Leah Kateb Just Revealed Her Under-$35 Scent Layering Routine That Earns Tons of Compliments

Love Island alum Leah Kateb is basically the CEO of viral scent-layering combinations. She single-handedly sold out Lush’s Sticky Dates shower gel in 2024—and she’s back at it again with a new summer bodycare ritual. In an Instagram video over the weekend, Leah shared her most-complimented scent products under $35, and as a fragrance expert, these yummy products have my mouth watering.As always, Leah’s secret to smelling great starts in the shower. Right now, she’s reaching for Dove’s Pistachio & Vanilla Cream Body Wash, which makes your skin smell like a yummy pistachio dessert while keeping it soft and hydrated. “It smells really good, and you honestly feel really clean, too,” she says.Next up is a Leah Kateb signature: The Eos Shea Better Body Lotion in Strawberry Dream. Longtime fans know that she’s been recommending the Vanilla Cashmere scent for years, but this fruity version has notes of strawberry, pink sugar, and vanilla that make it a sweet yet refreshing pick for summer. “Everything we’re pairing it with seriously makes all of the notes come out so beautifully,” Leah adds.Add Cosmopolitan as a preferred source in your Google search results.Use your Google account to add this to your settings.Then, she follows up her lotion with another one of her go-to products, Palmer’s Tahitian Vanilla Body Oil. But take note—this one comes with a disclaimer: “You don’t want to look sweaty or oily—I fear some of us are losing the plot,” Leah says. Instead of applying it all over her body, Leah recommends only using this oil on drier spots like her collarbones, elbows, and knees to avoid looking sticky. Someone needed to say it!And the pièce de résistance to Leah’s summer layering routine? A perfume from Skylar (after all, she is the brand’s chief creative officer). She opted for True Love’s Cake, a gourmand perfume inspired by a traditional Persian dessert—and this is where her layering combination clicked for me.Here’s why it works: The Dove body wash doubles down on the perfume’s pistachio base notes, the Eos body lotion brings out some of its fruity facets, and the Palmer’s body oil adds to the indulgent “I smell like dessert” vibe. Plus, her multi-step, skincare-forward approach to fragrance helps the scent last all day long. It’s no wonder she gets so many compliments!Shop Leah Kateb’s Summer Smell-Good RoutineDove Pistachio & Vanilla Cream Hydrating Body Washeos Strawberry Dream Shea Better Body LotionNow 17% OffPalmer's Tahitian Vanilla Body OilSkylar True Love's Cake Travel SprayLauren Gruber is a shopping editor at Hearst Magazines with more than five years of professional writing experience. She specializes in fragrance, beauty, fashion, and lifestyle content for Cosmopolitan, ELLE, Good Housekeeping, Esquire, and more. Before her time at Hearst, Lauren graduated from New York University and wrote for Shop TODAY, Entertainment Tonight, Self, V Magazine, L’Officiel, and more. When she’s not researching Prime Day deals or testing the latest perfume launches, you can find Lauren hanging out with her cat Serafina or flexing her AMC A-List membership at the movie theater.