Good Night All!!

I am a week late in posting. Shame on me. Bad llama!! (Emperor's New Groove, for those who are scratching their heads) Okay, so I promised to explain my evolution with fragrances. My very first purchases were from Bath and Body Works, Bramble Berry, Cedar Vale and Bath and Body Supply. Plumeria was the most popular fragrance back in 2004. I did use single fragrances at first because I simply didn't know what to do. Eventually I branched out to JoAnn's, Hobby Lobby and Michael's to find Rosemary and Thyme, Sweet Pea, Jasmine Chamomile, Sun Ripened Fruit and Petal Mania. Each one was great but I wanted to do something different. I then went to the library and used book stores to find books on fragrance blending, perfume making and soap making.

I have learned so much since then. Even this year I found out that there is a Blood Orange essential oil. Wow! And it is divine let me tell you!! Essential oils are NOT to be trifled with. Even misused in a topical application can cause skin irritation and illness for some. Please don't ask me about the Lemongrass incident. I can still hear the nurse laughing at me!! :( 

Anyhoo, not all of my experiments worked out that well. Mostly when I am trying to come up with a blend I use Epsom salt as a base because it is virtually fragrance free and I can stir the oils as I add them and get a good idea as to what the end result will be.

Lavender Tang: 4 parts Lavender, 3 parts Lime and 2 parts Mandarin = Stinky mess. The lavender overpowered the Mandarin and the lime took on a tangy stink.

 

Citrus Fusion: 1 TBSP Lemon, 1 tsp Sweet Orange, 1/2 tsp Grapefruit and 1/2 tsp Sandalwood. One would think that this might actually smell good. Tart Lemon, Sweet Orange, Tangy Tart Grapefruit offset by Smoky Sensual Sandalwood, right? WRONG!! It is tart alright but not sweet and the sandalwood just makes it a mellow mushy scent. Sticking it in a body butter makes it worse for some reason.

Now I have found that:

Blood Orange smells fresh, fruity and tangy. It is purported to have antidepressant, antiseptic, antispasmodic, carminative and aphrodisiac properties. It blends best with clary sage, cinnamon, clove, lavender, lemon, myrrh and nutmeg. ** Caution: it is phototoxic meaning that if you go out in the sun within 30 mins to 4 hours of application it could cause a person to burn easier.**

Pink Grapefruit smells sweet, tart and fruity. It is purported to ease muscle fatigue and stiffness, alleviate congestion and dissipates oily and acne prone skin. It blends best with cardamom, cypress, geranium, lavender, rosemary and the entire citrus family. **Caution: it is phototoxic.**

Petal Mania smells sweet and slightly floral. It blends well with green apple, lavender, chamomile and jasmine. The best mediums for it are shower gels and MP soaps.

Okay, that is all for tonight. I will try to end each post with a few fragrances that I have researched and used.