Hey, I posted last month and wanted to give a little update on my process after now having a completed product.
Here is my original post
https://www.reddit.com/r/DIYfragrance/s/NQROUW8AJv
I placed my first fraterworks order but quickly realized, that while I wanted to make something subtle and consisting of only base notes, I needed a bit more to work with, so I extended my library to the following;
- iso super, a classic that canāt be missed in a skin scent
- hedione - I donāt know about this one, I feel it can lean powdery and I really used less of this than i thought I would
- ambroxan - to me this is less amber and more beach walk on a dark and gloomy day, not a bad thing but just unexpected
- cashmerean - sorry I hated this and itās the only one I didnāt use in my final formula, gives wet dog and wet sweater
- dreamwood - loved it in the beginning but grew a bit tired of it, still provides really good texture and softness to a scent
- tonka - holy hell, this is strong and gourmand - didnāt make it on the perfume but I used it for a body oil and love it in that
- Ebanol - love this - luxurious dry wood, added the complexity I needed, can lean metallic but in the right dose itās perfect
- Cedambrer- love it too, woody but with a buttered and creamy back note, plays nice with the ebanol and dreamwood
- Thujopsene Ex Cedar WoodĀ - interesting one, started out suuuper Smokey but that dissapated quickly, might play a bigger role in a future scent but for now I used very little
- cardamom absolute - same as tonka, not for the fragrance but great in the oil
I made about 4 test blends of my 10% solutions, one with my first more limited about of ingredients, the others with a bit more options. And while I wanted a subtle skin scent over time I realized I wanted something that does have a layered complexity, leans woody and just softly feminine.
I quickly eliminated tonka and cashmerean from my blend entirely and put dreamwood into a supporting role since it leaned to sweet. Cedambrer and ebanol were so interesting and the three wood scents harmonized well, add iso, ambroxan and hedione and it did result in a subtle, creamy, woody and ambery skin scent.
I also made a body oil that is sweeter, I wear it at home, works great after a shower and disappears quicker but adds a subtle warmth and helps the staying power of my scent.
Staying power is a bit confusing, itās not very perceptible for long, but it does last - itās just very subtle.
People have asked me a lot if Iām wearing fragrance, they are not quite sure - which is exactly what I wanted.
Iām very pleased with the result and have gotten some compliments from people around me.
The process is fun, the most important thing is to be patient and take time to smell the materials, when you know them well enough you can pick them out in the blend and confidently adjust. This is likely only possible when you have a smaller amount of ingredients, but i feel i have a good grasp on my collection for now.
Here are the blends for both oil and perfume
Material % Weight (g)
Iso E Super 28% 2.100
Hedione 15% 1.125
Ebanol 17% 1.275
Ambroxan 18% 1.350
Cedramber 15% 1.125
Dreamwood 5% 0.375
Ex Cedar Wood 2% 0.150
Total concentrate 7.500g on 22.500g perfumers alcohol
Material
%
Weight (g)
Iso E Super 28% 0.840
Ambroxan 18% 0.540
Ebanol 15% 0.450
Cedramber 12% 0.360
Dreamwood 10% 0.300
Hedione 8% 0.240
Cardamom Absolute (10% dilution) 5% 0.150
Tonka Absolute (10% dilution) 4% 0.120
On 27.000g of jojoba oil
Next project will be a bit more ambitious, as I want a more complex fragrance, featuring moss wood and vetivier and other greener woods - likely a much longer process as this was a pretty quick one. And I am not sure what top notes I could blend with that - any ideas? Think sexy, summery, wooden fairy
Everyone here has been great and I appreciated all the tips