I’ve been making candles out of old wine bottles for some time (post on this to come soon) and decided to use some of the essential oils I had on hand to try perfume making. I used this Make Your Own Signature Perfume Scent website as a jumping off point and made modifications to their protocol as I went along; for instance I used castor oil instead of jojoba oil because it was what I had on hand. I was also really inspired by these Egyptian perfume bottles I found on Amazon and the aesthetics of the bottles influenced by scent selections.
The first bottle I made was the small purple one and I started by measuring 1 tsp castor oil, then adding 7 drops of basil nectarine essential oil, followed by 15 drops of strawberry champagne oil, and ending with 3 drops of lavender oil. I then plugged my bottle with it’s lid and mixed it by inversion (that is, by holding it closed with the lid and tilting it upside down to right side up back and forth in rapid succession). I then tried to measure 4 tsp of plain vodka to add but just ended up spilling vodka on my table since the top of the bottle was so tiny and I didn’t have a funnel (RIP spilled vodka). So what I ended up doing instead was just pouring vodka in until the bottle was about 2/3 of the way full and then again mixing by inversion.
I named this scent Lavender Rain and made a personalized tag to accompany my new perfume. On one side I used a stencil to make a fun and colorful tag and on the other I described the signature notes of the scent. I used a purple ribbon to attach this homemade tag to the bottle.
I repeated this procedure for 3 additional perfumes, 2 which were personalized for friends, and 1 which I call Autumn Treat that has notes of pumpkin, caramel, honey, and cinnamon. Like a warm baked good on an Autumn Day. This scent was made similarly to Lavender Rain except I gave up on measuring castor oil and just filled my bottle approximately 1/4 full with it. Then I added 7 drops of honey shea essential oil, followed by 7 drops of pumpkin patch, 7 drops of caramel, and finally 4 drops of cinnamon. I then mixed by inversion, filled the bottle about 2/3 full with vodka, and mixed by inversion again. I similarly designed a personalized tag for this scent and adorned it on the bottle with an orange ribbon.
Overall this craft was a ton of fun! I am still waiting for my scents to develop before diluting with distilled water but I am very excited for the final product!
Purple Rain Perfume Recipe
- 1 tsp castor oil
- 7 drops basil nectarine essential oil
- 15 drops strawberry champagne essential oil
- 3 drops lavender essential oil
- Fill about 1/3 to 1/2 full with plain vodka, leaving headspace
- Mix by inversion (capping the perfume tightly and rotating upside down back to upside up multiple times)
- Let sit for a few days and then fill remaining space with water
- Mix by inversion and enjoy
Autumn Treat Perfume Recipe
- ~1/4 full with castor oil
- 7 drops honey shea essential oil
- 7 drops pumpkin patch essential oil
- 7 drops caramel essential oil
- 4 drops cinnamon essential oil
- Fill about 1/3 to 1/2 full with plain vodka, leaving headspace
- Mix by inversion
- Let sit for a few days and then fill remaining space with water
- Mix by inversion and enjoy
Ellen Brulée Perfume Recipe
- ~1/4 full with castor oil
- 15 drops strawberry champagne essential oil
- 20 drops red currant and cream essential oil
- 10 drops caramel essential oil
- Fill about 1/3 to 1/2 full with plain vodka, leaving headspace
- Mix by inversion
- Let sit for a few days and then fill remaining space with water
- Mix by inversion and enjoy
Lucy Sweet Perfume Recipe
- ~1/4 full with castor oil
- 6 drops honey shea essential oil
- 7 drops strawberry champagne essential oil
- 3 drops rose essential oil
- 7 drops lavender essential oil
- Fill about 1/3 to 1/2 full with plain vodka, leaving headspace
- Mix by inversion
- Let sit for a few days and then fill remaining space with water
- Mix by inversion and enjoy
Millennial's Delight 
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