When you familiarize yourself with the basics of perfumery, crafting magical signature scents becomes easy. Your imagination is the limit as you get acquainted with scent notes, accords, and blending techniques.

Whether you're exploring perfumery as a hobby or an entrepreneurial journey, this quick guide will come in handy.

Understanding Scent Notes

At the heart of perfumery lies the concept of scent notes, which are categorized into three layers:

• Top notes: The initial impression of a scent. They are often light and volatile, dissipating relatively quickly and then followed by the middle notes.
• Middle (or heart) notes: The heart of a fragrance, providing depth and character to the scent profile.
• Base notes: The last layer, lingering the longest.

Mastering the art of layering these notes allows you to create a symphony of aromas.

Fragrance Accords

An accord is a combination of scent profiles. When creating perfumes, your choice of accord will determine the overall characteristics of your fragrance. For example, a combination of lemon, bergamot, and grapefruit scents creates a citrus accord that is light and refreshing.

Other commonly used accords in perfumery include:

• Floral
• Herbal
• Spicy
• Woody
• Oriental

Each one of these can be created using complementary scents from the fragrance wheel.

The Fragrance Wheel

The fragrance wheel is used in perfumery to easily identify scent profiles that complement one another. It organizes scents into categories and subcategories, making it easier for creators to understand fragrance composition and effectively create complementary blends.

The Joy of Blending

Once you get a hang of the concepts of scent notes, accords, and the fragrance wheel, the real fun begins—blending. With a glass beaker and a palette of fragrance oils, experiment with combining various notes to create your signature scent. Start with small amounts to gauge how different accords interact with one another, taking notes along the way to document your blends.

Remember to note the amount of oil used in your recipes so it's easier to recreate them when you find the ideal combinations.

Selecting the Perfect Base

A carrier base is essential for diluting fragrance oils, facilitating their application, and ensuring optimal performance. The base influences the texture, longevity, and skin feel of the perfume.

Common carrier oils such as jojoba oil, fractionated coconut oil, and mineral oil are preferred for their stability and moisturizing properties. Alternatively, alcohol-based carriers are perfect for eau de parfum, eau de toilette, and eau de cologne.

Essential Perfumery Kit

Just like any craft, you'll need tools to get started. We recommend buying your kits in smaller quantities and adjusting as you progress. Things you need in your kit:

• Fragrance Oils
• Carrier Oils/Perfumer’s Alcohol
• Glass Dropper Bottles
• Glass Stirring Rods
• Measuring Tools (graduated cylinders, pipettes, syringes)
• Perfume Blotters
• Notebook and Pen
• Labels
• Safety Equipment 

Get Your Free 0.5oz Fragrance Oil from Scentivore.

We are happy to be a part of your craft journey. You can get a free 0.5oz fragrance oils by visiting our Fragrance Oil page.