scent

I recently started blogging using my iPhone, which brings a fair share of its pros and cons. The obvious pro is that I get to post things more frequently because of its convenience. The con, however, is that each post is shorter and somehow lacking substance. I’m not a big fan of lengthy blog posts anyway but it’s still nice to be able to provide useful content to the beloved readers, like a recipe or a tutorial, which is a little difficult to do (at least for me) when I’m writing something during, say, a quick coffee break.

Anyway, I’m just rambling here. I don’t have anything interesting to say at the moment, except to share my excitement over this rose-scented fragrance by Diptyque that I purchased the other day.

I actually only knew Diptype from the amazing candle collections but I came across its perfumes during my recent trip to Nordstrom. When I first sprayed Eau Rose on my wrist, I didn’t think much of it. But when I smelled it again on my drive home, I noticed how beautiful the scent transformed itself into — from a simple rose to a youthful, yet still sophisticated mixture of rose and lychee, with a little hint of musk. It was love at, well, second sight.

The minute I got home, I ordered the perfume, along with Hand Emulsion.

I still have my signature scent and this will not replace it, but it’s something I’ll be wearing when I’m feeling a bit playful during the upcoming summer months!

I’m curious to know — what’s your favorite scent?

Of all the five (or six) senses, I’m most fascinated with the sense of smell at the moment. It used to be taste, of course, but now, olfaction brings me lots of satisfaction!

My first encounter with real perfume was in Paris back in 2004. Prior to this, it was all about more age- and budget-appropriate body splashes and scented lotions from The Body Shop and Bath and Body Works. My friend who accompanied me on the trip went on a mission to find the perfect pair of shoes at the City of Light, while I went on a hunt for the perfect bottle of perfume. (Paris just does that to girls.) She ended up finding quite a few “sole” mates (would have been more if she had a bigger suite case) and I found the one in Stella, which I ended up wearing for the next 10 years.

The other day, while my husband, our bebe and I went window shopping at South Coast Plaza, I went into a perfume specialty store on a whim. I wasn’t planning on purchasing anything but walked away with a large bottle of this floral-scented fragrance that I fell head over heels the moment I strayed it on a sample strip. I don’t think we were in a store for more than five minutes before I decided that this would be my new signature scent for the next decade.

I think my serendipitous meeting with my new signature scent, coupled with this wonderful post from Sweet Tea Apothecary, opened up my eyes to the world of perfumery, and became interested in learning how to create a one-of-a-kind fragrance that cannot be purchased at a department store. There’s something very special about knowing that I’m wearing something that’s truly, truly original, where there’s no other concoction in the world exactly like it.

I recently made two blends using the Essential Oils that I already had from my soap-making inventory, and a few that I picked up from a local Whole Foods. And may I say – I’m in love.

Something amazing happens when you mix your favorite Essential Oils and let them sit for a month total in a bottle quietly in the dark (yes, it takes that long, but the wait is worth it). The scent changes literally every day. I already loved the way everything smelled when I initially blended the oil but it smells 100 times better now that the time has worked its magic. Imagine Audrey Hepburn. She was already beautiful in her younger days but she was even more stunning later in her life, like a finely aged wine.

It’s very ladylike to keep her signature scent a secret but I will share the Essential Oils that I used on the one that I shall call “The Original Blend.” (I’ll come up with a more fitting name later). It’s very floral with a subtle hint of citrus and mint. I will keep the other one a secret because it’s a gift for my friend and I want her to keep her air of mystery.

The Original Blend

Base Note (lasts the longest): Grapefruit, Chamomile Roman

Heart Note: Rosewood, Ylang Ylang II, Bergamot, Frankincense, Palmarosa, Citronella Java

Head Note (explosive at fist then evaporates quickly): Peppermint

If you’re interested in making your own perfume oil, here’s what you’ll need to get started:

Read this article, “How to Make Your Own Perfume Oil” by Sweet Tea Apothecary. It’s well written and it has verything you need to know to begin.
Purchase several bottles of roll-on reusable perfume bottle for 1/3 oz. I purchased mine at Amazon.com.
If you don’t already have Essential Oil(s), go to your local Whole Foods, Sprout Farmer’s Market or any health food stores that sell good Essential Oils. I don’t recommend purchasing them online unless you know what each oil smells like. For instance, if you want a lavender EO and you already know what it smells like, do purchase it at an online store like Bramble Berry, Rose Mountain Herbs, From Nature with Love (just a few of my favorite online venders), etc.
I used a cotton pad to blend the scent first before committing in a bottle. I put a few drops of EOs on a cotton ball and smelled it as I layered. It’s amazing how the amount and order in which you put the oil changes the personality of the entire blend.
You’ll need a bottle of Jojoba Oil to use as a carrier oil.

Happy blending! 🙂