TRY · CREATE
NATURAL PERFUME MAKING
You don't need to know what your scent is.
Start by discovering it.
01 / OK, I WANT TO TRY
YOU DON'T NEED TO KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT PERFUME
Maybe you know exactly which perfumes you love. Maybe you only know that something smells fresh, warm, clean or like summer. Or maybe you have no idea at all.
That's enough to start. Perfume making doesn't begin with knowing all the right terms. It begins with smelling, comparing and noticing what catches your attention.
YOU NEED
✓ Curiosity
✓ A little patience
✓ A willingness to try different scents
✓ A nose. Literally.
YOU DON'T NEED
✕ Any perfume-making experience
✕ A favourite fragrance family
✕ A fixed idea of what your perfume should smell like
✕ A “good nose”
If you're joining a guided workshop, check what is included. Materials and the way you work may differ from one workshop to another.
You don't need to know
what you're looking for yet.
02 / HOW PERFUME WORKS
A SCENT CHANGES AS YOU WEAR IT
Perfume isn't just one smell. It is made from different aromatic components that don't all develop at the same pace.
That's why perfumery often talks about top, middle and base notes.
TOP NOTES
These are among the first scents you notice when you smell a perfume. They create the opening impression and usually change the fastest.
MIDDLE NOTES
They appear after the first impression and form an important part of the perfume's character. They are often called the heart of the scent.
BASE NOTES
They develop more slowly and give the perfume depth, fullness and a sense of lasting presence.
Don't expect a perfume to smell exactly the same after a few seconds as it does later. That change is part of the experience.
03 / CHOOSING SCENTS
FORGET WHAT YOU THINK YOU'RE “SUPPOSED” TO LIKE
Floral, citrus, herbal, woody, sweet, spicy...
You don't have to choose scents based on what you normally buy or on what you think your perfume should smell like.
SMELL THEM ONE AT A TIME
Give each scent a few moments. Don't immediately try to decide where it belongs or what you should do with it.
NOTICE YOUR FIRST REACTION
I like it. I don't like it. It's interesting. It reminds me of something. I want to smell it again.
DON'T CHOOSE ONLY YOUR FAVOURITES
A scent you love on its own isn't automatically the best part of a blend. And something that doesn't impress you by itself may bring balance to another scent.
TAKE A BREAK
After smelling many different scents, everything can start to feel similar. Step away for a moment, get some fresh air and come back to them.
You're not choosing the prettiest scent.
You're building a combination.
04 / YOUR FIRST PERFUME
START WITH AN IDEA. THEN LET IT GO.
You may begin thinking you want something fresh and light, then end up with something warmer and deeper.
That's not a mistake. That's what happens when you start actually comparing scents instead of imagining the result in advance.
CHOOSE A DIRECTION
Start with a few scents that caught your attention. You don't need many.
BUILD IT GRADUALLY
Build the scent step by step. It's easier to add something than to rescue a blend that already has too much going on.
SMELL IT AGAIN
After every change, check what happened. Sometimes a very small adjustment changes the whole impression.
GIVE IT TIME
Don't make your final judgement based only on the first few seconds. A scent develops and changes.
If you're working with essential oils or other concentrated aromatic materials, follow the instructions of the person leading the workshop or reliable guidance for safe dilution. Don't randomly apply concentrated essential oils directly to your skin.
05 / GOOD TO KNOW
YOUR FIRST PERFUME DOESN'T HAVE TO BE PERFECT
Actually, it would be a little boring if it were.
Your first try is a chance to discover how much scents change when you combine them, what you like more than you expected and what you may not like at all.
REMEMBER
✓ A scent may feel different on paper and on skin
✓ Your first impression isn't necessarily your final one
✓ Sometimes less really is more
✓ Taking a break between scents can help
THIS IS OK TOO
✓ Changing your mind halfway through
✓ Not liking a scent everyone else loves
✓ Creating something completely unexpected
✓ Deciding perfume making isn't for you
The goal isn't to get it right first time.
The goal is to discover.
06 / THE VERDICT
THE VERDICT
So... how did your first try smell?
You tried it.
That's the whole point.