Honeysuckle

There's nothing sweeter than a childhood memory scented by honeysuckle. It was always one of my favorite things about visiting my grandmother's house growing up. The bushes were so out of control that they were threatening to overtake the pathway to the front yard. I didn't mind. You could smell the sweet buds from across the yard. Few things are better to me.

One of the difficulties I've come across in this process of preparing to make perfumes is that honeysuckle essential oil is nearly nonexistent. When you do find it, it is so outrageously priced that it's not worth it. I noticed last year that at my apartment complex along the fence, there are honeysuckle bushes. I did some more research (no surprise there) and have hopefully found a way to help capture the scent of honeysuckle. 

I took as many flowers as I could manage to pluck from the bush (most hadn't bloomed yet) and put them into a baggy. I squeezed the flowers through the baggy gently to lightly bruise them (hopefully releasing more oil).

Next I put them into a clean mason jar. 

I'm quickly learning why it's so expensive to make honeysuckle essential oils. You think you have enough flowers, but the truth is, you don't. 

Next I poured in an entire bottle (16 oz) of Grapeseed Oil and shook it all together gently. 

Now it is resting peacefully near the windowsill. Here it will sit for 2 days. After 2 days, the process will be repeated using the same oil from the first batch. It will be repeated a total of 3 more times. Considering that the flowers didn't smell as fragrant as I recalled, I will most likely be repeating it again another time or two. 

Here's to hoping. Wish me luck.