Making a perfume spray out of oil

Supplies needed
In order to transform a perfume oil into a sprayable version, both amateurs and professional brands do the same - mix the oils with an alcohol based solution, sometimes called Perfumer's Alcohol. In short, what you need is:


 * 1) Perfume oil of your choosing
 * 2) Alcohol based solution
 * 3) Syringes, pipettes, something to measure and move both the oil and the alcohol
 * 4) Empty sprayable bottle - find some here.

Anything plastic that touches a perfume oil will most likely retain it's smell, even when cleaning it with soap and using the washing machine, thus you'll need a pipette per oil.

You can get empty perfume bottles online on stores like Aliexpress, eBay or Amazon, or even on local supply shops. You can find some tried and tested bottles here.

Perfumer's Alcohol alternatives
Since it's a flammable liquid, unless you live in a country that either has local producers or importers, getting it might be a little tough. eBay, Amazon and your local classifieds website should give you an idea.

Onto the alternatives - the key ingredient is always the same - ethyl alcohol. The concentration of this molecule is the difference between an insoluble mixture and an alcohol smelling mess. This video clearly illustrates how the different percentages influence the final result. In short, the best concentration is around the 95%. In some countries, this can be acquired in the hygiene department of every supermarket - check your own and see which options you have.

Choosing the right ratios
How much alcohol should you add to your oil? It depends. Putting it simply, the higher the concentration of the oil, the longer the perfume should last. Too high of a concentration will make it harder to spray and might probably stain your clothes. Too low and the smell of the alcohol might be overpowering, while the overall smell will evaporate sooner.

In the experiences documented on Fragrantica's forum, 20% seems to be the golden ratio. That is, for every 2ml of oil, you should add 8ml of your alcohol based solution. The variables that should affect your decision making here are how big do you want the sillage to be (higher concentrations usually have a bigger sillage) and how strong is your fragrance by nature (winter fragrances are already really strong, a perfume version might make them a smell bomb). You should try it first with a small quantity and choose the ratio is pleases you most.

Mixing process
With all the necessary ingredients, you can start the experiments.

There isn't much to it. Add the oil and the alcohol to the bottle and shake it vigorously for 30 to 60 seconds.

Make sure there are no "bubbles" of oil and that the whole mixture is uniform. If you see a clear difference between the alcohol and the oil, you might have a low concentration alcohol or too much oil.

The end mixture should have the same tone as the oil before the process.

To the right, you see a 20ml bottle with 4ml of Nasomatto - Black Afgano oil from APO mixed with 16ml of 96% ethanol from a local supermarket.

Resting period and final remarks
Perfumes should not be used right away. There isn't much literature on the issue, but one should give 3 to 6 weeks before trying it, to let the oil and the alcohol really settle in. After that, feel free to use it as any perfume you buy from your local shops, you've reached your destination.

Remember to keep the perfume outside humid and/or hot environments, avoid the sun, and the perfume shall last a while.