Blending Perfumes

I want to share with you, my love of blending essential oils to create beautiful natural perfumes.  Blending oils began when I was introduced to making creams and lotions. I still do make these products but the oils I bought for my lotions held my attention. I began to try two oils together and was very happy with this result.  As is my nature, I had to dive in. 

I began studying perfuming. I learned which oils represented which notes. The resins are heavy - slow to vaporize type of oils. Oils such as resins and patchouli, amber and oakmoss are base note oils. The middle notes are the medium evaporating oils. These are also often the absolute oils. They are strong and lingering scents such as flowers, trees and grasses. In perfuming we usually choose a middle note/s first and work around that note. The base notes will hold the middle note and harmonize with the scent of the middle note. The top notes are the oils that evaporate the quickest. These oils are light and airy such as citrus peel oils and light essential oils such as rosewood, some spices such as coriander & pepper, and some tree oils such as Virginia Cedarwood. They are light and reach out to you when you open the bottle. 

Base notes hold the scent together and all the notes are held longer with a good tenacious base blend. The top notes are caught first when one sniffs the oil. They are dreamy and fresh and dissolve first, leaving the middle notes and base on your skin. As the perfume evolves, the middle notes will begin to change with evaporation, leaving on your skin after many hours, the base notes changing as they vaporize. This last part of the perfume on your skin is called the dry-down period. I find I often love the scent in the dry down as much as when I first put the scent on my skin. 

It is important to know that only natural oils evolve in this way. They are so complex and have so many aspects to them, they smell very alive and evolving. This is not the case with chemical scents which are one scent - sometimes very nice, but they do not evolve and change as a natural oil. Also, our skin chemistry interacts with natural oils and will emit a scent on our skin that is unique. My daughter & I often compare how the scent smells on our each other’s skin. It is often just a bit different which then can personalize your blend. 

On a final word about blending… consider trying one perfume with another. “Shades of Green” is a very green perfume of stems and leaves and mosses. If you want to bring a sweet floral perfume down a wee bit, dab a bit of green on your skin before applying the floral. You will find with a few applications the right amount for the affect you want. You may also like to try my MRF 5 sample package of oils. This way, not only do you get to sample several scents, you can play with them, blending them and finding other scents that will likely be new and delightful.  

Perfume is about creativity, beauty and pleasure. Enjoy!!!  

Winter in the Columbia Valley