How to Make Your Own Perfume: A Simplified Guide

Creating a personalized perfume can be an enjoyable and artistic process. Here’s a simplified version of how to craft your own alcohol or oil-based perfume:

1. Start with a Small Selection of Fragrance Oils

• Use 3–9 fragrance oils, categorizing them into base notes, middle notes, and top notes.
• Base notes provide depth (e.g., vanilla, sandalwood), middle notes are the heart of the fragrance (e.g., rose, jasmine), and top notes offer the first impression (e.g., citrus, mint).

2. Test and Choose Your Blends

• Smell each oil individually on a scent strip.
• Hold strips of different oils together to test combinations. Select up to three oils for each note category that blend harmoniously.

3. Blend Your Notes

• Start with your base notes: Add 2 drops of each selected oil into a glass container, mix gently, and smell using a scent strip. Adjust proportions if needed and record every adjustment.
• Repeat this process for your middle and top notes.

4. Combine and Adjust

• Blend 2 drops of the base mix with 2 drops of the middle mix. Gradually introduce 1 drop of the top note blend until you achieve a balanced scent. Always test and adjust in small increments, keeping detailed notes.

5. Dilute and Age

• Once satisfied with your perfume concentrate:
  • Dilute: Mix the concentrate with high-proof alcohol or carrier oil (e.g., jojoba, fractionated coconut oil) at your preferred concentration.
  • Age: Store in a dark glass bottle for 2–4 weeks in a cool, dark place. This allows the blend to mature and harmonize.

6. Fine-Tune Your Fragrance

• Revisit your aged blend and make any minor adjustments to the formula. Continue aging if necessary.

7. Store Your Perfume

• Once finalized, store the perfume in a labeled, dark glass bottle away from heat and light to preserve its integrity.

By following these steps, you’ll craft a unique scent tailored to your preferences. Have fun experimenting and embracing your inner perfumer!

Don't have the fragrances? Come join us at our Pefumery Workshop we host every week at our studio!