I’ve always had an obsession with smelling pretty. In the fifth grade my teacher informed me that I was the only little girl she’d ever known to smell like Chanel No. 5. I only had the tiniest bottle from a little perfume shop that my mom went to frequently. Whenever my little bottle ran out, as long as I hadn’t been using it excessively, she’d put another tiny little bottle on the counter with her scent of choice by Giorgio Armani.
Nowadays our tastes have changed. I quit wearing Chanel No. 5 my sophomore year in high school and moved on to fruitier and flirtier scents. My mother has rotating favorites but they always have the same slightly musky, earthy tone to them. I’ve always wanted to have a custom scent made for my Momma but custom perfumes aren’t cheap. It also concerns me that it could totally be a shot in the dark. What if bergamot doesn’t go with orange like I might think it will in my head?
So this year for mother’s day I’m busting out the DIY and making custom scents for all the special ladies in my life.
First up, where to find your supplies…
distilled water – grocery store.
liquid glycerine – sold in pharmacies next to first aid supplies like bandages and peroxide. Glycerine is advised as will help to retain your scent.
essential oils – can be purchased at natural living stores or online. They come in a variety of scents including rose, lavender, patchouli and about 140 more. They can be purchased and blended together to suit your tastes, perhaps orange blossom and spice? Some places will even have custom blends that come in scents like “harmony” and “cord cutter” (I believe this scent is used to dissuade your adult children from living with you and I saw it with my own eyes.)
alcohol – can use vodka or everclear from a liquor store, or as we call it around here, the package store. for PERFUME
2 ounce spray bottle – can be found in the travel section of pharmacies. for BODY SPRAY
glass perfume dauber – can be found nearby essential oils at natural stores. for PERFUME
perfume roller – can be found nearby essential oils at natural stores. for PERFUME
atomizer – An atomizer are the pretty perfume bottles you often see in the movies. They can be found at some department stores. For an easier go of it, google “buy atomizer” and order online. I went around to 3 different stores that sell atomizers for this project only to find they were all sold out. Probably a lot of that has to do with the fact that they only carry a few at a go… for PERFUME
small glass jar with a lid – a small jar is plenty big enough and you can reuse food jars from the kitchen. Just be sure they are properly cleaned and sterilized. Baby food jars work very well. Be sure that you’re not using a jar that has a previous smell in it. For example, patchouli and salsa smell do not make a pleasant scent. It smells like very, very strong B.O. for PERFUME
notepad and pencil – to keep track of the drops in your formula in the event that you strike scentsational perfection. (sorry had to do it)
Let’s make some BODY SPRAY
To make your body spray fill your spray bottle a good 2/3 of the way full of distilled water. Next add 1/2 a teaspoon of liquid glycerine. Take your scent(s) of choice and slowly add to the spray bottle mixture. You can use only essential oils, only extracts or a combination of the two.
Give it a whiff on occasion to see if the smell is going in the right direction. Also take care that some scents will be considerably stronger than others. To make a body spray you will typically use anywhere between 50-100 drops of your oils and extracts combined. Can be used immediately.
Let’s make some PERFUME
Take your clean jar and pour about 2 fingers worth of alcohol into the jar. Add your essential oils and extracts together using 50-100 drops combined until you are happy with the combined scent. It is recommended to use at least one essential oil when making perfume.
Place the lid on your jar and put in a cool dark place for a few days. In the back of a linen cabinet is a good place for me.
When a few days have passed, up to a few weeks, add 1-3 tablespoons of water to thin out. Next add half a teaspoon of glycerine. Mix gently and pour into your fancy perfume bottle, roller or atomizer. If you have a clear bottle, as I do, you can add a very, very slight amount of liquid food coloring to tint to match the scent. This scent is lavender, hence the lavender color!
