FOR THE LOVE OF: Perfume (updated 10/25/23)

(10/25/23 - I updated this with a postscript)

 If you love perfume, you should know:

• There are ways to learn your "perfume type"
• Building a collection does not have to be expensive
• You can learn to create your own fragrances

Finding your type:

Almost anyone who loves perfume has a "type" or "types". Maybe you have a scent type that you prefer (fruity, gourmand, woody, etc.) or a concentration type (EDT, cologne, extrait, etc.). 

Perhaps you haven't decided on your type. When I was younger, I preferred sweet-"Oriental" scents. Shalimar was my signature scent for a very long time. As my body chemistry has changed with age, I prefer gourmand scents and I like to layer almost any scent with Ambroxan or Cetalox. 

The easiest way to find your type is by thinking of specific fragrances you tend to like. For instance, I realized that I loved things like Angel, Prada's Candy, and a big favorite: Viva la Juicy Gold. By checking the "notes and accords" of those perfumes, I discovered what they have in common. (See the Resources below for identifying notes and accords.)

Building a collection:

If you have the funds to buy every perfume you'd like to try, you are lucky! I have a very limited budget. There are a few different (affordable) ways to build a collection of favorites.

Decant houses (see the Resources) are perfect for buying a small amount of a fragrance you are unsure about. Personally, I often buy decants of perfumes I already love but just can't splash out on full bottles. 

Perfume subscription plans are another good way to build a collection. Most plans will offer discounts on full bottles after you tried the smaller subscription amount. I also like that the plans I've tried send the products in cute and reusable holders.

Clone houses are places that do "impressions" of popular scents.  There is a reason that perfumes can be cloned:

"The primary reason that fragrance clones are legal is that a smell cannot be patented.  Only the brand name, perfume name, description, and packaging can be protected by law.  Perfume companies could patent products, but in order to do so they would have to disclose their formulas." (source)

I have not bought from a clone house yet. I do have my eyes on what basically is a clone of Not a Perfume. The main ingredient in NAP is cetalox. You can either buy cetalox from a perfume supply (see Resources) or you can buy fragrances with cetalox as the main ingredient. The one I have my eye on is from Miraclelayer and is called Ambergris Musk. (I have gotten 5ml of each of these and will be doing a review soon. I will link to those when they are done.) 

(By the way, Ambroxan and Cetalox fascinate me because of their wonderful layering properties. Also, there can be confusion about their differences. This source explains the details.)

Creating your own fragrances:

There are a couple of ways you can create a personal scent. The first way is for someone with more patience than I have.  You can purchase various items and go into full DIY mode. There are perfume supply houses for this pursuit. I have considered ordering raw Cetalox from a couple.

The second way is not really that complex or stable. I have learned to layer fragrances to get just the final scent I like. The thing about this is trial and error! After several attempts, I have learned to pair synthetic-based perfumes (Molecule 02 from Escentric Molecules started me on this path) with some of my other perfumes. (My beloved Shalimar came back to life on my aging skin when paired this way!)

Some of you may prefer to use scented oils (instead of alcohol-based items) and there are plenty of resources for buying these. I happen to like wearing and blending traditional perfume.

The Resources

For finding your type:

• Fragrantica -You can look up specific perfumes and see their "notes and accords" and read user reviews. You can make lists (wants, haves, etc.). I use this site constantly.
• Basenotes - I don't use or know as much about the site. It is a good resource for learning.
• Ozmoz - I have never used this one. I added it because I noticed they have an encyclopedia.
• Parfumo - I have looked up perfume for notes and overview.

For Building a collection

• ScentGourmand gets all my props for a great list. I pull up this page every time I even think about shopping for clones!
• ScentSplit is my go-to for buying decants. I have several cute little 5ml bottles of perfume I just can't go full-bottle price on. I have not used any of the others listed here.
• DecantX 
• Scent Decant - looks like you can shop by season and by scent family. I keep meaning to check them out.
• Decant Boutique - I saw the site on another list a while back.
• MiracleLayer - Hard to describe. They create dupes for the most part. Free (slow) shipping & site looks sketchy but I used it with no problems.

Do a search for "perfume splits", "decants", etc. Also, check Reddit. Reddit always has a lot of info for perfume lovers and there are probably more suggestions for sites like the above.

For DIY and learning:

• Perfumer Supply House - one of the places I looked at for buying raw cetalox.
• Creating Perfumes - I have not used but I like that they have so many materials.
• Perfumers World - They have a glossary (that I've used), FAQs, and offer online training. 

There is no shortage of information about almost anything in the online world. Just do your vetting and use care as you would with anything. 

UPDATE: From looking at the forums online, I'm beginning to think I should look more into "Arabian perfumes". Here is one page I checked out explaining Mid-Eastern to Western fragrances. It's said that Middle Eastern types tend to be longer-lasting because most use a base of oil instead of alcohol. I have one popular fragrance from the Lattafa brand called Ana Abiyedh. It is very lovely but it's not oil-based. 

Peace

--Free

P.S.: My latest thing is to buy perfumers alcohol and add both cetalox crystals and ambroxan DL. Nothing else is needed for me to have a nice, soft fragrance. The result for me has been something I wear as my "signature" and that is crowd/office-friendly. If I want it to last longer, I use the scented ingredients with fractionated coconut oil and warm the bottle in some hot water. This scent mix also works well if I add it to existing perfumes - but only some of them. So far, I find it layers well with Al Rehab's Choco Musk/

DISCLAIMER: Do your due diligence when dealing with any unfamiliar site. I cannot and do not vouch for any of these sites. I am not compensated by or affiliated with any of the sites mentioned. (I do have a Fragrantica user account.)