Handmade Solid Perfume Recipe Once upon an evening, not so long ago, I found myself strolling the streets of Lisbon. The sun, reflected amber off of the colorful Moorish tiles. My sandaled feet clicked atop the ancient cobblestone streets. In the distance, at the bottom of the hill, dimly lit, amber bottles lining every surface, our destination, the perfumaria.
For an hour, we swished, splashed and sampled the various flower essences and herbal extracts, narrowing our favorites down to six, then four, then two- the perfect blend.
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Carefully, behind what resembled a bar, the proprietress measured and blended our custom fragrances. Swirling, tilting the contents from one beautiful bottle to the next.
Impatient, I spritzed myself on the crumbling sidewalk. The evening came to life, an intoxicating chorus of orange blossom and rose.
In my Brooklyn kitchen, hunched over the stove, bottles of essential oils poking out from within apothecary shelves, a tub of shea butter set to a slow melt, steam warming my face, I'm reminded of that day.
The memories that make our lives, if we look, can be found hiding in fragrance- my grandmother's white rosebush, clove-sweet potato pie and the spice plantations of Zanzibar, vanilla-the distinct smell of my kindergarten classroom...
I take pleasure in blending and formulating beautiful, evocative smells. With a sensitive nose, I'm often turned off by synthetic fragrances which is why blending essential oils into perfume oils and sticks is so appealing to me. It's so natural. When you make your own perfume, you control the intensity, the high notes and low notes, the memories you wish to capture- it's an art.
Today's lotion stick recipe is unbelievably simple and effective. I find the fragrance from essential oils preserved in shea butter tends to last longer than when diluted in oil.
I'll start with the recipe (designed to fill a 1/2 oz. tub), then I'll suggest some essential oil blends.
Handmade Solid Perfume Recipe
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Solid Perfume Recipe:
1 teaspoon shea butter (per 1/2 oz.)
Essential oils of your choice (I use between 20-30 drops of essential oil, depending on how strong the oils I'm using are. Trust your nose.)
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The following blends work well, but be creative- sky's the limit:
rose/sadalwood
jasmine/lemon
frankincense/patchouli
bergamot/ylang ylang
lavender/rosemary
For more DIY natural skin care ideas, check out my latest book Natural Beauty from the Outside In, where you’ll find 70 Ayurveda inspired hair and skin care recipes.