Layering Lab

Wear two at once

Pick two fragrances. See what each brings, how the blend leans, and whether people who tried the pair say it works.

First · Penhaligon'sMalabahEDP · 2003 · ★ 4.04

Second · LaliqueL'InsoumisEDP · 2016 · ★ 3.99

From your collection:Save fragrances to pick from them here

Contrast pairing

Malabah × L'Insoumis

Fresh spicy, citrus and aromatic meets aromatic, woody and fresh spicy. They share five accords and no notes.

Find samples of both

The blend

How the pair leans

Each bar adds the two accord profiles, assuming one spray of each. Gold is Malabah, blue is L'Insoumis. It's arithmetic on the data, not a test on skin.

MalabahL'Insoumis

fresh spicyboth

aromaticboth

woodyboth

warm spicyboth

greenboth

citrusfirst

freshfirst

earthysecond

powderyfirst

lavendersecond

What each brings

Notes apart, accords in common

Only in Malabah

Lemon

Tea

Coriander

Ginger

Cardamom

Nutmeg

Rose

Orris Root Amber

Amber

Sandalwood Musk

Musk

In bothNo shared notesFive shared accords:

fresh spicyaromaticwarm spicygreenwoody

That shared thread is what keeps a contrast pairing from feeling like two separate fragrances.

Only in L'Insoumis

Basil

Rum

Bergamot

Clary Sage Lavender

Lavender

Black Pepper Woody Notes

Woody Notes Haitian Vetiver

Haitian Vetiver Patchouli

Patchouli

Moss

Why it might work

Light over deepMalabah brings citrus and aromatic; L'Insoumis brings woody. Lighter over deeper is the usual way to layer.
A shared threadFresh spicy, aromatic, warm spicy and green run through both.
Same seasonBoth are voted best for fall.
Evenly matchedPerformance votes are close: Malabah is moderate on both, L'Insoumis moderate on both, so neither should bury the other.

Suggested from the two fragrances' accords, notes and votes. Not yet tested by wearers.

A starting pointL'Insoumis first, then Malabah over it, one spray each.The deeper one goes on first so the lighter one sits on top. Adjust to taste.

Has anyone tried it?