Create a Custom Blend Scent

For perfectly personal perfume!

Want a perfume that's totally you? Here's an easy technique for whipping up your own eau.

• Start with two essential oils, which you can find in the natural-food section of the grocery store. Don't try to mix more than two oils together; the overall aroma can become too overwhelming.

• Pair oils with ingredients of a similar colour; it's a perfumer's trick for knowing which notes will complement each other. For example, combine things that are yellow (sunflower and lemon), purple (lavender and jasmine), or brown (cocoa bean and sandalwood).

• Fill a small vial (the size of a perfume sample) with equal parts of both oils. Shake to blend. If one component is overpowering the other, tweak proportions accordingly. Store in a cool, dry place to preserve it.