DIY Perfume: How To Make Your Signature Scent At Home + 3 Blends To Try

A signature scent is somewhat of a personal ideal: Find yours, and you'll make an entrance as soon as you step foot in a room or leave a lingering trail that's uniquely you. But if you don't have a favorite eau de toilette just yet, the journey toward a signature scent can be a little arduous; you can test practically every sample on the market, every scent strip in print magazines, and still be searching for the bottle that has that certain je ne sais quoi. If you do fall into this latter camp, may we suggest a DIY perfume? You'll be able to find a scent that's truly your own, plus, you'll be able to avoid harsh chemicals found in many store-bought options—a win-win in the art of fragrance. Here's exactly how to make your own perfume in the comfort of your kitchen. 

A little lesson in perfumery, shall we? With any good fragrance, there's always your top, middle, and base notes. 

Now that you've got the basics down, you're ready to assemble your own fragrance. Whether you prefer a parfum, eau de toilette (a lighter scent with a lower percentage of essential oils), or even cologne, the DIY method is the same. 

A final note: This DIY recipe is for a spray perfume, but a solid version is just as simple, says Tina Hedges, product formulator and founder of LOLI Beauty. All you'll need to do is melt your carrier oil with some beeswax (or sunflower seed wax, for a vegan option) over a double boiler, then remove from the heat before adding in your essential oil blend one at a time. Pour the mixture into a container to set for several hours. Once fully cooled, you'll have a solid perfume to dab onto your pulse points. 

In traditional perfumery, there are common "fragrance accords" (aka blends) to create those familiar characters you may see lining the fragrance aisle. A person will typically gravitate toward a certain accord, usually citrus, floral, woodsy, or spice, says Plescia. While there's no correct way to formulate your own perfume (feel free to concoct whatever crazy blend you please; it's DIY!), here's how to recreate those common accords in the comfort of your own home:

But you may need to re-spritz throughout the day: "A true citrus accord does not have too many middle or base notes and thus does not last very long," says Plescia. "However, citrus blends very well with herbal, floral, or spicy notes. Try blending citrus with lavender or even clove to extend the olfactory experience and add some interest and complexity!"

"For example," she says, "ylang ylang is often very fragrant, with slightly fruity and heavy tonality. However, to enhance your floral accord, use top notes such as citrus or blend with woody notes to add additional depth." The key here (as with citrus) is to make sure your base notes add depth but not too much that they overpower the more delicate notes of the perfume. 

Missing the outdoors? Here's how to smell like a forest, in the best possible way. Hedges recommends patchouli and sandalwood essential oils to give off that fireplace-chic scent, plus a bergamot essential oil to help brighten it up. You can also add some fennel and clary sage essential oils if your vibe is more spicy, less woodsy. 

Of course, if you are using new essential oils, you'll always want to do a patch test before spritzing—an irritating reaction from your fragrance is not so glam. But otherwise, it's a pretty painless process: "You just need the ingredients, a vision, and plenty of time to experiment," says Blankenship. Trust your nose, and soon you'll have a scent that suits only you. Want more perfume tips? Here's how to apply perfume according to the pros.