Create Your Own Fragrance With 3 Essential Oil Perfume Recipes

This post is sponsored by NOW®. All opinions are my own.

In my early teens I took a class trip to France. In between the long bus rides, delicious food and standard tourist pit stops, I remember visiting a Parisian perfumer and watching them blend different ingredients and scents until I was left with a fragrance that was uniquely mine. It was fascinating! And it clearly left an impression because I love making my own essential oil perfumes, even now.

Like a mad scientist, I’m always pulling scents from my collection of NOW® Essential Oils and making my own perfume blends based on my mood. Not only is it cheap and easy, but a few quality oils blended with a carrier oil is all you need to create a fragrance that’s 100% yours and yours alone.

Essential Oil Scents

Perfume making is both an art and a science. Scents are capable of evoking memories, changing moods and even altering one’s identity, if only temporarily. So it’s important to choose your perfume wisely. Whether you’re looking for a fun and flirty scent, something masculine and crisp, or soft and natural, you can, and should, tailor your perfume to your own tastes.

Essential oils are usually divided into 7 scent categories. I personally gravitate toward soft, musky scents with a hint of floral, but there’s nothing better than playing around with different oils and taking risks. I always keep a well-stocked supply of NOW essential oils like jasmine, neroli, cedarwood and patchouli on hand for that very reason.

The high-quality oils in classic scents pair well together and create those subtle layers that make perfume so fun to wear. And since they’re 100% natural without any added chemicals, fillers or man-made fragrance, you’ll also reap the aromatherapy rewards as well.

Blending Essential Oils for Perfume

When it comes to essential oil perfume, you need a lot of oil to create a strong, noticeable fragrance, therefore those teeny bottles most essential oil companies sell won’t cut it. I measure my main scent in 1/4 teaspoon increments (about 18 drops), which is another reason I love NOW essential oils.

They come in 1 ounce bottles, so even if you pour with a heavy hand, you shouldn’t run out on the first blend. And NOW has established long-standing relations with essential oil vendors, which allows them to purchase oils in large quantities at a bulk discount. They then pass those savings on to consumers so you can get the same high-quality oils as other companies, but for a lot less.

Supplies for Perfume Making

Essential oils of your choice (scroll down to see my favorite perfume blends)
Carrier oil (something light with little to no scent like jojoba, grapeseed or sweet almond oil is best)
Several 10 ml roll-on bottles, crystals are optional

Add your essential oils to the roller bottle. It’s amazing how quickly the scent of essential oils dissipate when applied, so for light, everyday oils, don’t be afraid to use a little more than you think you might need. Obviously some oils are naturally stronger than others, so if you’re worried about your perfume being too strong, start with 5 drops and work your way up.

After you’ve poured the oils into the bottle, gently swirl to combine them. Then fill the rest of the bottle with carrier oil, replace cap and swirl again. Apply to pulse points like wrists, clavicle and behind the ears. Remember to shake the bottle before each use.

3 Perfume Recipes

Musky Floral

Jasmine is perfect for homemade perfume—it’s soft but not too girly in this perfume body spray. To keep it from feeling overpowering, blend with neroli and sweet orange.