January 30, 2020
Ever wanted a bespoke fragrance that’s totally, utterly unique to you? You know, the kind of thing that people stop you on the street to ask you about? Or that your friends recognise as being “your smell?” It’s the dream right? Well, turning that beauty dream into a reality is actually a lot easier than you think, with Demeter Fragrance Library.
You probably know about Demeter Fragrance Library already. It’s the cult US brand that launched in 1996 with an ethos that completely disrupted the industry. Instead of complex fragrances layered with predetermined top, base and middle note combinations, Demeter scents all concentrated on a single note, using the fewest ingredients possible to achieve that particular smell. Unlike regular perfumes they don’t change over the period of wear either - it’s just the one consistent smell. What this means is that it doesn’t take you on a “olfactory journey” as some perfumers like to say. Instead, it allows you to create that journey yourself by layering multiple fragrances to create your own bespoke scent.
So how do you do it? There are no rules when it comes to creating the scent YOU want - just combine the smells you love on your skin and see if they work! It’s all about experimentation to come up with something uniquely to you. But, we also know it can be a little overwhelming, so here’s a few tips to get you started.
- Traditional scents have a base, middle (or heart) and a top note. Follow this formula in your own blending. Have a look at the fragrance pyramid here and try selecting one from each “note family”. This will give you a basis and from there you can experiment by layering multiple scents from the same category, or playing with proportions.
- Mix it up by changing the order you apply the scents. Doing this will give you a different fragrance profile and experience.
- If you don’t want to layer on your own skin, spray the scents of different pieces of paper (like the testers in department stores) and mix and match until you find your scent.
- To avoid scent fatigue, keep some fresh coffee beans nearby that you can smell every now and then to give your nose a break. Alternatively, smelling an unscented patch of your own skin can have the same neutralising effect.
- A safe bet is to start by blending smells within the same fragrance family (ie: florals or woods) or using some long standing fragrance favourites like vanilla or musk which are common to most scents.
- Once you have a bit more confidence try contrasting smells instead of staying within families - like a citrus combined with a wood or an amber with a floral for something a little different. Remember, there will be some fails but that’s the road to your perfect scent.
- When you feel like you’ve nailed your bespoke fragrance, spray your combination on your skin and check in on it throughout the day to see how it wears.