Be a Royal Stinker!

Smell by Jan Saenredam, 16th century.

I really don't like commercial perfumes/colognes, so I prefer making my own scents. The mixtures I make are very simple: either vodka or almond oil as the carrier, and a combination of essential oils (I try to use all organic when possible.) I also like using rose water with essential oils to mist on.

Here are a couple of my personal favourite combos:

'Earthy/Woodland'

6 drops patchouli (bottom note)

2 drops oakmoss (bottom note)

4 drops vetiver (bottom note)

10 drops chamomile (middle note)

10 drops angelica (top note)

128 drops vodka or almond oil

'Sweet & Stimulating'

5 drops sandalwood (bottom note)
5 drops patchouli (bottom note)

4 drops geranium (middle note)

1 drop ylang ylang (middle note)
10 drops helichrysum (top note)

100 drops vodka or almond oil

To see a note/essential oil correspondence, check out this webby. I also highly recommend the books The Encyclopedia of Essential Oils and The Aromatherapy Garden both by Julie Lawless, to find out more about the use of essential oils, and growing your own plants for this purpose.

Below are recipes for scent combos that royalty from the past have worn, as well as few more old fashioned recipes. Oh, and for apothecary measurements, check out this webby.

Cleopatra's Perfume Recipe

(source here)

Mix essential oils of:

Sandalwood

Rose

Lavender

Frankincense

Basil

Mix of few drops of each oil to a carrier/base oil and use as a massage balm.

These following recipes are from the book A Queen's Delight: The Art of Preserving, Conserving and Candying, As Also a Right Knowledhe of Making Perfumes, and Distilling the Most Excellent Waters (1671):

Recipe for Queen Elizabeth I (England)

Take:

8 tablespoons of compound water

Weight of 2 pence in fine sugar powder

Boil both on hot embers and coals.

Add:

Sun-dried marjoram

Weight of 2 pence of Benjamin

Cordial of Sir Walter Raleigh

Combine:

Gallon of strawberries

Pint of aqua virtae (brandy)

Let them stand for 4 or 5 days. Then strain them gently out with fine sugar or with other perfume.

These recipes are from The Household Book of Practical Receipts by George Reynolds (1871):

The Queen's Perfume

3/4 drachum of cloves essential oil
3/4 drachum of bergamot essential oil
Drachum of neroli essential oil
Half ounce of musk
Half pint of rose water
Half pint of spirit of tuberose
Half pint of strongest spirits of wine
1 pint spirit of jasmine
1 pint spirit of cassia

Dissolve essential oils in the spirit of wine. Then add other spirits, and once well mixed, add the rose water.

Prince Albert's Perfume

Half ounce of ambergris
3 drachums of musk
2 drachums of sugar

Grind together in mortar and pestle (stone is best!)

Then add:

10 drops of cloves essential oil
20 drops true balsam of Peru essential oil
5 drops of jasmine essential oil or
5 drops of spirit of tuberose

Make into a perfectly smooth paste. Then put into a bottle with 1 quart of rectified spirit of wine. Let it sit for 6 to 8 weeks.

The making of lily perfume in ancient Egypt, photo from Guillaume Blanchard.

The recipes are from The Household Cyclopedia (1881)

Recipes for Cologne Water, from Redwood Gray's Supplement

First:

2 drachums neroli essential oil
1/2 ounce orange essential oil
1 drachum citron essential oil
2 drachums bergamot essential oil
1/2 drachums lavender essential oil
1/2 drachums rosemary essential oil
1 scruple cinnamon essential oil
2 drachums powdered cardamoms
2 drachums powdered balsam Peru
7 lbs rectified spirits

Macerate for 10 days, then distill 6 pounds with a gentle heat.

Second:

3 ounces bergamot essential oil
2 ounces lemon essential oil
3 and 1/2 drachums lavender essential oil
1 and 1/2 drachums of neroli essential oil
2 drachums oregano essential oil
1 drachum rosemary essential oil
2 drachums vanilla essential oil
10 grams musk
13 pints rectified spirits
1 quart rose water
1 pint orange blossom water

Mix in oils, and dissolve them in 10 pints of the spirits. Then add the musk, and then the waters (mixed in previously with the rest of the spirits), Let stand for 2 weeks then filter.

Roses, 14th century.

Here are a few links to more recipes:

Autonopedia

Scents of the Middle Ages

Aromatherapy Perfume Recipes

And finally here is a link on how to make an organic perfume.

Sláinte!

Laurel