What are your favorite scents?

OmSeaweed

Hi Great Dane!!! :)

I adore the co-mingled scents of Fig and Neroli, but those can be hard to find. Otherwise, I'm *besotted* by the smell of Sweetgrass (the actual grass, much more so than the incense variety--Sprouts sells the incense, Whole Foods, I think, sells the essential oil and the grass braids, at last I looked, could be found at Changing Hands Bookstore or at many of the Pow Wows.)

(Yeah! LeaRoseQuartz! I didn't know there was anyone else out there who loved Neroli, too! :) )
 

greatdane

Sounds GREAT, OM!

Just noticed something had been added to this thread! Oh, so many great threads to watch, so little time :)). I'll have to check that out. It sounds very lovely.
 

Briar Rose

One time I put pure Bergamont oil in my bathwater, and it gave me a severe rash that looked like chicken pocks, every inch of me was like that. I gave up on oils after that.
 

Ana's Song

Briar Rose said:
One time I put pure Bergamont oil in my bathwater, and it gave me a severe rash that looked like chicken pocks, every inch of me was like that. I gave up on oils after that.

Hi hun, I think this is because you probably used cold-pressed bergamot essential oil. Bergamot oil has a chemical component to it called furocoumarin or bergaptine which is a very well-known skin sensitiser. In fact you should not even use bergamot oil when you go outside as the UV in the sun's rays can react badly with the bergamot and cause photosensitasation! Most icky.

If you want to use bergamot on your skin (including in the bath) make SURE you get bergamot essential oil that is marked "FCF-free" or on the label states clearly that it has been treated to remove the furocoumarin/bergaptine. This renders it safe for skincare and also for use when you go out in the sun or in UV situations like a tanning bed.

FCF-free bergamot doesn't always smell as yum as the untreated stuff though but look around and you should be able to get some good stuff out there eventually. As for what's left of the bergamot that made you break out, if you still have it then I'm sure it would be yum in an aromalamp used to scent your room :)
 

Ana's Song

As for me, I can't stand neroli or jasmine. I don't know why! They sound so delicious when people speak about them but when I got some of each oil (really good quality stuff too), I just couldn't handle smelling them. I'm really sad about that and I know I'll get lynched for saying that the neroli hydrosol I have in my fridge now even reminds me of used gym socks...

LOL

My favourite scent is actually the old-school Shalimar by Guerlain. It has a really exotic mix of scents, very dark and mysterious, and I think it's because it has opoponax (sweet myrrh) in it and it really transforms the vanilla base (vanilla is a smell that I usually find more cloying than scrummy).

Told you guys I've got a bit of a weird nose. I love resiny myrrh as well but can't handle frankincense (smells like halitosis to me) and also adore helichrysum or immortelle/everlasting, which I think smells like delectably dark honey but others think smell like gym socks... LOL
 

Milfoil

Even in a burner, some essential oils like Bergamot (which is my absolute favourite) can cause skin rashes on exposed skin (guess how I found that out) so its good to do some research and learning around them first to see which you can safely use.

As a society we have been lulled into thinking that anything on the shop shelves must be safe yet only a fool would pick an unknown plant, rub it on their skin then wonder why they had a nasty rash. Just because things are bottled for us to buy doesn't make them automatically safe and what is safe on one, may be an allergen to someone else.

I also love Geranium.

A nice mix is orange oil, Geranium and Patchouli.
 

Dusk Till Dawn

I can't use any oils, my Bird would probably die, so I cuse incense sticks, most of the time Sandalwood and Jasmin. But I know a good way of getting rid of awful Homeowners, by burning a mixture with Tonka Beans.. It took a while , but it worked.
 

amethyst57

I use incense,not oils...favorites are patchouli, rose, lilac, lavender, sandalwood, cinnamon, and
there's a powder form called 'Seance' (moon magick?) I got as a freebie from Isis Books & Gifts...don't know what's in the powder one, smells wonderful as is or when it's burning....
 

Ambrosia

I am a HUGE perfume and EO lover. Huge!
As far as Patchouli oil goes, I buy mine here in NZ so cannot recommend a dealer online but... Patchouli oil gets better with age. When it is newly distilled is can be very harsh and off-putting but after a few months, or even better, years, it develops a wonderful mellow sweet tenacity. ALWAYS let your patchouli age! On the contrary, citrus oils don't last very long at all and should be bought and used in small amounts.
Patchouli mixed in equal amounts with orange and/or Ylang Ylang is divine!

My favourite oils are ~

Ylang Ylang
Cedarwood Atlas
Jasmine Grandiflorum
Lavender True
Patchouli
Carnation
Sandalwood
Vetiver
Boronia
Fir Balsam Absolute
Cocoa Absolute
Black Current Absolute

Also, EOs and Absolutes are extremely concentrated and often need to be diluted to about 3% before their real beauty is evident.

I am also a fan of the "classics" such as the older Guerlains (L'Heure Bleue, Mitsouko, Shalimar), Chanel No 5, Arpege, Diorissimo, L'Air du Temps, Miss Dior, the list goes on.

I LOVE Lush and their solid perfumes too, and pretty much have them all. If you like Patchouli you should try their Tramp shower gel (pure patchouli), or the Karma line.

I also dabble in natural perfumery so I LOVE to blend oils to make new perfumes. Blissful indeed!
 

caridwen

I'm making my own shea butter body balm and am using coconut, sweet almond and jojoba oil. As a scent I am going to use black pepper and sandalwood!:D