Tell Me A Story: perfume

Showing posts with label perfume. Show all posts

Thursday, October 3, 2013

EAU DE COLOGNE

Marcia Norwood
America's STORYTELLER
Telling Untold Stories in Photographs, Prose and Public Speaking

Eau de Cologne

Meaning:

A perfumed liquid made of

essential oils and alcohol

Synonyms:

cologne water; cologne

Hypernyms

("eau de cologne" is a kind of...):

essence; perfume (a toiletry that emits and diffuses a fragrant odor)

I experimented with essential oils and Vodka to create my own cologne for gifts. The entire process was a fun creative adventure.

It was a joy to give my homemade colognes and perfumes as Christmas gifts.

Scented mixtures need to age in a glass container anywhere from a few days to a few years to develop the full aroma.

So - let's get started.

Are you ready to become a "le nez" (French for perfumer) and make your own homemade perfume and cologne?

I ordered clear glass corked bottles from Specialty Bottle.

CLICK on the link or

COPY & PASTE the link in your browser:

http://www.specialtybottle.com/corkedbottlesmi.aspx

I ordered amber, spray bottles from Specialty Bottle.

CLICK on the link or

COPY & PASTE the link in your browser:

http://www.specialtybottle.com/amberbostonroundglassbottlesmi.aspx

Perfume, cologne and all other liquid scents are simply a mixture of fragrant oils, alcohol and/or water.

Remember: The scented mixture is then aged in a glass container, anywhere from a few days to a few years, to develop the full aroma.

Perfume has the strongest concentration of oils per ounce. Cologne is next on the list with a slightly higher concentration of oils than eau de perfume, eau de cologne and eau de toilette.

Click on each photograph to enlarge.

Gather Supplies

Essential Oils

Vodka

Glass Bottles with Lids or Corks

Distilled Water

Decorations or Jewelry for Bottles

I create tags and labels for my line of bath and body products using Microsoft Publisher. I print the tags on photo paper on my Kodak Easy Share 5300 printer.

Shopping for supplies is always a fun part of any project.

"I'm buying this Vodka to make perfume," I confessed to the clerk at Hy-Vee.

"Sure," he said with a grin on his face. "That's what they all say."

Warning
Test homemade cologne before you actually use it. Experience the full scent, and check for any allergic reactions. Apply a small amount of cologne to a patch of skin on your arm. Wait 24 hours and check for an adverse reaction.

Directions

Blue Moon Perfume
1 Cup Distilled Water
1/3 Cup High-Proof Vodka
5 to 6 Drops Lavender Oil
9 to 10 Drops Chamomile Oil

Musk Cologne
1/3 Cup High-Proof Vodka
11 Drops Musk
7 Drops Sandalwood
6 Drops Oakmoss
4 Drops Jasmine
3 Drops Patchoili
2 Drops Cinnamon Scented Oil

Place ingredients in a glass bottle.
Place lid securely on bottle, and shake vigorously to mix.
Place cologne in a cool, dark place to mature...for at least one week.
Shake the cologne well once a day.
Test the cologne scent, and adjust fragrance as needed.

Experiment
Try mixing different essential oils to create your own signature fragrance.

I blended lemongrass, eucalyptus, and patchoili oil for a unique fragrance that just happens to keep bugs away!

My daughter, Faith's boyfriend, actually sprayed the cologne on bugs and it killed them. That's probably not a great thing to market for a perfume - but - hey - it's the truth.

Discover the fragrance likes and dislikes of the person you're giving the fragrance to. I gave a lemon-scented fragrance to a special friend before I realized he overdosed on lemon previously, and can't stand the scent of lemon. I'll do better next time.

My favorite essential oils to mix for cologne and perfumes are:

Blood Orange
Sweet Almond Oil
Lavender Oil
Mulberry Oil
Baby Powder Oil

"We are what we repeatedly do.

Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit."

Aristotle

(384 BC - 322 BC)

Greek Philosopher, Student of Plato, Teacher of Alexander the Great

One of the most important founding figures in Western philosophy.


Homemade Lotion and Bath Salts. Copyright 2012 Marcia Norwood

CLICK on this link or COPY & PASTE the link in your browser

for my recipe for homemade cream:

http://tellmeastory-marcia.blogspot.com/2013/09/wrinkles.html

Thanks for stopping by!

Come back often, and bring a friend!

Look for more special STORYTELLER Gift Projects in upcoming blogs....like homemade Bath Salts!

Marcia Norwood
America's STORYTELLER
Telling Untold Stories in Photographs, Prose and Public Speaking

Thursday, August 29, 2013

P E R F U M E

Marcia Norwood
America's STORYTELLER
Telling Untold Stories in Photographs, Prose and Public Speaking

What's your favorite perfume?

My Granny Lucille loved White Shoulders.

My mother, Natalie Bush, preferred Chanel No. 5.

Mother & Daughter: Natalie & Marcia (November 1970)

I have two favorite colognes: Shalimar and Vanille. Both French fragrances can be described as vanilla, powdery and sweet.

The meaning of the word Shalimar remains a mystery, but it is certainly of Arab or Persian origin. Shalimar was created in 1921 and re-released in 1925, in a bottle designed by Raymond Guerlain, and made by Cristalleries de Baccarat (bottle design # 597), and launched at the Decorative Arts Exhibitio.

I've worn other brands of vanilla fragrances, but Vanille is my favorite. The soft fragrance lasts all day. When I enter a room, someone almost always compliments me on my scent.

Adults say: "Have you been baking today? You smell wonderful - like vanilla or sugar cookies."

Children say: "Mmmmmm! You smell like marshmallows and sugar cookies!"

Vanille Eau de Toilette 50ml Spray by L`AROMARINE

Here's a review of Vanille from a man:

"Because I like vanilla,

even though its a female fragrance,

I'm still gonna wear it

cause its smells soooooooooooooo delicious!

When they say sugar cookies they are not kidding!"

Vanille EDT 1936 Special Edition by L`AROMARINE

Vanille EDT 1936 Special Edition 100ml Spray

by Outremer, formerly L'Aromarine

I first discovered Vanille, at a small shoppe in San Diego, while in California, on a business trip. It was love at first smell. I ordered Vanille from the shoppe for years until the it closed.

Recently I was thrilled to find the fragrance online through Smallflower. Vanille is their best selling fragrance worldwide.

Some people will never reveal the name or the place where they purchase this delicate, reasonably-priced fragrance, but I'll let you in on the secret!

Click on this Smallflower link:
http://www.smallflower.com/laromarine/vanille-eau-de-toilette-50ml-spray-50ml-spray-18836

Warning!

If you wear perfume in the garden...

You will be pollinated by bees!

Thanks for stopping by!

Come back often, and bring a friend!

Marcia Norwood
America's STORYTELLER
Telling Untold Stories in Photographs, Prose and Public Speaking
Email: marcia.norwood@sbcglobal.net

Sunday, February 26, 2012

MY LOVE AFFAIR WITH LOCKETS and MY RECIPE FOR SOLID SACHET PERFUME

Marcia Norwood, AMERICA'S STORYTELLER

I fell in love with lockets when I was a little girl.

Me and My Shadow
Copyright 1950

I still have every locket that was ever given to me. Some lockets have treasured photos inside. One of my favorite locket pendants had a solid perfume/sachet inside. It was so easy to refresh my perfume throughout the day. I simply opened the locket, gently rubbed my fingers over the solid sachet, and then rubbed it onto my wrists and pulse points.

When I added lockets to my jewelry line (STORYTELLER DESIGNS) - I experimented until I came up with a recipe for solid perfume! I used my favorite essential oils, and poured the perfume into my STORYTELLER DESIGN filigree and Cameo lockets. They really are fabulous to wear and make lovely gifts to give to friends and family.

My STORYTELLER DESIGN FILIGREE Lockets filled with Solid Sachet Perfume

My STORYTELLER DESIGN CAMEO Lockets filled with Solid Sachet Perfume

Would you like to make your own solid sachet?

Here's my recipe!

SOLID SACHET PERFUME

1. Heat 1 Tablespoon of Almond Oil and eight (8) drops of essential oil in a double boiler until warm. (Use whatever oil you prefer for your perfume scent. I like a combination of Mulberry and Lavendar Oil, and I also add Vitamin E oil.)

2. Add one (1) Tablespoon of grated Beeswax and mix with the oils in the double boiler. Stir until it is well blended and the wax is thoroughly melted.

Shredded Bleached Beeswax

3. Pour into container (locket, jar or tin), and let it cool. As it cools, the wax will harden. (If you do not have lockets...the solid perfume can be stored in small tins like the ones for mints and lip balms.)

4. To apply perfume simply rub fingers over the solid sachet, and rub it on your wrists and pulse points as desired.

My STORYTELLER DESIGN FILIGREE Lockets filled with Solid Sachet Perfume

My STORYTELLER DESIGN CAMEO Lockets filled with Solid Sachet Perfume

My STORYTELLER DESIGN

filigree and cameo lockets

filled with my fragrant solid sachet perfume

will be for sale soon on my website.

www.marcianorwoodstoryteller.com

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