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I found some posts/ questions that i would have liked to have contributed to but they were a little old for me to feel comfortable in doing so.
Here are some basic pieces of advice that I have for people interested in making their own perfumes and colognes:
Get quality perfumers supplies. Those bottles of essential oils from the Drug-Store are not going to cover it. Get or make the real deal.
Don't sniff directly at the bottle! Buy Scent strips. You will blow out your nose sniffing from the bottle and you will not get an accurate accounting of the scent. Always use scent strips, they are inexpensive.
Your creations need to age/ blend. When you are done, (expect 3 or 4 attempts too while we're on the subject of "Done".) with the fragrance you are making it needs to rest. Rest for 1 to 6 months generally. Some people put finished oil in a fridge for a week and that can help but you generally want the oil to sit in a cool dark place for at least one month. Swirl/ shake the bottle every few days. You'd be surprised at first at how different it will smell.
Age your finished oil before adding alcohol, preservatives, (vitamin E ect.).
Don't shy away from synthetic aromas. I use Saffron in many of my creations. Google the price of real Saffron. THere are also safety issues associated with many Naturals. Not to mention ethics issues associated with Musks and Ambergris, (just two off the top of my head) read up on those if you want to be a Self-Hating-Human for awhile.
Don't mix alcohol and carrier oils. They separate.
Don't use water.
Test new products on a small patch of skin before wearing!
Be sure to follow Head, Heart, Base/ top, middle, base. If you don't make an effort to your fragrance will not work eg<smells great and fades to nothing in ten minutes or odd separation of the notes.
Use a scale! Pipettes are great but not for measuring precise amounts. Sometimes they drop a full drop, a bubble or squirt out extra liquid... Measure by weight to recreate your fragrances.
Use disposable pipettes. or Bottles that have droppers attached to the lids or you WILL get cross contamination of your aromas, (unless you've access to lab grade cleaning).
Some Aromas that I cannot live without and recommend you have in your organ:
Frankincense, myrrh, Ambers, Sandalwood, Rose, Musks.
Pepper, Cardamom, Agar, Patchouli, vanilla
Bergmot, Jasmine, Currant, Anise, Green Tea, Ylang-Ylang, Saffron, (a little goes a long way for Saffron, very overpowering).
Ambergris, Orange, Orange blossom, Butter, (all great for layering but use sparingly)
Don't worry if you don't like some of the Aromas, I'd vomit eating a stick of butter by itself but it sure tastes great on pancakes!
Please feel free to add your own observations/ experience. I've already spent thousands on perfuming, may as well infect the rest of you with the bug.
Here are some basic pieces of advice that I have for people interested in making their own perfumes and colognes:
Get quality perfumers supplies. Those bottles of essential oils from the Drug-Store are not going to cover it. Get or make the real deal.
Don't sniff directly at the bottle! Buy Scent strips. You will blow out your nose sniffing from the bottle and you will not get an accurate accounting of the scent. Always use scent strips, they are inexpensive.
Your creations need to age/ blend. When you are done, (expect 3 or 4 attempts too while we're on the subject of "Done".) with the fragrance you are making it needs to rest. Rest for 1 to 6 months generally. Some people put finished oil in a fridge for a week and that can help but you generally want the oil to sit in a cool dark place for at least one month. Swirl/ shake the bottle every few days. You'd be surprised at first at how different it will smell.
Age your finished oil before adding alcohol, preservatives, (vitamin E ect.).
Don't shy away from synthetic aromas. I use Saffron in many of my creations. Google the price of real Saffron. THere are also safety issues associated with many Naturals. Not to mention ethics issues associated with Musks and Ambergris, (just two off the top of my head) read up on those if you want to be a Self-Hating-Human for awhile.
Don't mix alcohol and carrier oils. They separate.
Don't use water.
Test new products on a small patch of skin before wearing!
Be sure to follow Head, Heart, Base/ top, middle, base. If you don't make an effort to your fragrance will not work eg<smells great and fades to nothing in ten minutes or odd separation of the notes.
Use a scale! Pipettes are great but not for measuring precise amounts. Sometimes they drop a full drop, a bubble or squirt out extra liquid... Measure by weight to recreate your fragrances.
Use disposable pipettes. or Bottles that have droppers attached to the lids or you WILL get cross contamination of your aromas, (unless you've access to lab grade cleaning).
Some Aromas that I cannot live without and recommend you have in your organ:
Frankincense, myrrh, Ambers, Sandalwood, Rose, Musks.
Pepper, Cardamom, Agar, Patchouli, vanilla
Bergmot, Jasmine, Currant, Anise, Green Tea, Ylang-Ylang, Saffron, (a little goes a long way for Saffron, very overpowering).
Ambergris, Orange, Orange blossom, Butter, (all great for layering but use sparingly)
Don't worry if you don't like some of the Aromas, I'd vomit eating a stick of butter by itself but it sure tastes great on pancakes!
Please feel free to add your own observations/ experience. I've already spent thousands on perfuming, may as well infect the rest of you with the bug.
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