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With scented oils from flowers and spices, you can create an array of perfumes that are...

The scent of freshly mowed grass wafts through the window, and suddenly, vividly, you're transported to a summer afternoon in childhood ... the aroma of a familiar dish reaches your nostrils, and once again you're home for the holidays ... a stray whiff of cologne from a passing stranger brings to mind the joy and pain of an old love affair.

Who hasn't had experiences like these? Our sense of smell, though little understood, often overwhelms us with such potent evocations. Since fragrances are so emotionally stirring, aroma therapists believe you can put their subconscious messages to work for you, expressing your moods and influencing those around you. In other words, the cologne you wear can actively affect your life.

Anyone who buys commercially prepared perfumes will testify that the cost of even small amounts can be astronomical. You don't have to pay out large sums of money for fine fragrances, however: You can make your own perfumes!

FRAGRANCE FAMILIES

Perfumers claim that the spectrum of fragrances can be divided into a few basic categories, each with its own character and emotional effects. To create a perfume that's tailored to your individual personality, you need to determine which of these families is your favorite. One way to do so is by rating each of the scents on the following chart. Think of them as simple odors, rather than as perfumes to wear, and check the appropriate columns.

Notice where most of your "strongly like" ratings fall. People generally find that their favorite scents belong in one of the following categories:

Numbers 1-5 correspond to the natural animal essences of musk, ambergris, civet, and the less familiar castoreum. These blunt, sultry odors may seem unpleasant or even rancid in their pure state (folklore claims that sniffing natural raw musk can be fatal!), but weaker synthetic forms are almost always substituted for these rare, costly secretions. In perfumes, they impart a dark note of primitive, exotic mystery. It has even been said that, since they're similar to human secretions, they can inspire desire!

Numbers 6-10 belong to the spicy, woody, bitter family. Spices such as cinnamon and clove are the most familiar members of this group—which also includes cedar, oak moss, sandalwood, vetiver, and myrrh, as well as many seeds, roots, and barks. Alone, these fragrances can be astringent, acidic, bitter, or acrid—but when they're blended with other scents, they have a refreshing, activating quality. To appreciate how invigorating they are, just add a dash of cinnamon to your ground coffee. As it brews, it will spread a warm, wake-up aroma through the house.

The third group, Numbers 11-15, represents the fresh, green, saplike, herbal fragrances. These healthy, clean odors include pine, eucalyptus, camphor, citrus, lavender, and balsam, as well as some culinary herbs such as marjoram, basil, and rosemary. Although pure herbal essences can be obnoxious and overpowering (witness pine-scented cleaning agents and camphorated mothballs), they add a pleasantly brisk "edge" when blended in perfumes. Many commercial men's colognes, with their stimulating sharpness, are based on this "green" group.

The last five fragrances, Numbers 16-20, represent the floral family. Flower scents can be soft, sweet, and mellow, but in concentrated forms, they can be heavy and cloying, causing headaches or nausea, and dulling the senses. When properly balanced, however, floral fragrances are said to be psychologically calming, and can alleviate stress, induce relaxation, and even produce mild euphoria. Hundreds of fine feminine perfumes are blended of floral essences. With the exception of the lighter, pollenlike lily scents, such as lily of the valley and daffodil, flower perfumes communicate serenity and maturity.

Most commercial perfumes are based on one of these four families. To provide harmony and excitement, blenders—other fragrances which may belong to the same family or may contrast with it—are mixed with the main scent. Solvents (usually called diluents) cut and thin the basic oils, while fixatives such as orrisroot and benzoin are added to preserve the volatile essences. Using these same elements and procedures, you can create your own signature perfume.

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