Real Perfume

• When you make homemade perfume essence they will not be exactly the same as "real" perfume. Store-bought perfume has artificial fixatives. These fixatives were first introduced with Chanel No. 5, and used to be taken from a gland in the anus of the African Civet. Fixatives are now artificial but are still not readily accessible to the home perfume enthusiast.
  
  Perfume making also is an art and years go into making scents. Some scents last longer than others, some mix well with other scents, and some linger and change a bit. All of this information is known and taken into account by professional scent makers.
  
  However, mixing your own perfume essences is easy, fun and fairly inexpensive.
  
  

Recipes

• These are the most simple, alcohol-based recipes. Once you have some practice, you can expand your knowledge and learn more difficult techniques.
  
  Basic base:
  
  About 1 cup (250 ml) alcohol; either vodka or 70 percent alcohol
  
  About 15 to 25 drops of your preferred essential oils
  
  Basic blending:
  
  Use between one and three different types of essential oils for best results. There is a lot to know about blending, but without getting too complicated, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. After assembling a few oils you like, dab a drop or two of each on a tissue to see if you like the combination. Unless you plan to become a professional, just go by your instincts and what you like. Just test small amounts of combinations, because once you make a perfume using the alcohol you can't really "fix" it.
  
  Aphrodisiac Blend:
  
  2 parts neroli
  1 part sandalwood
  
  Sporty Blend
  
  2 parts petit grain
  2 parts rosemary
  1 part geranium
  
  Uplifting Blend
  
  4 parts bergamot
  2 parts geranium
  1 part melissa
  
  

Method

• Mix your perfume in a glass bottle. Traditionally, dark glass has been used, though studies have shown that this is not necessary to keep your scent fresh. Add the alcohol, 15 to 25 drops of the essential oils you have decided on, and shake. Wait at least 48 hours to try your blend.
  
  You can find essential oils at natural health shops, natural grocery stores, and online. Glass bottles are available at craft shops, or you can recycle bottles you already own.