Basenotes.com is a fantastic site indeed!!! It also now has an article on how to develop your own personal natural scents, using a technique called tincturing. It’s very simple to do, as well, you just need a few things and some patience.
On their site, they suggest using vodka, which is the traditional way, but being an aromatherapist, I prefer using parfum ETOH and EO.
It’s very easy to effectively replicate a good number of commercial fragrances using the alcohol and EO’s. As with the 'mones, half the fun, however, is experimenting and discovering what you can do.
Parfumer’s ETOH can be readily found online, at sites such my personal favorite, Zenith Supplies - Essential Oils, Fragrance Oils, Candle Making and Soap Making Supplies, which is located here in Seattle and the best I’ve ever found anywhere.
A good example is as follows for those of you who enjoy Le Male.
To 4 oz. of alcohol, add 5 drops of Sandalwood, 10 of Ylang Ylang, 5 of Jasmine Absolute and 10 of Lavender. And shake WELL! Let sit for 3-5 days before use so that it mellows, otherwise it will smell way too sweet.
A note about Lavender: There is another oil out there called Lavendin, which is a hybrid of 3-4 different species of Lavender. I do NOT recommend using this oil for any reason at all, especially for medicinal purposes, since it is significantly lesser qualities.
Also, please remember that EO’s, due to their chemical nature, take much longer to dilute and difuse into the air so don’t od because you cant smell it as you would a commercial fragrance. The best rule of thumb with EO is less is more!!!
Any questions, please feel free to PM me
James
