Putting a perfume together can be compared to composing music.
The perfume "notes" must be in harmony with each other. Essential oils
are classifies as Top, Middle and Base notes, and a good perfume must
have a balance of all three. Base notes are the deep and lingering
notes. They often hang around long after the other notes have
evaporated. They are also used to fix a blend. The middle notes are the
heart of the perfume; they provide a balance between the top and the
bottom. They are said to round the perfume off. The top notes are light
and uplifting. They are the ones that hit you first, but if they are not
properly balanced with the middle and the base they will vanish
quickly.
What to use when building your own perfume. Start with
the base and gently add the other notes, little by little, shaking and
testing as you go. The oils that can be used as the top notes are
orange, peppermint, grapefruit, lemon and eucalyptus. Oils that can be
used Top to Middle are lavender, petitgrain, cardamom and bergamot. For
the middle there are a few that can be used, namely neroli, geranium,
black pepper, clary sage, juniper, ginger, pine rosemary, rose absolute
and ylang ylang. The middle to base oils are cypress, jasmine, rose
otto, myrrh and sandlewood and last but not lease the base oils,
frankincense, benzoin, patchouli and vetiver.
Choosing a perfume
is an individual preference. Making your own is loads of fun and you can
have one to suit every occasion. It does not matter if the blend is
masculine or feminine as the perfumes of nature are constantly changing.
A feminine perfume comprises of 1 drop neroli, 2 drops rose absolute, 4
drops of lavender and of palmarosa, 4 drops orange or bergamot and 1 or
2 drops patchouli. Dilute in 30 ml (2 tablespoons) of jojoba or coconut
oil. This blend is to give you an example of what is possible. Use your
imagination, mix and match and you will be surprised to find some new
fragrances.
It is amazing to watch as oils are extracted from the
plants themselves. Luckily you don't have to do that part yourself and
the oils are readily available to use in your perfumes. What makes
perfume making special is that every natural scent is a moment of
creation. Have fun, mix and match and be amazed.
