The subject line says it all, really - I’d very much like to experiment with making my own perfumes, but don’t really know where to start on two counts:
Can anyone recommend a good source of information, e.g. books or websites, which give some beginners advice?
Where on earth can you buy the fragrance oils? I don’t want pre-mixed stuff, just a good range of different ones. Starter kits would be even more welcome. And in the UK would be best of all, although I’m guessing that’s a bit much to ask.
For those thinking on the same lines, the only site that I found that was really up the right alley was this one:
The LS site had a thread about this subject, with the important info posted by DrSmellThis… perhaps he can post a beginners tutorial here.. hint hint..
Most of the online references to creating fragrances will be in the topics of candle-making and soap-making: the binder (wax, soap) holds (fixes) the aromatics, so the smell lasts – I’d guess that’s why candlemaking and soapmaking are more popular than making colognes and perfumes.
I buy perfumers alcohol (in the USA, all alcohol has to be denatured for use in perfumes/colognes/etc.; it’s illegal to sell perfume made with vodka/drinking alcohol, for example), DPG, glycerine, and fixed oils, then experiment with essential and perfume oils. It can help to have someone mix for you, then present samples so you can train your ‘nose’.
A fully rounded perfume/cologne has top, heart, and base notes; online catalogs of essential oils may characterize the EO in this way. The lighter the molecule, the more volatile the aromatic, the more “top” note, immediately noticed. Top notes may vanish after a short(er) period, perhaps 5 to 30 minutes. Heart and base notes are longer-lasting.
There are a lot of people decanting and repackaging essential oils and the pricing may vary wildly. Sometimes there is a real difference between $195 per ounce and $119 per ounce and $15 per ounce Neroli oil, and sometimes not. In the example above, (assuming they are pure) if all are from Tunisia, then the $15 is a steal, if from India, then the $195 is a rip-off.
About purity: reputation of suppliers counts. Some essential oils are “tainted”. The label may say 100% organic and still be truthful but inferior product. Take the Neroli example: the temptation to “extend” the Neroli by adding some bark or leaves from the bitter orange tree can be powerful. The bark etc. is used to make petitgrain essential oil, which sells for about 1/20th the cost of Neroli. Oil expressed from the fruit is also aromatic, and cheap. (It takes about a ton of flowers to produce a kilogram of Neroli oil.)
I’ll look forward to anything you find along the way because I’m also interested.
I’ll second your recommendation. Linda Andrews, the owner, is wonderful. I’ve ordered from her several times and we belong to several of the same online perfumery groups. Very helpful person.
It’s a tutorial on how to make your own cologne..
I made mine inspired by that old thread… didn’t get hits with it but it may need boosting with some more -none…
