I’ve always read about the wonders of layering fragrances, but I’m too afraid of smelling like a person who makes questionable life choices to experiment much on my own. It’s an entirely different story, however, when expert perfumers tell you exactly which fragrances make a beautiful couple. Not only are Sueded Oud and Blonde Rose, both from CLEAN’s recently launched Reserve fragrance range two of my favorite scents for spring individually, they also create a dynamic new experience when layered together.
CLEAN’s original fragrances (think Warm Cotton, Skin, & Fresh Laundry) have a cult following, but they never appealed to me. I prefer fragrances to offer something complex and punctuated by emotion in a way that enhances the way I’m already feeling. The way I use scent to amplify my mood is not all that different from how I use music to control my mood, which likely explains why fragrances always make me think of songs. Both are also so wonderfully complex to create and yet easy to enjoy, like the best creative endeavors.
Blonde Rose
Easily one of my favorite rose fragrances to dance across my nose in a long time, CLEAN Reserve Blonde Rose smells fresher than a traditional rose scent. There’s a soft, almost green quality that comes from the blend of peony, jasmine, cedarwood, sandalwood, and musk. I often struggle in warmer seasons to find a daytime fragrance that makes a statement without being limp in professional environments, but there’s strength in Blonde Rose’s softness. Think of it as the perfectly tailored matching dusty rose blazer and trousers. Contemporary, yet rooted in classic form.
Sueded Oud
CLEAN Reserve Sueded Oud is the kind of fragrance that dreams are made of. It navigates easily between being appropriate for all seasons with notes that envelop you in warmth, yet are still punctuated with hints of green. While this isn’t an overtly sexy fragrance like Tom Ford Black Orchid or even Narciso Rodriguez For Her, there’s a quiet confidence in the subtle way the myriad of notes is intertwined. Many of the notes are divergent from what we typically see in fragrance, like blue cypress, Bushman’s Candle, and olibanum tears, to name a few. To put it simply, Sueded Oud is an understated luxury.
When Paired
I always dream of being the kind of woman that has the opportunity to rush home for her day to prepare for her night, but when it happens there’s a number of things that always run through my mind. The first is fragrance, especially if I’ve layered my daytime fragrance with lotion and/or a hair mist for longevity. However, with Blonde Rose as my daytime fragrance, selecting Sueded Oud would be a natural progression. Pairing from there could be a magical experiment in cocktailing anything from the number of sprays to the area where each fragrance is worn and even the time delay in application. Find freedom in the knowledge that these fragrances were meant to intertwine. Go crazy!
