Fragrance Oil Blending 101

When it comes to blending fragrances, there is no right or wrong. 

As you begin working with scents regularly, you’ll find that your nose for fragrance gets more and more refined. Just like with food and wine, as you’re working with and paying attention to the subtleties of different aromas, the more you’ll find your sense of smell evolving. Blending is a great way to “exercise” your nose and allows you to tweak fragrances to your own tastes and create your own candle scents. Not to mention...it’s just plain fun!  

That said, it can seem a little intimidating to get started. But never fear, anyone can become a fragrance mixologist—all it takes is a bit of know-how and a little creativity.

When we describe the character of a fragrance, we talk about it in terms of top notes, middle notes, and base notes. The way the fragrance notes combine is what gives every scent its own unique profile. 

• The top notes of a fragrance are what you smell first, the aromas that give you an initial impression and draw you in. Top notes are usually lighter in smell and tend to be citrusy or soft florals. These are the most volatile notes, meaning that they tend to fade more quickly than the others. 
  
  
• The middle notes, also referred to as the “heart,” provide a balance between the top and base notes. These are usually bright florals, gourmands, fruits, or lighter woods. The middle notes are usually the most prominent aromas you will smell when a candle is burning.  
  
  
• Base notes are the anchor of every fragrance, lending depth and longevity to the aroma. Typically these notes will be things like vanilla, spices, musks, woods, or amber. These are the notes that tend to linger in a room after a candle is extinguished and leave a lasting impression of the scent. 

Paying attention to the fragrance notes is a great way to identify good scent combinations you might want to try—and it also helps develop your nose!

When you’re thinking about fragrance blends you want to try, we recommend starting with fragrances with which you already have some familiarity. Having that knowledge of how a standalone scent performs regarding the cold and hot throws will help you perfect your desired blend more easily.  

The best way to begin your blending adventure is by jumping right in! Using blotter strips is a quick and easy way to test out different fragrance combinations and start training your nose to pick out the notes. Here’s how to use them:

1. Dip the blotter into the fragrance bottle, using the red lines at the tip to guide you. If you want one fragrance to have a stronger presence, dip that one to the second line. If you want a 50/50 blend, dip both to the first line. 
2. Allow the blotter strips to dry for about 10 seconds.
3. Hold the blotters together and fan them under your nose a few times until you get a good impression of the blend.

You’re probably ready to test out a few of your blend ideas, but first...

What makes a fragrance a good blender?

That’s simple: simplicity! When you’re learning and getting your process down try to stick to more basic scents for the best results. If you do want to try a blend with a more complex fragrance, make sure to keep the other fragrance/s simple. 

Fragrance blending is lots of fun, but it’s also a great way to differentiate your brand. Custom scents that can’t be found anywhere else entice customers to return again and again. Not to mention, you can create an entirely new fragrance library without the need to buy, test, and evaluate new fragrances! 

Blending is also the perfect opportunity to flex those creative muscles! Scent blends can spark some attention-grabbing fragrance names, label designs, and other fun branding ideas. To get you started, here are a few scent name ideas we came up with:

• A Currant Affair: Black Currant and Jasmine + White Currant
• Winter Woods: White Birch + Fireside + Cranberry Woods
• Secret Garden/Midnight Garden: Moonflower Nectar + Sandalwood
• Island Breeze: Pineapple Sage + Sea Mist
• Summer of Love: Patchouli + Rose Petals
• Seas the Day: Sea Minerals + Citrus Sunshine
• For Peeps Sake: Campfire Marshmallow + Pink Sugar Crystals

If you prefer a bit of direction when blending, our fragrance blending wheel can help! You might already be familiar with a color wheel or remember seeing it in art class—the concept is largely the same with the fragrance wheel. There are a few different ways to use these reference wheels, but we suggest getting started with complementary and kindred notes.

• Complementary notes are opposite each other on the fragrance blending wheel. Fruity and aromatic, spicy and floral, and gourmand and citrus are a few examples of complementary blends. Selecting complementary notes for your blend will result in a complex, well-balanced fragrance. 
• Kindred notes are beside each other on the wheel. If we start with a woody note, then we know its kindred counterparts are aromatic and amber. These blends are harmonic and familiar, and typically include notes that are easily recognizable.

Think about some of your favorite fragrances. Can you tell which categories their notes fall into? The combination of woody and green notes makes Dry Gin and Cypress an example of a complementary blend, while Golden Santal uses kindred notes in amber, woody, and aromatic categories. 

The fragrance wheel is a helpful resource for inspiration and guidance, but remember that these pairings are suggestions, not strict rules.

These blends are tried, tested, and Candle Scientist-approved!

• Lavender Embers + Black Violet and Saffron

• Tomato Leaf + Garden Mint

• Moonflower Nectar + Petrichor

• Petrichor + Oakmoss and Amber 

• Hibiscus Palm + Sandalwood

• Nag Champa + Egyptian Amber

• Grapefruit and Mangosteen + Vetiver

• Lavender + Baby Powder

• White Tea + Rain Water

• Chocolate Fudge + Cake

• Peach Nectar + Red Ginger Saffron

• Watermelon + Watermint and Clementine

• Lavender + Rosemary Sage

• Lavender + Garden Mint

• Vetiver + Fallen Leaves

• Limoncello Creme + Strawberry Cheesecake

• French Lilac + Ocean Breeze

• Green Tea and Lemongrass + Himalayan Bamboo

• Cotton and Iris + Fresh Cut Grass

• Pumpkin Pie + Creme Brulee

• Passionfruit Pineapple + Beachwood

• Amber and Driftwood + Egyptian Amber

• Fraser Fir + Frankincense and Myrrh

• Gingerbread + Snickerdoodle

• Lavender Driftwood + Sea Minerals

• Sandalwood + Grapefruit and Mangosteen

• Rosemary Sage + Garden Mint

• Oakmoss and Amber + White Sage and Lavender

• Fireside + Creme Brulee

• Amber and Driftwood + Caribbean Teakwood

• English Garden + French Lilac

• Cypress and Bayberry + Blue Spruce

• Vetiver + Library

Snag some fragrance oil blend ideas from your fellow makers!

• Orange Blossom + Hydrangea
  --Jennifer S. via Facebook

• Leather + Egyptian Amber + Fireside
  --Tawnya M. via Facebook

• Oakmoss and Amber + Sea Mist
  --Eric S. via Facebook

• Watermelon + Fresh Picked Cucumber
  --LaTrina H. via Facebook

• Oakmoss and Amber + Leather
  [email protected] via Instagram

• Fireside + Very Vanilla + Creme Brulee = Toasted Marshmallow
  --Christina C. via Facebook

• Orange Blossom + Blood Orange
  --Maureen S. via Facebook

• Macintosh Apple + Fallen Leaves
  --Denise M. via Facebook

• Baby Powder + Cotton Candy
  --Denise M. via Facebook

• Whiskey + Library
  --Da H. via Facebook

• Fireside + Fallen Leaves
  --Jessee M. via Facebook

• Lavender + Vetiver + Magnolia and Peony
  --Sara B. via Facebook

• Amber Noir + Caribbean Teakwood
  --Simone H.M. via Facebook

• Orange Blossom + Patchouli
  --Theresa T. via Facebook

• Pumpkin Chai + Fresh Coffee
  --Angela S. via Facebook

• Apple Harvest + Strudel and Spice
  --Christina S. via Facebook

• English Garden + Peach Nectar
  --Marija Z. via Facebook

• Cedarwood Vanilla + White Tea
  --Sara B. via Facebook

• Cypress and Bayberry + Red Currant
  --Sara B. via Facebook

• Whiskey + Hazelnut Coffee
  --Ginny W. via Facebook