How we create perfumes : behind the scene
- Dec 5, 2021
- 2 min read
Updated: Jul 21, 2022
Many customers have asked me to make a video showing the whole alchemy process behind creating perfumes. Here I offer you three videos of making perfume from scratch:
Mixing;
Recreating in a larger volume;
Pouring into vintage heart bottles (limited edition).
Step 1.
Before creating any fragrance, I already have a final picture of how it should sound in the end, just like an artist imagining his artwork while the canvas is still blank. First, I come up with a concept of what I am creating. For example, "Valkyrie" from the Mythical Perfume Collection. Who are the Valkyries? They are strong and beautiful women warriors from Scandinavian mythology. They wear armour, fly on winged horses, and yet are feminine. So, the perfume was supposed to combine all of these features: a smell of metal armour (which was achieved by frankincense), flowers for the gender and a drop of eucalyptus for the sense of air.
During the creation process, I take out essential oils, studio-produced extracts and tinctures for the three notes (base-heart-head) that I think would fit the theme. However, I often use only 60-80% of all I've taken out from my perfumer's organ because I can change my mind at any stage and decide that the fragrance is finalized or needs to be improved further.
In the video below, I am creating a limited edition perfume, "Whoville", for the December subscription box-themed "Grinch".
Notes: Ginger, Styrax, Vanilla, Pine (extract), Patchouli, Peru Balsam, Violet, Orange, Apple.
During mixing, it is important to write down all ingredients to be able to repeat the fragrance in larger volumes if it turns out well. I mix for 5 ml volume at first.
How does the measuring work?
I count in drops, but with the help of apothecary scales, I transfer the numbers into grams directly.
Step 2.
After testing the perfume and making sure it opens beautifully on the body and doesn't cause any allergies, I continue to the next step of recreating the fragrance in a larger volume. Usually, we make around 250 ml of every fragrance to make sure they don't stand long, and you get fresh mixes. From the recipe I've made previously, I multiply the numbers by the volume I want to make and start mixing essential oils in layers: base - heart - head. The last ingredient I add is the carrying oil - food-quality Grapeseed oil. The video, unfortunately, stopped just before I added it.
Step 3.
Pouring the ready perfume into the bottles. I use vintage-style heart bottles we sell in subscription boxes in this reel. Overall, I made around 20 bottles, but I only show 2 because the process is the same for all of them.
I hope you enjoyed the videos!
P.S.
In this article, I didn't go into technical details of the perfume-making or into basics about how to use essential oils. It is a different topic that requires a lot of explanations, and every perfumer has his or her routine. We mix perfumes how we feel they should be, following the core rules, of course, but still following our own ways. So, if you are interested in learning how to make perfumes, please leave a comment below. If the interest is high, I will make a separate video.
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