Hi dolls and happy Sunday!

Ever since I started to grow my fragrance collection, I got more into layering. I know it's not something everyone is into because most times, they don't understand the idea behind it. For this exact reason, I wanted to introduce a Layering 101 series to my blog. Every now and then, I will be updating you all with the best tips and combos I have tried to help you master the art of layering fragrance. If you're interested to find out more, let's get right into it!

Originally developed in the Middle East, fragrance layering is - quite simply - a technique which allows you to mix two or more scents together in order to create your own, unique scent. When it comes to layering, there is no right or wrong. This is because layering allows you to find your own perfect, personal scent, so you can layer whatever fragrances you wish together and experiment as much as you want. However, it's best to avoid combining two scents that are strong and heavy as they can be too overwhelming when used together to the point it will give you a headache. I always recommend applying the heavier scent first and a lighter one on top to create a nice and smooth layering. 

If you're a beginner and you'd like to take it slow, you should pick two or more scents from the same fragrance family to start exploring. My personal recommendation would be checking out Escentual's Blind Trial Boxes - they offer a new blind box every month with a different theme which includes 8 x 2ml mystery fragrance samples. Previous boxes focused on fragrance families such as Fruity, Solar, Aquatic and Fougere. The fragrances later get revealed on their Facebook group and not only is it a fun way to explore new scents but also layer scents together from the same fragrance family without having to purchase full bottles.

Who said you can only layer fragrances together? Try mixing your favourite fragrance with a hand or body product to create your unique scent. Not only will the lotion make the fragrance last longer but you will have created your personal combo you can't find in stores.

Another fun way of layering fragrances is finding scents that share one or more similar notes. For example, my favourite fragrances notes are Vanilla, Pear and Musk. In this case, I'd look for two fragrances that share the notes of Vanilla to layer together which will also help to intensify the Vanilla more. 

To layer fragrances, you don't necessarily have to spray them in the same place. You can also spray one scent on your neck and the other on your wrist. This will also make your fragrance last the longest, whether you're wearing one or more scents at the same time. The best places to apply your perfume are your pulse points, behind your ears, behind your knees and inside wrists. More importantly - DO NOT RUB YOUR WRISTS TOGETHER. I see this happen 99% of time and it makes me want to scream. Rubbing your wrists together will not only dull the top notes of the fragrance but also change the way it smells all together.

The best part about layering is the fact you don't have to do it for years to become a PRO at it. You can master the art of layering by simply trying out different combos - whether you like them or not - to find your personal favourites. I promise you once you start, you'll never really stop. 

I always have so much fun testing new fragrances and trying to find the best layering combos. Two of my favourite fragrances to have when layering are CITRUS | 08 BY KAYALI and MFK BACCARAT ROUGE 540. Baccarat Rouge 540 is super unique on its own but it also makes the perfect base for any type of fragrance - try any of your favourites layered on top and thank me later. Kayali's Citrus is very refreshing and works well with pretty much all of my favourite scents. 

I actually learnt how to layer fragrances after Kayali has launched. For those of you that are not aware, Kayali (translated from Arabic to 'my imagination') is a fragrance brand by Mona and Huda Kattan also known from Huda Beauty and Wishful. Kayali's fragrances are designed to be layered and combined together to create a scent that is truly yours. I have all their 8 fragrances in my collection and although Citrus | 08 isn't my top Kayali, it's a must-have for me when it comes to layering.

I also recommend buying mini fragrance duo's from the same brand to experiment with layering. They will most likely share the same DNA, so if you want to take it a bit slow this is definitely the perfect option. One of my favourite duos is Narciso Rodriguez gift set I was sent by Escentual - it includes two 20ml spray bottles to customise your fragrance, ideal for fans of Narciso's scents.

Here are some of my favourite layering combos you should try! 

I have also included some of the ones you guys have recommended over on instagram. 

What is Keto? 

What made me start the diet?

For a long time I have been wanting to go on a diet that will actually work for me and at the same time make me enjoy it. None of the diets I've tried before worked - I either gave up too early or cheated to the point I stopped the diet. I read a lot about Keto before going on it and researched it for around 2 months before actually making the decision to start it. I feel like I lacked the motivation to actually start it until one day where I woke up and decided to give it a go. It was pretty random I must say to feel so motivated all of the sudden but the great news is that ever since the day (03/10/19) I have been on it and it's been very successful for me, but will go into more detail about it in a bit. Last year has been very stressful to me and I've gained a lot of weight because I turned to food every time I felt bad or simply because with work and uni life, I basically lived in my car and having to travel so much on a daily basis made me turn to fast foods and takeaways as I had no time to eat any properly cooked meals. This year after graduating I promised myself to find the motivation and finally take care of my body to finally start being happy about it. 

My Experience with Keto

I have to say that so far my experience with Keto has been sooo good! I love this diet because although there are many restrictions with what I can eat, I still get to eat some of the stuff I would normally eat, so it's not too bad! I try and not weight myself as often because for me it's not only to lose weight but it's also to feel good with myself, which I started to do recently. However, in one month, I have lost 1 stone (14 pounds/7kg) which I am very happy with! I'm not a professional and I don't know much about diets, so I'm not sure whether or not losing 1 stone in a whole month is a good result, but for me it is. I struggled a lot in the past to lose any weight, and on my previous diet I only managed to lose 3kgs in one month, so this diet definitely has surprised me positively and these results motivated me to keep going even more. 

How long should you be on Keto for?

Firstly, to start off your diet the right way, it takes around 2-5 days for your body to enter ketosis and for the diet to begin properly. So, although you cut off carbs from your life on day 1 of your diet, it takes around 5 days to enter ketosis as this is usually the amount of days your body keeps the carbs you have previously eaten for. Some people may find that they need a week or longer to enter ketosis as it varies depending on factors such as your age, your metabolism, exercise level and current carb/protein/fat intake. Once you start your diet, there isn't really a time that tells you when to stop it. I read that in some cases people carry it on for 8 weeks and take a break and in other cases people just stay on the diet forever as its proven to benefit your health. I think it all depends on what you would like to gain with the diet, and of course it's important to remember that once coming off the diet, it is very easy to gain back the lost weight if we turn towards carbs too quickly again. 

Most important rule on Keto

Most important rule on the Ketogenic diet is to NOT cheat the diet. Although having a cheat day in other diets is usually okay, cheating in the Keto Diet is impossible. This is because if you intake carbs for one day, your body will store them for longer than you think, therefore you would have to wait another week to go back to ketosis and it's really just a very long process to cheat and get back on. Plus, cheating Keto will definitely make the results worse, so just stick to it once you decide to go on it. I must say at first it was really hard to give up sugar and carbs, but once you get into ketosis, you stop craving it. I always thought what they say about carbs and sugar making you crave it more was total bullcrap but I realised it's totally true. Ever since I cut off carbs and sugar from my diet, I never once in the month craved any of those two. Also, I started to get full on less but I did become more thirsty and find myself drink more water now than ever. I would say, if you really really need to have something close to a cheat-day, turn to Coke Zero or one piece of cheesecake, because both either have zero or very small carbs count that can become your cheat meals but at the same time keep you in the ketosis state and not lose your progress.

What should I eat on Keto?
There are so many Keto-friendly foods out there. 
Here's some of them: 

- Berries
- Avocados
- Olives
- Tea/Coffee without Sugar
- Low-carb veggies 
- Cheese
- Meat and Poultry 
- Fish
- Seafood
- Eggs
- Butter
- Coconut Oil
- Dark Chocolate
- Cocoa Powder
- Olive Oil
- Greek Yoghurt/Natural Yoghurt
- Cottage Cheese
- Cheese
- Nuts and Seeds

My Keto advice to you

Lastly, my advice to those of you that want to try Keto Diet or are already on it but want more information - get an app that tracks what you eat in the day and make sure to be very honest with it. It will count your carbs, protein and fat intake and you will know what you are allowed to eat for the day and in how many portions. I found that to be very helpful for me and it taught me many things such as I can still go and enjoy a Big Mac in McDonald's as long as I eat it without the bun. Who said Keto isn't fun? There are so many fun recipes that you can follow on Keto and find alternatives to your favourite carbs that will make you enjoy the diet and not feel like you just want to end it or cheat. 

Final Thoughts

I honestly really enjoy the diet and I am so happy that I decided to give it ago. Having an app that tells me what I can or can't eat was very helpful to me in the beginning because it counts my carbs intake for the day and I know when to stop and what not to eat to not ruin my diet. I still eat fun things such as Big Macs (without the bun), drink Coke Zero or eat cheesecake (one or two pieces max!) because as long as you control your carb intake you can still be smart and eat good on it as well as lose weight. Lastly, be patient and only go on a diet or carry on with one that makes you happy and never force yourself to go on a diet that you are not ready for! 

I hope that you enjoyed this post, I normally never post about anything other than beauty related stuff but many of you asked me on twitter to talk about the diet on my blog, so I hope I answered some of your questions in here. Please remember that I am not a dietitian or a doctor and I was simply informing you about my experience with the diet, so if there is anything you don't agree with, I simply stated what has worked for me based on my research. Good luck to any of you that are thinking of starting this diet or any other. Let me know in the comments what your thoughts are on the Ketogenic diet and if you are on any diets are the moment! xo