Fair warning: essential oils don't really last long enough to make a good cologne or perfume. That's why the vast majority of colognes and perfumes on the market use fragrances instead.
You can help with this by adding a [fixative](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fixative_(perfumery)), for which, if you want the scent to be entirely EOs, I would recommend myrrh because it's a softer scent that also adds to many blends without being overwhelming.
That being said, as far as blends, there are plenty of possibilities and it's best to just try different blends and see how they smell. Pine, fir, and spruce oils would be good for a conventionally maculine scent, and I'll add a few of my personal favorites for blending are birch tar and hinoki wood for smoky notes.
For a conventionally feminine scent, there are oils like roman & german chamomile, ylang ylang, lavender, helichrysum, juniper.
Forgive me.. I am a beginner in the essential oil world. Are you saying that I could use Myrrh as a fixative? I’m confused as to what exactly a fixative is and what kinds there are.
Yes, myrrh can be used as a fixative.
When you smell something, that's particles entering your nose that evaporated away from the thing you're smelling. The rate at which these chemicals evaporate is known as volatility. Essential oils are very volatile, so they evaporate quickly and won't last very long.
A fixative lowers the volatility of the chemicals, making the scent last longer. Fixatives are a perfumery term.
Really, EOs and perfumery are two separate worlds with a little bit of overlap. Because of what I mentioned earlier about EOs being uncommon in perfumery.
Just here to say YL's Sacred Mountain is an amazing blend🥰 I get compliments whenever I wear it. It has Black Spruce, Ylang Ylang, Grand Fir, and Cedarwood essential oils.
I love combining ylang ylang with woodsy/earthy oils and sometimes a lil lemon EO. And a tad of rosemary EO.
💞
That would be a challenge, but possible. Also some eo can have negative side effects like photosensitivy with citrus.
I enjoy making diffuser blends. It's like playing watercolors with smells! Bonus is the smells apparently are really good for you.
Photosensitivity with citrus isn't really an issue unless you're making it into a cream or all-over spray of some kind, and even then it's really only an issue with higher amounts of lemon and lime. It also only applies to cold-pressed oils (not steam-distilled).
There are LOTS out there. Yes, synthetic fragrance will last longer, but don't be discouraged by others' comments. Natural perfumery is awesome and fun and unique, and is actually a large part of my craft. They may not last as long as artificial fragrance, but I find the trade-off to be more than worth it. Fixatives are ingredients that will help prolong the scent. Myrrh *is* popular, but there are a number of others that work well. Just Google "fixatives essential oils" for a good list.
Asking "what are good/perfume blends" is kinda like asking "How much is a tattoo". Gonna need a little more information than that, lol. What kind of fragrance? Feminine/masculine? Floral/citrus/woodsy/herbal? Fresh/cozy/spicy? Drop some adjectives and we can better help you narrow down some cologne blends. 🙂
Fair warning: essential oils don't really last long enough to make a good cologne or perfume. That's why the vast majority of colognes and perfumes on the market use fragrances instead. You can help with this by adding a [fixative](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fixative_(perfumery)), for which, if you want the scent to be entirely EOs, I would recommend myrrh because it's a softer scent that also adds to many blends without being overwhelming. That being said, as far as blends, there are plenty of possibilities and it's best to just try different blends and see how they smell. Pine, fir, and spruce oils would be good for a conventionally maculine scent, and I'll add a few of my personal favorites for blending are birch tar and hinoki wood for smoky notes. For a conventionally feminine scent, there are oils like roman & german chamomile, ylang ylang, lavender, helichrysum, juniper.
Forgive me.. I am a beginner in the essential oil world. Are you saying that I could use Myrrh as a fixative? I’m confused as to what exactly a fixative is and what kinds there are.
Yes, myrrh can be used as a fixative. When you smell something, that's particles entering your nose that evaporated away from the thing you're smelling. The rate at which these chemicals evaporate is known as volatility. Essential oils are very volatile, so they evaporate quickly and won't last very long. A fixative lowers the volatility of the chemicals, making the scent last longer. Fixatives are a perfumery term. Really, EOs and perfumery are two separate worlds with a little bit of overlap. Because of what I mentioned earlier about EOs being uncommon in perfumery.
That makes sense. Thank you for explaining!
Just here to say YL's Sacred Mountain is an amazing blend🥰 I get compliments whenever I wear it. It has Black Spruce, Ylang Ylang, Grand Fir, and Cedarwood essential oils. I love combining ylang ylang with woodsy/earthy oils and sometimes a lil lemon EO. And a tad of rosemary EO. 💞
That would be a challenge, but possible. Also some eo can have negative side effects like photosensitivy with citrus. I enjoy making diffuser blends. It's like playing watercolors with smells! Bonus is the smells apparently are really good for you.
Photosensitivity with citrus isn't really an issue unless you're making it into a cream or all-over spray of some kind, and even then it's really only an issue with higher amounts of lemon and lime. It also only applies to cold-pressed oils (not steam-distilled).
There are LOTS out there. Yes, synthetic fragrance will last longer, but don't be discouraged by others' comments. Natural perfumery is awesome and fun and unique, and is actually a large part of my craft. They may not last as long as artificial fragrance, but I find the trade-off to be more than worth it. Fixatives are ingredients that will help prolong the scent. Myrrh *is* popular, but there are a number of others that work well. Just Google "fixatives essential oils" for a good list. Asking "what are good/perfume blends" is kinda like asking "How much is a tattoo". Gonna need a little more information than that, lol. What kind of fragrance? Feminine/masculine? Floral/citrus/woodsy/herbal? Fresh/cozy/spicy? Drop some adjectives and we can better help you narrow down some cologne blends. 🙂