali went on to become a top seller at Sephora, boosted by TikTokers applying its fragrances in countless combinations, taking early advantage of a trend now driving the fastest growing category in beauty. The brand pioneered the social-first playbook for fragrance layering: short-form videos showing how Vanilla | 28 transforms with Eden Sparkling Lychee, how Musk | 12 anchors a layering combination, how mood dictates the mix. Every post was a recipe, every reel a permission slip to experiment.
Fragrance was the fastest-growing beauty category in 2024 based on both dollar sales, up 12 percent, with eau de parfums specifically growing 14 percent. Gen Z now averages €204 annually on fragrances, significantly higher than the €166 spent by other shoppers. This shows a preference for a variety of scents rather than sticking to a single signature fragrance. That shift toward variety accelerated because Kayali showed how: Each fragrance designed to layer, every combination celebrated, every customer their own perfumer.
Brands have since pivoted everywhere. Rare Beauty launched four fragrance layering balms in August 2025, amber vanilla, floral peony blossom, fresh bergamot, and woody oak, so users can customise their experience by wearing them solo, mixing them together, or layering with their eau de parfum. Phlur publishes discovery kits of eight sample-size fragrances inspired by memories, moments, experiences and feelings, designed to be worn alone or layered to create a signature scent. Louis Vuitton’s The Pure Perfumes layering set was launched in 2024 as an homage to the Middle East's layering tradition. Jo Malone London launched its London Scent Layering Collection in September 2025. D.S. & Durga offers its “I Don’t Know What Murder Mystery Layering Eau de Parfum Set” starring hero scent I Don’t Know What, a “fragrance enhancer” designed to be layered. Chanel unveiled its Coco Mademoiselle Fragrance Primer in July 2025.
The mathematics of layering is deceptively simple. Start with a warm base, vanilla, musk, amber, something that anchors. Layer a fresh or fruity note on top. The contrast creates dimension. “When layering Vanilla with Juicy Apple, the richness of vanilla is softened by crisp, juicy brightness,” Kattan explains. “The overlap creates seamless harmony.”
This isn’t about owning more. It’s about thinking differently: fragrance as wardrobe instead of statement piece. Hair and body mists experienced a massive 94% growth, reaching €474 million in sales, while mini sizes accounted for 38% of all prestige fragrance units sold. Ask any 20-something today what fragrance they’re wearing, and you're likely to get an answer of not one, but a string of three to five different scents. The signature scent didn’t die. It just learned how to multiply.
