The artisans of the perfume trade practise a very specialised and complex craft and most people feel that to be a true “nose” you need to be born with the gift.
So you probably won't be creating a multi-million-dollar scent, but you can have fun and make a lovely personalised fragrance for not much money and how satisfying when someone compliments you on it.
Making a scent is quite easy but does need a bit of thought and patience.
How To Make Perfume
You will need pure grain alcohol (vodka), bottled water and between one and five essential oils.
- Mix 1/4 cup of vodka with 5 drops of essential oil. If you are just doing an experiment then leave for 48 to 72 hours. If you are playing for keeps, then wait 3 to 4 weeks.
- Once you have left for the desired amount of time, add two tablespoons of water and one of glycerine (try your chemist for this)
- Bottle and use or give as gifts
What Scents To Choose
You can choose any fragrances in the essential oil world but here are some suggestions for inspiration.
- A linear scent i.e. All one note. rose, lavender and sandalwood are all Yardley linear scents (five drops of one oil).
- A complex scent using up to five different oils (one drop of each)
- A mood scent based on oils that stimulate your chosen mood e.g. romantic, energising, calming
- Inspired by your favourite scent
A Complex Scent
These oils sit well within these categories. For more information on notes and perfume families you may want to read this article.
- Top notes: orange, orange blossom, lemon, mint, lime, bergamot, sage, basil, ylang-ylang, grapefruit
- Heart notes: lavender, rose, jasmine, neroli, chamomile, ginger, juniper, marjoram, may chang, rosemary, rose wood
- Base notes: patchouli, cedar, pine, musk, vanilla, benzoin, black pepper, frankinsense
A Mood Scent
- Calming: lavender, bergamot, cedarwood
- Energising: lime, lemon, grapefruit, mint, basil
- Romantic: rose, jasmine, lavender, pettigrain
- Warming: ginger, black pepper, clove, juniper
If you are particularly practised in using essential oils you can even create a scent to tackle specific mood needs. For example, if you are going through a stage of depression or have just begun a new job and want a confidence-inspiring perfume.
Inspired by a Favourite Scent
If you find out the notes of your favourite scent, you can create an homage to it. For example, for an homage to Christian Dior's Diorella you would just need one drop each of lemon, honeysuckle and peach with two drops of a vetiver base note. Obviously some scents will be nigh-on impossible to reproduce, but that is why your perfume will be inspired rather than a copy. You could also find inspiration in these scents by Yardley, Dior or Guerlain.
So go forth and invent and get extra satisfaction from the compliments rolling in at your own signature scent.
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