match the right perfume to your deodorant
Written by Glenn Lauritz Andersson & Denis Vasilije, fragrance experts
Do you have a favourite deodorant and want a perfume that complements or matches its scent – or maybe the other way around? Here are a few tips, so you can stay dry and fresh this summer without your fragrance clashing with your deodorant or antiperspirant.
Summary
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The right deodorant and fragrance pairing prevents clashes and creates a harmonious scent profile.
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Choose notes carefully — heavier or woody deodorants are nicely balanced by fresh, citrus-leaning perfumes.
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Apply in the right order: deodorant first for freshness, perfume on pulse points for long-lasting wear and good diffusion.
There are essentially two ways to approach it: either choose a perfume that complements your deodorant (if it’s rich, dark and woody, you might want to lighten it with something fresh), or find a perfume that’s as similar to your deodorant as possible.
Another option is to choose deodorants released by perfume brands, giving you a ready-made duo of deo and matching fragrance. Here, however, we’re taking the more creative route with more unusual deodorants for the niche lover — which means a bit more experimenting.
benjamin barber antiperspirants
Benjamin Barber’s popular roll-on antiperspirants come in three scents – Saffron & Leather, Black Oak and Oud.
Saffron & Leather is, despite the name, the freshest of the three, with a subtle hint of leather, tobacco and vanilla and a crisp top note. You can highlight the fresh side by pairing it with a marine fragrance like Fleuve Tendre from Liquides Imaginaires. If you want the obvious companion, go for Saffron & Leather Intense. Black Oak is spicy and woody with cedar, tobacco and creamy sandalwood. You can bring out the sweetness of sandalwood and tone down the spice with Floris classic Santal, or go the other way and lean fully into woods with Nasomatto’s Pardon, which works great all-round — especially in summer.
The oriental-leaning Oud is the heaviest of the three, with a spicy oud character, tobacco and sweet dates. The strongest recommendation is, of course, Oud X from Benjamin Barber — together with the antiperspirant/deo it makes a magical combo.
You can also lighten it with soft, creamy oriental saffron like Widian’s Gold II Sahara, or amplify both sweetness and spice with the fruitier, smokier Liwa from the same brand.
floïd deodorant vetyver splash
The classic Spanish brand Floïd has won many over with its fresh, discreet scents and fast-absorbing deodorants featuring Dead Sea magnesium salts.
Their Vetyver Splash deo stick is especially popular, with a fresh green scent of vetiver, bergamot, olibanum and woody accords. Vetiver is a grass that, in its fresher form, can feel crisp and uplifting, while the root can come across earthy and almost smoky.
Here you can complement the vetiver note with citrus and fruit like in Venti4 Profumum’s Splendido, or accentuate either the green facet or the smokier root character with more vetiver-forward fragrances.
citrus notes
If you love citrus in your deodorants, this one is easy: there’s a huge range of citrus perfumes to explore. You can highlight a specific citrus note like lemon, verbena or grapefruit — or add a touch of creamy sweetness by choosing a citrus fragrance with hints of vanilla. Many citrus scents also come with matching deodorants in the same fragrance, like Acqua di Parma and others, if you want a fully cohesive scent wardrobe. In other words: feel free to experiment.
