How to Create Shalimar From Essential Oils

Create your own Shalimar perfume with vanilla and other essential oils.

Invented by Jacques Guerlain in 1921, Shalimar attracts countless women with its musky and subtly layered scent. Often described as having vanilla overtones with floral notes, Shalimar is also expensive, topping the markets at over $200 for a 3 or 4 oz. bottle as of 2010. Don't worry, though. With some experimentation and a little bit of patience, you can replicate the Shalimar fragrance almost exactly.

Things You'll Need

• Distilled water
• 100 percent proof vodka or other grain alcohol
• Small glass measuring cup
• Measuring spoons
• Popsicle sticks
• Lemon
• Bergamot
• Mandarin
• Rosewood
• Patchouli
• Rose
• Jasmine
• Orris root
• Vetiver
• Opoponax
• Vanilla
• Benzoin
• Balsam de Peru
• Shalimar sample fragrance card

Instructions

1. Pour 2 cups of distilled water and 2 tbsp. of vodka (or other grain alcohol) into a small glass measuring cup. Stir lightly to mix the two. The water holds the fragrance while the vodka preserves the mixture and prevents algae and mold.

2. Add about 2 drops of each of your essential oils to the measuring cup. Gently mix them in with a wooden Popsicle stick. Lean down and breathe in the scent from your mixture. Take a breath of unscented air and sniff your Shalimar sample card.

3. Compare the two scents to determine which essential oils you need more of. If the Shalimar smells sweeter and deeper than your mix, add more vanilla or rose oil. If it smells muskier, add a little more patchouli or bergamot. Sniff the card and then each of your oils to determine which ones dominate the scent.

4. Add only 1 or 2 drops of each essential oil at a time. More than that and you risk ruining your mix and needing to start over. You can always add, but can't take back out. Once your mixture is as close to smelling like your card as possible, pour the mixture carefully into a glass spray bottle. Screw the cap on tightly and store the perfume in a cool, dark area.

References

• Herbs Medical Use: Perfume Recipes Using Essential Oils
• Perfume Shrine: Shalimar by Guelain Review and History