The Perfumer's Wizard

Image Mind Map

Will my perfume meet my expectations the first time?

Typically the perfume will be about 90% there. It will have all the descriptors you selected but most clients will want something adjusted. Like getting a suit or dress custom made it needs a fitting or two to adjust it. That is why we recommend opting for the Perfumer's Modification when ordering. Realistically, although it is often perfect the first time, prepare to adjust it yourself or have it adjusted via a Perfumer's Modification 3 to 5 times.

The ABCs of Perfumery Graph

i. Type in a memorable name for your perfume
ii. Then adjust the ABCs up or down

Tip especially check out these groups that can quickly OVERPOWER a fragrance:
A- Aldehyde Fatty soapy
E- Edible vegetable nut
F- Fruity smells
G- Green
P- Phenol medicinal
T- Tar n Smoke burnt
These are fine when that's what we intend but more than 1% can quickly take over a light or floral perfume.

What are The ABCs of Perfumery? - (Opens in another Tab.)

How simple or complex do you want your perfume to be?
Keep it Simple - The Wizard will try to keep the materials to about 10
Medium - will use about 25 materials, a typical short formula for fine perfumery.
Custom* - is a Premium feature and you can choose 5-50 materials
5 = makes a Simple Accord
6-15 = a Light Perfume
15-25 = a Modern Style Perfume
25-35 = a Classic Style Perfume
35-50 = a Heavier Perfume

Note: Generally those with less experience with perfume enjoy simple to understand perfumes and those with more experience enjoy increasing complexity. Rather like White vs. Red Wine, Pop Group vs. Classical Orchestra, Cartoon vs. Complex Drama etc.

Select the materials to use
The Perfumery Training Kit - 26 F-TEC Bases
The Perfumery Training Kit - 26 Fleuressence Bases
The F-TEC Custom Creation Kit - 164 F-TEC Bases
The Custom Creation Kit - 164 Fleuressence Bases
All PW Materials -100+ raw materials avaialble from PerfumersWorld site
Only natural materials - Essential Oils, Absolutes, Resinoids

Write your own description or select a formatted description from the drop down
The 50+ formats in the Free version cover all major perfume families and styles. You can scroll through them or use the BROWSE box to find the major notes or themes like Fougere, Chypre, Oriental, Aldehydic, Relax, Energize, Apple, Strawberry, Spice, Rose, Orchid etc.
After a description loads you can:
1. Remove or Add descriptors
2. Change the order of descriptors (the first are assumed to be more dominant in the smell than the ones that follow).
3. Repeat a descriptor ex. Sweet Sweet or Jasmine Jasmine Jasmine to accentuate it.

In the Premium Versions there are thousands of Formats, and the Professional Version has almost 100,000 Formatted descriptions including most branded perfumes. Important: these Formats are not formulas they just use the descriptors from known perfumes and are used to generate original perfumes inspired by that description.
The Perfumer's Wizard will only create infinite original perfumes it will never copy other perfumes..
Simply Adding, Removing, Swapping the order or Repeating descriptors gives infinite variation on each Formula generated.
To access these BROWSE perfume by name, brand, notes or accords and select from the dropdown.

Why do some searches give empty results?

1. In the FREE version there are 50+ perfume formats that cover almost every style or family of perfumes. So try shorter words, family groups, basic florals eg.
Floral, White Floral, Jasmin Rose, Muguet(Lily of the Valley) etc.
Aldehydic, like Chanel No.5, Lux Soap, Rive Gauche
Cologne - Citrus, 4711, Imperial cologne, Eau Sauvage etc.
Fougere -Fern, Forest notes, Herb, Alliage, Fougere Royale
Tobacco - a masculine version of the Fougere - Tabac - Golden Virginia, Old Holborn
Chypre - Oakmoss, Citrus, Lavender, Animal notes.
Oriental Balsams and resins, usually edible sweet rich sensual Shalimar, Must de Cartier, Obsession
Fruits - Apple Strawberry Pineapple
Aromatherapy - Relaxing Warming Cooling Sensual

2. In the Premium and Pro versions this rarely happens as there are thousands of descriptions, but if it does try shorter words, check spelling and spaces, avoid non standard English letters.

Instead of entering a written description you can use an image to generate a formulation, this will help get the feeeel..the smell   synaesthesia effect or the mood that you want in your perfume.

Can I load my own pictures?

Yes, you can use an image from our gallery or upload your own

1. Click the Get Image button and then below the picture gallery there is a Find My Images button that allows you to open an image on your device.

2. Click Select Focus and pick the closest theme from the dropdown. This is so if you have a picture of strawberries it won't mistake the red for blood, spices, a London bus or fire etc.

3. Click Draw Mind Map.

Review the materials chosen - if the subject has a black background or other unwanted color swatch you can hide/remove that color tile by toggling the tick button on or off.

Click the 1st choice material to show alternatives. In the Premium and Pro versions you can choose any other material from our compendium by clicking more..

Does your sample or formula seem expensive?
Here are some guidelines to improve the cost and prepare your formula for consistent production.
Keeping your formula to 25 materials or less keeps the production cost down. Formulas over 50-100 materials might be better to split into 2, 3 or 4 parts and reassemble as "Keys" see below.
Check the price of each material. Especially note materials that are over $1.00/gram and consider part replacing them with more cost effective substitutes eg. F-TECs or Bases.
Aim for formulas with totals near 100 or 1,000. Avoid totals of several Kgs unless that is the quantity you are actually ordering.
Avoid long decimal quantities. They take longer to weigh so there is a surcharge for samples that require 2 and especially 3 or 4 decimal places for the sample ordered.

Prices are based on US$/gram
The Wizard does not limit how much of any material you can add so the formula can become very expensive. If this happens remember the price is always under your control. Choose the button to open the formula to make direct changes.

Tip 1. try replacing expensive oils with Fleuressences or cheaper materials in the same ABC group or use expensive materials as 10% solutions

Tip 2. If ordering your first sample and you find its got too expensive then here's a quick money saving tip during the creation stage:
Add a solvent like DPG or TEC to 2x, 4x etc. of the other materials total.
Example:
If your current total is 100 then add 400 of DPG or TEC and submit the formula like this. After ordering samples and you have found the right combination you can take the solvent out in subsequent orders. That way you will save 80% of your cost in the R&D process!

Name Your Perfume
You can create any name you like but here are some tips for choosing a good name:
4-18 characters (so it fits on a label)
Memorable & Catchy
Avoid non-standard characters, accents
Use your imagination
Synaesthesia
blend smells, colours, taste, touch, feelings, emotions, pictures, desires, wishes, memories, new words, humour, fun.
"feeeel.. the smell"

Bulk Prices
* 5Kg up and 25Kgs up are guidelines and subject to confirmation against a specific order and shipping requirements

Who makes up samples and batches of formulas I submit?
Your formulas are made by an experienced team of lab and production staff
A 10-100g 25 material sample takes our staff 30 mins to compound using a digital QR coded and guided system of Sartorius(G) and Vibra(J) electronic balances that record every batch, every material (yes even in 10g samples). The system actually beats current robotic mixers available in terms of the palette of materials to equal accuracy and at a fraction of the operating cost. Our staff are paid monthly salaries and get a bonus for each material weighed correctly, which keeps them alert and in the game in a positive and fun way. Each week they join in an engaging knowledge and smelling test meeting to ensure they are up to date. The lab and production departments are supported by a team Perfumers, Chemists and Trainers with over 100 years perfumery experience between them. Average employee perfumery industry experience in PerfumersWorld in 2024 is 9.2 years.

What are *Key RM/Bases 001, 002, 003 etc.
A single material or mixture not yet in the DB and used as a part of a formula.
It could represent a separate Accord, Base, Sub-compound or Formula with its own Formula Name & Code or a material not found in the DB or a specific dilution.
** Please Note: A proper cost calculation cannot be confirmed until the cost of ALL the Keys present are confirmed.

Examples where you might find using these helpful:
Adding a material that you can't find in our DB eg. Ambrocenide
e.g. Select one of the unused Key RM/Base. Type: "Ambrocenide or similar" then the quantity.

Adding a dilution not found eg. Guaiacol 0.01% in TEC
e.g. Select one of the unused Key RM/Base. Type: "Guaiacol 0.01% in TEC" then the quantity.

Making your perfume in blocks for long formulas or functional blocks e.g.
1 Formula for the Heart Materials eg. Rose Heart ABC24101
1 Formula for the Modifiers eg. Rose Modifiers ABC24102
1 Formula for the Blenders eg. Rose Blenders ABC24103
1 Formula for the Fixatives eg. Rose Fixatives ABC24104

Then combining in a 5th Formula for the complete Formula.

The complete formula could look something like this;
Name: Rose Complete Code: ABC24105
Key RM/Base01 = "Rose Heart ABC24101" eg. quantity 45.00
Key RM/Base02 = "Rose Modifiers ABC24102" eg. quantity 5.00
Key RM/Base03 = "Rose Blenders ABC24103" eg. quantity 25.00
Key RM/Base04 = "Rose Fixatives ABC24104" eg. quantity 25.00
TIP: This is a quick way to try variations especially if you get or order all the bases to optimize the ratios.

Note: This method will be treated as 4+1 samples if ordering, but it is a powerful tool to balance your formula quickly.

Bulletproof your formula
Some quick tips to help make your formula well formed i.e. production ready.
* Enter the formula as you actually made it without rounding off to avoid long impossible to weigh fractions. Its OK if the total is 11.70 grams, 64 drops or 1,121 grams.
* We will make any length of formula but if you keep it to 20 materials the production cost is optimized. If it has more than 20 the cost of compounding increases in small increments for each material.
* Its good practice to keep formulas to totals that can be simply calculated to 10.00, 100.0 or 1,000. But only if it doesn't produce impossible to weigh fractions.
* Keep the materials in a 10 gram formula to 2 decimals,
1 place in 100g
or whole numbers in 454g (1lb ), 500g (half-Kg), 1,000g (1Kg).
* To add tiny amounts of a material to a formula use solutions eg. 1%, 10% (see below for recommended solvents).
It is a generally good practice to have 5-30% or so of your preferred solvent in a compound to ensure it stays a mobile liquid. Creatively, it can also be beneficial by allow the perfume to have "space to breathe" to release all the facets of the odour by making it less 'dense', but only testing will confirm this for each unique compound. 30-50% of DPG for example can also help stabilize a perfume for powdered products by increasing viscosity and slowing down oxidation.
* If we haven't listed the dilution you want us to use then calculate and add the pure material and the amount of solvent separately, e.g if you want to use 1.00 of Sulfurol 0.01% in TEC. Then add Sulfurol (100%) 0.0001 and TEC 0.9999. Note in the remarks something like "Use 1.00 of Sulfurol 0.01% in TEC".
* At PW we can weigh materials to 3 or 4 decimal places but there is a small surcharge for each one if we have to. Please use dilutions to avoid this.
* Tip: If weighing formulas yourself - Never rely on the last digit on a scale! If you weigh 0.01 on a 2 decimal place scale then the range where it switches from 0.00 to 0.01 could be 0.005 to 0.015 a +/- 50% error on your target weight but you can't see the 3rd place on a 2 place scale!.

Why choose a Perfumer's Modification?

We highly recommend if you are new to The Perfumer's Wizard, new to perfumery or do not know all the materials listed in the formula that you select this option. It is an economical and quick way to get a professional human perfumer to check the formula and try to adjust it towards your stated, odour, style or cost objectives.
Typically your perfume will already be about 90% there. It will usually have all the descriptors you selected, but most clients will want something adjusted. Like getting a suit or dress custom made it needs a fitting or 2 to get the best fit.
Realistically prepare to have it adjusted via a Perfumer's Modification 3-5 times. You can include any factors in your objective, "I want it fresher, long lasting, sensual, relaxing, like Tom Ford etc." You can even ask for it to be made cheaper but please be realistic in your expectation, especially if all naturals are required.
When using the Perfumer's Modification the sample cost is calculated as the same cost as the original formula and on completion the sample is shipped together with the original sample and its formula uploaded to your account. To view the formula select the "OPEN A FORMULA" option when you first enter The Perfumer's Wizard.
Note: A Perfumer's Modification can ONLY be requested at the same time of submitting a Formula. If ordered later it is $100 + the cost of the sample due to the additional preparation and administration costs.

Which Solvent to use?
Choose solvents based on the materials in the compound and end product compatibility.

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RECOMMENDED FOR PERFUME COMPOUNDS:
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* Triethyl Citrate (TEC)
Versatile, Food Grade, Stable, Inert.
Ok for Massage Oil & Oily products, Candles
* DPG (Dipropylene Glycol)
Versatile, Stabilizes, Blends Odour, Not for Massage Oils, Slows Saponification in Soap making.
* IPM (iso-Propyl Myristate)
Cosmetic grade, Candles, Massage Oils
Poor solubility for powders, resins, gums, terpenes, unless part of a compound.

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POSSIBLE ALTERNATIVES:
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* BB (Benzyl Benzoate)
Dissolve Resinoids & oily RMs Used in Candles but smoky. (Has its own heavy narcotic odour)
* BA (Benzyl Alcohol)
Dissolve Resinoids, Powders & oily RMs Used in Candles but smoky. (Has a mild nutty oil odour)
* MMB (3-Methyl-3-Methoxy Butanol)
Used in diffuser bases but still experimental for compounds.
* Augeo Clean Multi (Isopropylidene glycerol)
Used in diffuser bases but still experimental for compounds.
* Coconut or Palm Fractionated Oils (Natural MCT Oils)
Cosmetic grade, Massage Oils, Good Stability. NOT ALCOHOL SOLUBLE.
Poor solubility for powders, resins, gums, terpenes, unless in a compound.
* White Mineral Oil
Cosmetic grade, Massage Oils, Excellent Stability. NOT ALCOHOL SOLUBLE.
Poor solubility for powders, resins, gums, terpenes, unless in a compound.

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NOT RECOMMENDED FOR PERFUME COMPOUNDS:
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* Alcohol (Ethanol/Ethyl Alcohol)
Reactivity, evaporation, flammable, taxable
* Fixed Plant Oils (Olive, Almond, Coconut etc)
Poor Solubility Poor Stability, Peroxide formation
* PG (Propylene Glycol)
Water soluble, Used mainly in flavours, occasionally used in perfumery but has solubility issues with terpenes, resins and oily materials.
* DEP (Diethyl Phthalate)
Very efficient solvent but toxic & irritates skin.

Powders, Crystals, Solids and Resins
* As a general guide you can only usually get up to about 10% of powdered materials in a Perfume compound without it quickly falling out of solution. Some even less like Maltol
* Particularly difficult powders are Musk Ketone, Ambroxan, Evernyl and these are not even very alcohol soluble unless well dissolved in other perfumery materials first.
* Resinoids and some Absolutes like Vanilla and Cocoa do not like a high content of terpenes and will fall out of solution.
* Perfumers try to push this to its limits and Baccarat Rouge with a 30% + combination of Evernyl, Cetalox/Ambrox and Ethyl Maltol must have taken a lot of experimentation and is an exception.
* Other mixes that break the rule:
   Mix Equal amounts of Menthol Crystals + Camphor Powder + Borneol Flakes and stir for a few minutes (no solvents required).
   Heliotropin Crystals 70% in BA (Benzyl Alcohol).
* So it is possible and if you try in a formula you submit and order, our compounders will make it, but if you've exceeded the 10% guideline expect to have to make a few trials to get it to stay in liquid form.
Tip: If you've ordered the optional Perfumer's Modification we will quickly try to solve it but it's not guaranteed but should help lessen the number of trials you have to do to get it to work.

Colour changing materials
Its only in the last 20 years or so that consumers really began to demand their products colourless and transparent especially for cosmetics. Colourless or white before then was often equated with dilute or lack of substance. So here is a quick list of "the usual suspects" responsible for colour changes to watch for (if you care!).
* Indol is the No.1 colour change culprit. Closely followed by Indolene & Skatole. Red to Dark Brown.
   Found naturally and in bases of Jasmine, Muguet, Tuberose, Neroli, all White Florals, Chypres etc.
* Citral (in Lemon, Lemongrass, Litsea Cubeba). Turns Brown particularly in Soaps and toiletries.
WARNING: Citral with free Methyl Anthranilate in the formula can turn BLACK over time.
* Methyl Anthranilate forms intense bright yellow Schiff's bases with Aldehydes (eg. Hydroxycitronellal) but BLACK with Citral. Pre making a Schiff's base MA+ the aldehyde (eg. Aurantiol) can help control the colour change.
* Vanillin, Ethyl Vanillin will go brown in Soaps, Candles. Present in most Sweet perfumes esp. Gourmandes, Amber.
* Helional will discolour brown. Found in light florals, transparent greens, Muguets etc. (low % is generally OK)
* Muguet, Jasmin and White Florals (natural & Bases) due to the presence of Indol or Indolene
* Hexyl or Amyl Cinnamic Aldehyde generally only in tropical climates, poor storage turns dark yellow-brown.
* Evernyl, Veramoss - don't let its white colour fool you in a soap it can turn bright purple
* Diacetyl - although used in traces can darken to a deep caramel-yellow.
* Musk Ketone - and other Nitro Musks will turn yellow to brown in compounds.

** Materials that discolour if exposed to metallic iron from drums or traces in end product from mixing tanks, equipment, stirrers, taps, etc.
   Salicylates, especially Benzyl Salicylate can take on pink tint.
   Phenols (para-Cresol), Clove, Cinnamon, Eugenol, Cinnamic Aldehyde can turn BLACK.
   Evernyl, Veramoss etc. can turn red-purple brown.
   Vanillin, Ethyl Vanillin, Maltol, Ethyl Maltol can turn yellow - brown.

* Materials already dark coloured by themselves and may darken further.
   Most smoky notes Birch Tar, Cade Oil.
   Castoreum, Civet.
   Labdanum, Ambrarome.
   Agarwood, Oud, Nagarmotha.
   Oakmoss, Treemoss, Seaweed.