Let's make some Sense about Scents without spending a lot of Cents!

Depending on your skin type these scented body splashes can last for about three to four hours. Because oily skin contains more natural moisture it won't suck in as much of the scents as a dry or a combination skin would. Also the amount of acidity or pH level that your skin type contains will determine how a fragrance reacts with your skin. If your system is undergoing hormonal changes, if you're pregnant, on your monthly cycle, menopausal, stressed, etc. these can all affect how different scent smell on you and the duration that they will last on your skin. Even certain types of medication can change the smell of your favorite fragrance.

The different types in addition to the variations in ph levels of the skin is the reason that some perfumes or fragrances smell different on different people.

I like a fresh light not overly sweet smell type of body splash which I have been complimented on numerous times yet when one of my friends used it on herself it almost made me gag. And that smell lasted on her almost a full day.

Now it is also commonly known that if you want your scent to last as long as possible on your skin you have to layer it. All that means is that you should use two or three products of the same scent. For example: the soap or body wash you use should have the same scents as your body lotion or cream and your body splash. So right after your shower with your fave body wash and while your skin is still damp and your pores open, apply your body cream which contains the same essential oils as your body splash.

Also remember that a small light application to your pulse points (base of the neck, between the breasts, wrists, insides of the elbows, ankles and behind the knees) during the day will stretch out your scent even longer.

Like I said before you will need to experiment with the scents and find just the right combination for you.

Just make a 1/4 of the recipe until you get just the right combo for you.

Summer Citrus Body splash

Ingredients:

1/2 cup/125ml distilled water

1 thinly sliced lemon

1 thinly sliced orange

1 thinly sliced tangerine

1/4 leaves fresh lemon verbena

3-4 fresh mint leaves

1/2 cup rose petals (optional)

1 teaspoon of rose water

1 cup/250ml either Vodka or 40%(drinking) Alcohol

Methodology:

Combine fruit and lemon verbena, mint and rose petals in a blender with the distilled water and liquefy. Add alcohol and rosewater. Pour into a jar with tight closing lid. Let stand in a cool dark area for 6-7 days, shaking the jar twice daily. Strain liquid using a small strainer or cheesecloth then again through a coffee filter pour into a dark colored jar or bottle. Use in a small spritzer bottle. The strength of the scent will start to diminish after a couple of months if left out, but will last well 6 months + refrigerated. On me it smells mostly lemony with a very light undertone of rose and mint. The mint gives it a nice cooling, refreshes tingle on your skin, awesomly cooling when it's really hot.

This is my year round recipe... remember that essential oils are volatile... that means they evaporate if left uncapped

Ingredients:

1 cup/250ml vodka or 40% drinking alcohol

60 drops lavender essential oil

25 drops geranium essential oil

25 drops bergamot essential oil

25 drops lemon essential oil

8 drops rosemary essential oil

2 drops of sandalwood essential oil

1/4 cup/65ml distilled or boiled water

Methodology:

You will need a sterilized preferably dark glass bottle with a tight-fitting stopper. Combine all ingredients into the bottle. Let stand for 1 week, shaking daily. Then leave undisturbed for 4 to 6 weeks. Keep in a cool, dark place. Divide it up into 2-3 small bottles. Remember about it being volatile so work really quickly and stopper it as soon as possible. Keep the extra bottle FULL to capacity to make the scent last.

Every-so-often it happens that there is some left over, after 4 months or so I just add a few drops of lavender oil into the remainders and then it's not prefect but still usable.

Here's a recipe you can try it's as fresh and light as can be. I make this one up for my older daughter.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup/125ml distilled water

1 cup Vodka or 40% (drinking) alcohol

30 drops Lily-of-the-valley essential oil

25 drops rose essential oil

15 drops lemon verbena essential or fragrance oil

6 drops mandarin essential or fragrance oil

6 drops orange essential or fragrance oil

1 drop cedarwood essential oil

Methodology:

You will need a sterilized preferably dark glass bottle with a tight fitting stopper. Combine all ingredients into the bottle. Let stand for 1 week, shaking daily twice. Then let it rest for 4-6 weeks. Keep in a cool and dark place. Divide it up into 2-3 small bottles. Keep the extra bottles FULL to capacity to make the scent last. It can loose some of it's potency inside the bottle too if left for longer then 6-8 months add a couple of drops of your favorite essential oil... just to rejuvenate the Body splash.

You need to experiment to find the scents that are pleasing to you. I find that certain scents that I really do not care for don't seem to mesh with my personality either. Here is a list that you should check out.

Perfumers use these terms for the fragrances... base, middle & top notes. These 'notes' just mean that these scents are in the blends... the top would be the strongest, middle would be less and then the base would just be a hint of the scents. Perfumers discuss this similarly as the wine makers and tasters. Don't let it become too complicated. To start with pick two of the smells you like and then try them together a little at a time. Try one from each of the notes and when you come close to something you like then make a 1/4 of a batch or even less. Keep accurate notes of how much you use and what order you have added them too... sometimes even that can make a bit of a difference in the final scent.

Base notes: cinnamon, sandal wood, vanilla

Middle notes:lemongrass, geranium, bergamot, (ylang-ylang I use this one really sparingly because I find it over-trumps most everything 1 drop to 20 off all else)

Top notes: lavender, rose, Lily of the valley, lemon, lime, tangerine, orchid

Once you figure out how easy Body splashes or Eau de Toilettes are to make, nothing will stand in your way of attempting to make your own body lotions, soaps and even perfumes. We'll save that for another hub though. you need time to play with the body splashes first.

Don't forget these make awesome gifts for birthdays and Christmas too. If you're interested in men's scents and after shaves drop my an e-mail and I put together a hub about them too.