There is nothing more personal than a fragrance collection. Built up of scents that hark back to wonderful moments with those dear to us, perfumes that simply complement our outfits, and the now popular scent mist, a curated fragrance wardrobe is essential.
Enhancing your scent collection can be achieved through more than just consuming endless products. You can build upon it through layering, learning the best concentration for your individual needs – where a cologne might trump an eau de toilette, for example – and making more sustainable choices to last you for the long term.
Vogue enlisted four perfumers to share their advice on exactly how to upgrade your fragrance wardrobe in 2026.
3 tips to create a beautiful fragrance wardrobe
“Our goal is to drive others to give you compliments,” and be so enamoured with the fragrance that it becomes a conversation starter, says Burberry Her perfumer Aurélien Guichard. “If you wear a perfume and you don’t get comments, it’s useless.” It sounds like a harsh statement on the surface, but ultimately, “a good fragrance has to make people react around you.” Plus, you’ll want to look out for scents that align with your mood and what you like to wear.
According to Guichard, the three main pillars to start crafting your fragrance wardrobe around are:
- Being noticed
- Smelling unique
- Picking something in line with your personality
It’s a similar process to building up your clothing wardrobe. There is no correct way to do it, but if you’re a fan of formulas, this can help make the process easier.
“Some people always wear the same clothes (I always wear black, for instance),” Guichard explains. “In that vein, I wouldn’t want to wear an extremely vast selection of fragrances.” Others may lean towards a more maximalist style, and would enjoy trying unusual perfume pairings.
“The most important thing is feeling free about it,” says Guichard. “It has to be something that brings something positive to your life,” rather than being a source of stress or anxiety.
Jo Malone London’s fragrance and lifestyle expert, Emma South, suggests focusing on “the best and most versatile” fragrance that you own as a starting point. This will reveal the notes that catch your senses in the first instance.
Ffern – which creates seasonal artisanal fragrances – see the fragrance wardrobe as a way to stay in conversation with nature. “As the seasons change, so does the light, the air, and even our skin behaves differently,” explains the brand’s nose Elodie Durande. “Having a curated selection of scents that you wear at different points throughout the year allows you to embrace these natural rhythms.”
How to start collecting fragrances
Guichard suggests a good place to start is with scents that evoke certain memories and make us feel something. “That’s how you build up an authentic personal library.”
Durande recommends a natural approach, with beginners identifying which seasonal notes they gravitate towards. If spring is your favourite season, you may want a citrus scent as your base, which meshes well with early green leaf notes. “Woody, spicy scents and resins feel comforting in colder months,” she adds.
For those with a sweet nasal palate, “gourmand fragrances are a great entry point because they blend beautifully with cosy and playful notes,” Heather Forcari, global education director at Sol de Janeiro, shares. Think vanilla, caramel and pistachio.
How to upgrade your existing fragrance collection
For those with robust fragrance wardrobes, South suggests a clear, four-step plan: reflect, rotate, edit and add. “Take a step back and ask yourself which scents make you feel good or transport you elsewhere,” she advises. Next, cover your basics.
You can use the clothing method and decipher which fragrance matches each of your fashion essentials. “Do you have a timeless winter scent, just like your sturdy coat?” she questions. You can also scout for the olfactory equivalent of a summer dress or crisp white shirt. “When it comes to clearing out, I am less ruthless with fragrance than clothing,” she admits. “If a scent has fallen out of favour, just move it to the back – memories of outfits often exist in photographs, but for scent it is a little different.” If physical space permits, an archive of former fragrances makes an extraordinary collection of time capsules.
“Always look for fragrances that bring you closer to the current season rather than simply accumulating more perfumes,” says Durande. “Ffern’s Winter 26 scent, for example, was inspired by a winter storm on the Isle of Skye.” Think: oakmoss and violet leaf, which capture the dark waves and sparkles of moonlight on the sea’s surface. “When you wear something like this, it feels intentional and authentic.” Elegant and romantic all at the same time.
Guichard wants you to think about whether you need to change anything at all. “Your clothes won’t look as intended unless you wear them with confidence,” he shares, “and perfume is the same.” Without making firm decisions about your style, you won’t get the results that you want.
How should you layer fragrances?
Some fragrances are best worn alone, Guichard tells me. “Let it melt with your skin first,” he advises. “You don’t have to wear the fragrance the same way every day,” he adds. So don’t overthink it. Experimenting with different layering combinations can be fun, but test them at home first before spraying directly on your body and racing out the door.
The process is more straight forward than one might think, according to South. “It can be as simple as quickly misting one fragrance over the other, or you may want to build layers through a scented wash and nourishing body cream.” When spraying two colognes, however, it is worth considering dose and placement. “You might liberally mist a bright, luminous scent around the décolletage and save weightier notes like jasmine and tuberose for dress and coat hems, to leave an intoxicating trail behind you.”
Shop our favourite versatile fragrances below.
