So confused

I have done a massive amount of research for my perfume making plan. One thing that I keep coming across is conflicting statements regarding the use of alcohol in perfume. Some claim it's illegal unless you obtain a permit from the ATF, some say it's perfectly okay. Well? Which is it? I went straight to the source to try to find the answer and ended up right where I started. I still don't know. And I don't know who to ask to find out.

In other news, I am completely disappointed. Being new to all of this, I didn't realize that there is no such thing as essential oils from fruit. Oh sure a few citruses, but no fruit like strawberries or melon. They can be found in "Fragrance Oils" instead of "Essential Oils", but the problem with that is that FOs are artificial and chemical, kind of defeats the purpose of making natural perfume. I suppose I'll just have to stick to the normal things. Good news is, I did find a couple of sellers that have Cocoa and Coffee EOs. Yummy!

A Plan of Sorts

My mom has given me permission to turn my old bedroom at the house into a workshop. Or Mad Scientist's Laboratory as I like to call it. It would appear that I'm going to have to wait until after Heath and Suzie's wedding before I can work on setting it up. I found a few things when I went shopping on my birthday, mainly just things that I found to be pleasing aesthetically, but I did come across this amazing Pyrex coffee pot. I think it will be great for double boiling.

Everything that is in the room is going to have to be rearranged. It didn't take long after I moved out for it to become a storage room for junk (some of it my own). So the first thing on the list is to have a yard sale. All of those porcelain dolls given to me years ago are taking up way too much room. Besides, if I sell stuff that means more money for essential oils, right? That's great considering it's going to take me a while to save that much money. I estimated that it will take probably over $300 to get a comprehensive collection, and that's just the oils. There's still carrier oils, bottles and all sorts of other supplies I'm going to have to acquire too. Thinking about it is making me anxious. No more books, no more stuff just for the hell of it, and no fast food (not that I enjoy it anyway). All money saved goes to the Jar of Dreams.

A Dream Realized

I believe that my life long obsession with all things that smell good stems from my mom's perfume bottle collection. Now mind you, the bottles were always empty when she acquired them, but I remember as a kid when she would find a new one at a flea market. Her excitement was always over her new prize, mine was always over the curiosity. What had the perfume smelled like? What made the lady that had it before buy it? What drew her to the perfume? Did she wear it during a special time in her life?


Someone once told me that scent is the strongest reminder for a person. Imagine if you could create something that just one whiff of would make someone smile or laugh. 


I've been working at a perfume counter in a drug store for 2 and a half years now. I love it. It's not a glamorous job, but I am gifted with the ability to smell all of the perfumes that I want. I get to help people pick out their new favorite scent. I have quite the gift for determining what someone will like, just from them giving me descriptions of what they've worn before. 


So here we are. I want to make perfumes. But I don't want to just mix perfumes. I want to make oils. I want to grow the herbs to make the oils. I want to go through the trial and error process and get frustrated. If all of this means that I get to do something I love, then so be it. 


I want to make perfume.