Making Your Own Perfume.

I am one of those people who seldom wears perfume because I do not like most scents.  They usually smell off.  I prefer the ones that have a light floral scent because it reminds me of standing outside smelling flowers.

I also live in a place where the scents worn most often include motor oil, gas, and various oils.  Its hard to buy perfume out here and I do not order it without smelling it first.

So that leaves making my own.  This way, I get the exact mixture I want.  Have you ever thought of making your own?  Its actually going to be more of a scented oil but that doesn't bother me.

A good perfume is going to have three levels or notes of scents.  The top level or note is the one you smell first.  They also tend to disappear within 10 to 15 minutes allowing the middle notes to take over letting everyone know what family such as woody, floral, citrus, or other it belongs too.  The base notes accentuate the middle notes and usually last 4 to 5 hours.

Top notes include citrus, mint, basil, rosemary, neroli, or lavender while middle notes are spicier such as black pepper, cardamon, cinnamon, clove, rosewood, roses, ylang ylang and similar scents.  The base notes are more like ginger, cypress, pine, cedar, patchouli, vanilla, or sandalwood.  The usual ratio is 30% top notes, 50% middle notes, and 20% base notes.

To make your own, start with a good carrier oil such as jojoba, sweet almond, or grape.  Start with a small clean bottle to mix your perfume in. You'll need about 2 tbsp of the carrier oil placed in the bottle.  To that add 30 drops of three different notes to create the perfect blend.  Remember to keep in mind the ratio while making sure none of your choices overwhelm the balance.   Once you have the balance just right, add 6 tbsp of 100 to 190 proof alcohol such as vodka or Ever Clear. Place the lid on the bottle.

Let this set 48 hours at least but you can leave it up to six weeks to allow the scent to fully develop.  Add 2.5 tbsp distilled not tap water. Shake the mixture then strain through a coffee filter to remove any impurities.  Strain the mixture into a small, clean, dark bottle or a fancy bottle.

If you'd prefer to make the scent from real flowers or herbs, you begin with scented dried plant matter.  Place the materials in a container and bruise them so as to release more of the scent. Place carrier oil in a container with a lid before adding the bruised plant material.

Cover and let set in a dark location for one to two weeks to allow the scented oil to develop.  At this point, open the container and strain the material out of the oil.  If it has not developed a strong enough scent, add more plant material to the oil and let set one to two weeks.  Once you have the desired scent, add one or two drops of Vitamin E or grapefruit seed extract to extend its life. This can be used instead of the essential oils for the layers.

If you prefer a solid perfume, simply add melted beeswax to the perfume, pour in a container and let harden.  I hope you have fun experimenting and making your own.  Let me know what you think.