Scents carry with them a wave of memories and associations. Maybe a classic department store perfume reminds you of your grandmother or the squeaky clean scent of bar soap reminds you of your mother. Our essential oil perfume opens up options for personal scents you’ll be remembered for, without scary ingredients. Plus, this DIY perfume is easy enough to make, tweak, and remake for years to come.
First, let’s dive into a couple essentials that you should know, like the “notes” of the essential oil blends that make up your perfume. Typically, you’ll smell the quick-evaporating top notes first, followed a moment later by the middle notes—the heart of the perfume. Finally, you’ll catch the base notes, which complement the top and middle notes.
When selecting botanicals for your perfume, start with the base note, soften with a middle note, and finish with a top note that makes a positive first impression.
Base note essential oils:
Middle note essential oils:
Top note essential oils:
Supplies:
- Empty 5-ml essential oil bottle
- V-6™ Enhanced Vegetable Oil Complex
- AromaGlide Roller Fitment
- Top note essential oil
- Middle note essential oil
- Bottom note essential oil
- Custom labels
- Transparent tape
Instructions:
1. Combine 10–15 drops each of your selected oils in the empty bottle until your essential oil blend is balanced.
2. Once you’re happy with the blend, fill the rest of the bottle with V-6.
3. Put the roller fitment and cap on.
4. Print custom labels.
5. Wrap label around the bottle and apply transparent tape.
5. Roll on to your neck, wrists, or anywhere you apply perfume.
In what note would Black Spruce and Blue Cypress fall?
Hello Sarah!
Black Spruce and Blue Cypress would be considered base notes. Let us know what you mix with them. Thanks for stopping by!
I wear a pacifica island vanilla perfume what would be a good substitute blend for homemade perfume? That is one thing I’m having a hard time giving up is my chemical junk perfume because it smells like angel food cake / cupcakes.
Hi Tracy, We have not tested the perfume recipes with vegetable glycerin, so we are not able to guarantee results. Let us know if you decide to try it, how it works out for you! Thank you for stopping by.
Hello Hoon! You can use any of the following as a middle note: Floral (Rose, Ylang Ylang, Neroli, etc), green (Vetiver, Rosemary, etc), fruity (Bergamont, Chamomile, etc), or spices (Cinnamon, Clove, Cardamom, etc). If you would like to do just a top note and a base note that works as well! Let us know what combinations you use! Thanks for stopping by!
Hello Apirl! Thank you for your questions! This Wikipedia page gives a really good description of a top note, middle note, and a bass note. I would check that out! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Note_(perfumery)
Blends can be used as either a top note, base note, or middle note. It depends on the smell of the blend that you are using. Let us know if this helps and what combinations you come up with!
Thanks for stopping by!
Hello Libby,
Loosely place the roller fitamant on the bottle then screw the cap on until the fitament snaps into place.
Hello Libby! We love Vetiver too! Vetiver would be considered a base note. Try mixing it with Ylang Ylang, Tangerine, or Lavender. Create your own perfume combos and let us know what you think! Thanks for stopping by!
how about joy? joy as a base / middle / top note?
Hello Christine!
What we did was print out the label sheet on normal paper, cut them out, and secured them around the bottle with a little bit or tape or glue. We, unfortunately, do not have another version of the label sheet to print all of one label at once. Sorry for any inconvenience that this might cause! Thanks for stopping by!
my favorite is lavender, bergamot, and ylang ylang.
l did my own creation! Thieves, Peppermint and Envision!
cedarwood, ylang ylang and jade lemon!
I wish you had white sage, hyacinth and sweet musk. And Sandlewood.
Where do you guys get your 5-ml essential oil bottles?
Hello! I ordered some on Amazon on Prime day in a large 20 ct. pack for under $15. When I go to organic grocers they’re usually about $5 for a small rollerball. I’d try online to get the most bang for your buck!
I clean and reuse all of my oil bottles.
I would like to make a perfume for my Mom who is 88 years old. When I use Patchouli or Ylang Ylang in my necklace diffuser, she always comments that she loves it. So, I would like to use one of those as a base – any suggestions high and middle notes?
Hey Lisa! Ylang Ylang is a middle not, but I think that Bergamot would be a good element to add for a citrus scent to complement the floral. Then you could also add Cedarwood to add warmth to the aroma. Have fun experimenting and let us know what becomes your favorite combo.
I made a scent and labeled it “Horse Sweat”! Patchouli, clove, cinnamon bark, ylang ylang, sandalwood, pine, bergamot, jasmine, neroli, and lime. He likes it! It smells rich and woody mellow.
Did you make it for yourself?
I can’t wait to try some of these suggestions. Thank you.
Bergamont…Isn’t this oil Sun Sensitive?
Hello Pamela. Bergamot says that it photosensitive. Always be sure to read any of the labels of the products that you use. Hope that helps and thanks for your comment!
Are you CURIOUS about oils? Thrilled that these amazing therapeutic oils cross the blood brain barrier and positively effect us mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually!! My “perfume” favorites are the blend Stress-Away & Peppermint on the brain stem and shoulders – hello! wake me up perfume and it always get noticed. AND White Angelica is soooo comforting and Ahhh! My daughter’s doctor told her to use it everyday and a friend uses it everyday since the birth of her baby. Be empowered ladies – you can have MORE!!!! ALL of us who have chosen Young Living are passionate about living a life with more joy, hope and feel-good in our day. It would be an honor to share with you my WHY for OILS! Keep smiling – you were meant to shine!!! 281-292-1448 or txbridget@gmail.com.
Has anyone tried making perfume by adding vodka to the recipe? If so, did it make a difference in the staying power of your perfume?
I would like to make this! I already have a few base notes and top notes. I don’t have any of the middle notes shown above. Are there others? What about Tea Tree, is it a base, middle or top? Thanks!
Hello Kristen. Tea Tree is considered a middle note. I hope that helps with your experimenting! Thanks for stopping by with your question.
Vegetable oil? Really. I would use Jojoba, grapeseed etc
Myrrh, neroli, Bergamot and orange sound really great together
I love the blog, but people who want to start with up with Young Living and don’t have a sponsor or enrolled can contact to and sign-up directly. Young Living then places them. I would prefer this over all the sales contact info being thrown at them
I am interested in purchasing essential oils.
Hi Maggie! I would be happy to help get you started. You can use my link to sign up if you would like! https://queue.youngliving.com/softblock/?c=youngliving&e=prodmain&t=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youngliving.com%2Fvo%2F&cid=en-US&rticr=0 . Feel free to email me as well beyondoilywellness@gmail.com
I would be glad to help you.
Hi Maggie,
I would be glad to talk with you regarding essential oils and introduce you to Young Living Products. Please contact me Natural.Boundaries@comcast.net
Maggie,
I would love to walk you through an introduction to Young Living Essential Oils.
Hi Maggie! I’d be happy to assist you with essential oils! Contact me anytime.
Hi Maggie, I would love to help you get your oils. My email is gsaliba@comcast.net and my website is http://www.yldist.com/gwensaliba
Hello Maggie. If you need help please email me at oilenvisioner@gmail.com. I would be more then happy to help you.
Hi Maggie. I tried to comment they are not showing up. If you are still needing help please feel free to email me. I would love to help you. Oilenvisioner@gmail.com
Hi Maggie! Are you still interested in buying some oils? I would be happy to walk you through the process. You can become a YL membership and get great discounts and other awesome perks, or you can become a regular retail customer. Please feel free to email me at emilyjcurrier@gmail.com if you’re still interested. I look forward to hearing from you!
How would I make it into spray form?
Hey Caitlin. We have not made it into a spray form. However, you can try using the same recipe, but putting it into a glass perfume spray bottle. I would suggest also adding a little witch hazel to help with the perfume consistency and its evaporation once in contact with the skin. I know there there are also some DIY perfume recipes online. Feel free to experiment and if you discover an awesome recipe or blend, please share it with us! Thanks for shopping by with your question!
I have made a spray perfume using cheap vodka and it works great. Just add your oils then fill the rest with vodka and your all set. I hope this helps.
Could someone contact me about joining the Company with the oils side of the Business please? Thanks from sandy
Hi Sandy! I would love to introduce you to Young Living products and the business side of sharing. Please contact me: cathyturman@yahoo.com or become part of my team at yl.pe/8hp
Have you been in contact with anyone? I’d be happy to help you.
Hi you can join my team
Hey Sandy. Are you enrolled under someone already? If not, shoot me an email and I can help you out!
I would love to help you out if you haven’t already signed up with someone. My website is
http://www.myyl.com/mistyb1986
Hi Sandy, if you haven’t already joined Young Living, I would love to welcome you to our team. Oils have made a huge impact in the health and happiness of our family and now I get the JOY of sharing with others the same wellness, purpose and abundance. I would love to hear from you. ~Amie, oilycrunchypeople@gmail.com
I would be happy to help walk you through the sign up process to join the Young Living Essential Oil Company Family and answer any questions you may have. :)
I would be a be happy to walk you through the sign up process to join the Young Living Oil Company Family & to answer any questions you may have. :)
Did anyone contact you about the business side?
Hi Sandy! Did anyone contact you?
Hi Sandy, Has anyone contacted you? I’d be happy to help you with joining Young Living and the business side. My contact information is as follows.
I’m getting errors so not sure if my reply is going through. Would be happy to connect with you Sandy.
Has anyone contacted you Sandy?
Hello Sandy. Have you gotten anyone to help you. If not I’m more then happy to direct You.
kata_maros@yahoo.de
Hi Sandy, If you need any ideas and help would love to sponsor you. email me oilsofjoy@verizon.net
Hey Sandy, hopefully you received a contact! YL is a great company to join!
Hi!! I can help :)
Any suggestions for best blends for teenage girls?
Hey Sue! Honestly, it depends on the personality of the girls. However, for a more floral aroma I would recommend Joy, Geranium, Jasmine, or Ylang Ylang. For citrus scents maybe try Grapefruit, Tangerine, Lime, and Lemongrass. For a more energy-going oil you could try Peppermint or anything Eucalyptus. For a good do-to base note, I always love Cedarwood, especially because of its benefits to skin and hair. Also, throwing in a little Stress Away is always a good idea. Here is a post we did on DIY perfumes that might help you to better know what the teenage girls would enjoy: DIY Perfume But for the most part staying floral or citrus would be a good start. Hope that helps!
I absolutely loved your article! this article helped me do my research on the best essential oils for allergies. Especially the balance between the aromatic and therapeutic properties of different essential oils! Just wanted to drop by and give a shout out for you guys!
Love the label templates that you provided. It would be really cool if somehow we could print out an entire page of the same one. Blending is definitely an art, but also a science and it’s amazing how various fragrances can be created and just changing one ingredient can make a BIG difference. So fun!!! Thanks for the great blog post!
I thought we couldn’t use a YL label on our DIY? Just checking, I want to be compliant!
As long as you aren’t selling your DIY item, you can put the oils on there.
Can’t wait to make mine. I have been looking for perfume DIY . Thanks young Living 😊
Still learning, I’m collecting more oils but really excited about trying some for perfumes, want to learn more about the product
Thank you. I’ve been wanting to develop my own scents for a long time. I’ve discovered that as I age, the perfumes that I loved don’t smell as nice on me. Looking forward to exploring!
Patchouli, clove, ylang-ylang and tangerine. I think patchwork is a good name.
Is there something else other a vegetable oil to use as the carrier? I like to put the scent behind my ears or the back of my neck, but don’t like to see my hair get greasy.
Hi Kelly, Other carrier oils can be used with this DIY recipe. We suggest reviewing our post for other options that may better suit your preference. Thanks for stopping by with your question!
I use grapeseed oil
I use avacado oil
V6 is very light and absorptive.
I use Sweet Almond Oil :)
Thank you for this post. 🙂 I have been wanting to make my own perfume for a long time but wasn’t sure which scents,oils, to put together. I would love some examples for a men’s cologne. 💗
YL already has some great blends and singles that smell good on men – Abundance, Shutran, Idaho Blue Spruce, etc…
How do I know what would be considered a top note, middle note, or bottom note?
Hey Gloria, thanks for stopping by! We suggest looking up essential oils online and simple searches will allow you to find information on specific essential oil notes. Hope this helps!