# Fragrance Low / Medium / High Notes



## DWinMadison (Dec 2, 2014)

Do you guys subscribe to the LMH school of thought when combining fragrances?

http://www.soap-making-essentials.com/essential-oils.html#.VH1HDIhOKrU


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## lionprincess00 (Dec 2, 2014)

I didn't. I use the "what sounds good" school of thought haha. I had a scent I hated, mixed it with several others I thought MAY help it, and dropped the mixed scents onto toilet paper. Baggied them. Sniffed each one after several hours, a day, two days, and find the one who smells the best.
Since top notes fade a bunch, it needs a good day to "ripen the scent" you could say. So I test mixes on toilet paper in a baggie. I don't consider the notes when I choose what to mix, but I look for the main notes after they sit to see what the soap will most likely smell like after curing.


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## JustBeachy (Dec 2, 2014)

I use the concept of notes as a good rule of thumb. But have found the rules aren't always infallible and you can bend them occasionally with some good results. Like two base notes with a top note, 3 middle notes, etc. I love playing with scent blending.


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## Susie (Dec 2, 2014)

I start out with an idea of what I want, then mix til I either hit it, or decide it can't be done and do something else.  I have learned to put a drop of the mixture on a bit of paper towel and into a bag to let it sit a day or so to make sure it is going to still smell right later.


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## Dahila (Dec 2, 2014)

In a small jar I make my blend with and close it, after few days it is ready,  I make a few of that samples and we already found our favorite scent.


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## TVivian (Dec 2, 2014)

I use q tips in a jar one for each "part" I find that base notes almost always take over and dominate so I just mix what I like and hope it sticks!


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## DeeAnna (Dec 2, 2014)

The top, mid (heart), and base note theory is worth using, if only as a starting point. The highly volatile fragrances (the top notes) create the strongest first impression of the fragrance, but don't last as long. The moderately volatile mid-notes give a deeper undertone to the top notes and last a bit longer. The low volatility base notes last the longest. In the first impression of a blend, I think the depth and warmth of the base note fragrance balances and mellows the brightness of the mid and top notes. 

The overall impression of a fragrance in a wash-off product like soap will be different than if you use the same fragrance in, say, a lotion or perfume that stays on the body, so it's good if you can try a fragrance blend in the product(s) that you are likely to use it in before making a final opinion about the fragrance.

To prevent the base notes from dominating, try 3 parts top note, 2 parts mid note, and 1 part base note as a starting point.


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## Moody Glenn (Dec 2, 2014)

TVivian said:


> I use q tips in a jar one for each "part" I find that base notes almost always take over and dominate so I just mix what I like and hope it sticks!


Hello! This is what I also do TVivian. I guess my fragrances are mostly medium and base notes. I develop ratios like 1:1; 2:1 1:2:1; 3:1 even 4:1 of whatever combo of scents I will use. I try to find fragrances that closely relate to each other and combine them with these ratios. Each number represents the number of q-tips in a small jar. For simplicity sake I try to combine only two or three fragrances (FO's and/or EO's) in different ratios. 

I only soap with immediately recognizable fragrances but strive to enhance or magnify each fragrance. This greatly helps in "sticking" the fragrance. For example, a pine FO mixed with a little peppermint EO in a 4:1 ratio greatly 'magnifies' the pine scent. The reverse is also wonderful: a 4:1 ratio of peppermint to pine. Here the mint is more fresh smelling but also has long term sticking power due to the pine. But the key is finding the right ratios (thus amounts) of scents to use.


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## IrishLass (Dec 2, 2014)

lionprincess00 said:


> I use the "what sounds good" school of thought haha.



Hey- we go to the same school! lol 

I don't do a whole lot of blending, but when I do, it's mostly because 2 different scents have caught the attention of my nose to the extent that I think they might actually smell good together.

I have some perfume tester strips from MMS that I use for this purpose, although I sometimes use a small .25 oz glass bottle w/cover and just add drops to it.

I start out with a 1:1 ratio and then change the amounts of each from there depending on what my sniffer likes. Not very scientific, I know, but it works for me.

I came up with an awesome OMH this way (5 parts Daystar's Milk Sugar Kisses to 2 parts Oregon Trails OMH). And best of all, it soaps great, too. 


IrishLass


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## lionprincess00 (Dec 2, 2014)

Nice suggestion on omh!! I can NOT for the life of me find an omh I like, yet. Must check these out!!


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## IrishLass (Dec 2, 2014)

I know what you mean, Lionprincess! The ones that I've tried have either smelled too much like cherry almond or else too spicy/cinnamon-y in my CP. I was never able to find 'the one' until I came up with my blend. 


 IrishLass


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## lionprincess00 (Dec 2, 2014)

Cherry almond, Blech! All my almonds are too sweet or cherry. I want a crisp clean almond with NO sweet and NO cherry. That's a current mission of mine. Well that and of course the omh.


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