The art and concept of perfumery have been a vital part of human history. Aromatic artifacts dating as far back as 3500 BC had been discovered in various archeological sites around the world. Perfumes have played an important role in human history and have been part of important aspects and events of life. We have been using perfumes for scenting food, mummification, medicinal purposes and for accompanying our messages to the deities. The word perfume comes from the Latin phrase per fumum, which means “through smoke.”
The Egyptians and later the Greeks and Romans used fragrances and oils for personal hygiene. But it was the Arabs who were instrumental in developing sophisticated techniques in distilling and making perfume. Today the fragrance industry is a billion-dollar enterprise.
Classical Fragrances
Classical fragrances are the most common perfumes on the market today. A classical fragrance is composed of three distinct notes-- top, middle and base. Each note lives out its own lifespan- meaning one by one the scents disappears. The goal for a good fragrance is for three notes to blend harmoniously. This fragrant symphony is called an accord and it is what a perfumer strives to achieve.
Single Note Fragrances
Prior to the introduction of classical fragrances, most of the perfumes were single notes and were mostly made from essential oils of rose and geranium. A single note fragrance focuses on one specific scent, which could come from a flower or plant. This is then mixed ingredients that will help intensify the quality of the scent.
Linear Fragrances
As the name suggests, linear fragrances are constant in how they smell. They have middle notes and bottom notes, but these fragrances tend to have the same impact hours after they are applied.
Top Note, Middle Note, Base Note
Top Note is what the nose first smells -- it gives the first impression of the perfume. The top note surfaces immediately after the perfume had been applied. Top notes are striking and impressive but are also the most volatile and disappear within minutes after applying the perfume. Once the scent of the top note fades away, the second phase begins, and the middle note comes to the fore.
The middle note is the “meat” of the perfume - it is the scent that lingers longer, sometimes lasting up to several hours. The middle note begins to take center stage within ten minutes of applying the perfume. It is also the note that determines the basic character or signature of a fragrance. It is the middle note that determines whether a scent is green, floral, oceanic, spicy, oriental, chypre or modern.
Base Notes determine the duration the fragrance stays on the skin, as well as its depth and intensity. They supply the perfume with fixatives which prolong the evaporation rate of a fragrance and make the other scents last longer. Base notes can linger on the skin for many hours, sometimes even days.
Making your own perfume
Based on the above, you can now determine what kind of perfume you want to make. If you decide to make a classical or linear scent, you’ll need to do some research on what oils make top notes, middle notes and base notes.
The following are only a few of the scents and their notes:
- Base notes: sandal wood, vanilla, cinnamon, mosses, lichens, ferns
- Middle notes: lemongrass, geranium, neroli, ylang-ylang
- Top notes: orchid, rose, bergamot, lavender, lemon, lime
Remember that the strength of the perfume is dependent on the ratio of essential or fragrance oils, alcohol and water. The amount of essential or fragrance oil is critical. One single drop more or less will significantly change the character of the perfume.
No matter what blend you decide to make, the basic recipe for making perfume is the same. You will need essential oils of your choice, 100 percent proof grain alcohol or ninety percent proof vodka and distilled water. You must not use water from the kitchen faucet - water must be distilled.
Mix twenty five drops of essential oils into 2.5 ounces of alcohol. Stir the oils into the alcohol one drop at a time. Stir slowly and wait for the oils to be completely dispersed.
Let the blend sit for forty eight hours, then add two tablespoons of distilled water, again making sure you stir slowly, allowing the water to be completely dispersed.
Like wine, perfume needs to stand and mature before it reaches perfection. Let your perfume stand for at least three weeks in a dark, cool place. Once the perfume has matured, filter the mixture through a coffee filter to remove any sediment, and then bottle it.
