Create A Signature Fragrance –You Don’t Have to Be A Master Perfumer to Do It!
By Alison Blackman
Your signature scent should be yours, alone, not one for “everyone.”
These days, just about everything can be personalized and WAFT Personalized Perfume lets you deign a fragrance that’s meant for you and no one else!
What’s Your Scent?
I have experienced literally hundreds and fragrances and analyzed the notes. I already know what works and what pleases my senses.
But when you want a new fragrance, it can be confusing to be assaulted by many different fragrances, especially when many of them smell nice (but not necessarily nice on you).
Blending your own fragrance is even more challenging.
WAFT Personalized Perfume Guides You!
WAFT Personalized Perfume, the “WAFT lab” lets you personalize a fragrance from your own computer screen.
You don’t have to be a fragrance expert.
The process begins on the WAFT.com website, where you answer a bunch of easy questions about the kinds of things you like.
Then the experienced noses get to work and put a fragrance together for you focusing on the things you love!
You even get two blending fragrances that go with the primary fragrance.
How The WAFT Personalized Perfume Process Works
Blending a fragrance with top, middle and bottom notes that work in perfect harmony is a skill.
It takes masters perfumers talent, and many years to perfect.
So you’re not blending the scent, but indirectly, you influence what will be in it.
You’ll be asked questions such as:
- What Type of fragrance do you prefer, more masculine or more feminine?
- Do you prefer a lighter day fragrance, or a more sensual night fragrance?
- What activity is this fragrance for (you wouldn’t wear a date night fragrance to tennis)
- What kind of mood do you want your scent to convey? (e.g. sexy, elegant, relaxed..)
- Is your personal style more classic, or trendy?
- Favorite types of ingredients (be careful here…there are a lot of different ones to choose from, but think about what kinds of smells really are your favorites and don’t go overboard)
- Your Current favorite fragrances (if you don’t know what kind of notes are in your current favorite fragrances, you’ll find out here)!
name your WAFT fragrance!
You can even name the bottle anything you like “mine is “For Alison – Advice Sisters Beauty & Style.
Then your job is basically done except for payment.
The cost is $99 for a 100 ml main bottle and two layering scents of 15 ml each that will change the character of the main scent (e.g. make it more for daytime, or date-night, intense, edgy).
Waft Fragrance Artists analyze your answers, and your signature scent is “born.”
Going Through the Process/Results
I really enjoyed the quick and easy process to “discovery” and the colorful photos to inspire thought.
Emails kept me informed until my WAFT Personalized Perfume arrived beautifully boxed, with lovely, classic, clear glass bottles and modern, matte black spray diffusers.
The primary fragrance had my website’s name on it just as requested–a nice touch.
My layering scents were AB65 and AB92 but the envelope containing layering scent AB62 was described as “Delicious, Joyful and Natural. “
The other envelope was labeled “Luxurious, Charismatic and Attractive” (was that supposed to be related to the other layering scent, or the main fragrance)?
I needed information about what each layering scent was supposed to do. *some information about the notes is suppposedly sent with the package, but I didn’t see any in mine.
Without any fragrance notes or information about why this scent was selected for me, I had to guess.
Saying “Yes” To the Scent?
my WAFT fragrance was a fresh floral with lily of the valley
Reviewers have to look at things more critically.
The fragrances were well crafted and pretty, but they didn’t express my personal style.
I personally like edgy, intense fragrances. That’s what I expected.
But I received something different: a fresh, light floral scent that reminded me of lily of the valley, rose, and a hint of citrus and maybe vanilla on the bottom.
*I found out later the actual notes are: Petit Grain, Orange Flower, Amber, Musk, Sandalwood (Fruity fresh family).
Layering Scent AB 65 had some citrus notes but also some intense white florals (my least favorite florals).
Layering Scent AB92 was patchouli-centric (I did say in my questionnaire I liked patchouli).
Mixed with the primary fragrance, either or both changed the character of the light floral.
Guessing, I think AB 65 made the main scent more intense and AB92 added a hint of sensuality.
All of these were well made and pretty, but I wouldn’t have said “yes” to the scent(s) if I’ve smelled them first, in a store.
Think Before You Answer
The fragrance was so different from what I normally like, I initially thought I received someone else’s order.
Upon reflection, I think I gave the perfumers too many mixed signals.
While my favorites are oriental fragrances, I selected citrus and specifically lily of the valley notes as secondary favorites.
And when asked what fragrances I liked, my most favorite isn’t really a signature oriental. Bad idea!
If there had been a place to add comments (none, unless I missed it) I could have made it clear that I dislike white florals, and I do like oud incense, smoke, leather, etc. *the WAFT discovery process is being updated to reflect some of these issues.
The Bottom Line:
Personalizing a fragrance is a fun activity. If you get it right, you’ll get a signature scent that’s really special and that you can love.
For the average fragrance customer, the WAFT questionnaire will be an easy guide to getting a beautiful fragrance and a positive result.
But as an experienced fragrance reviewer, I needed to offer more information to the blenders or at least a place to put in some comments and preferences not allowed on the questionnaire.
And, I really wanted to know the major notes in my three fragrances!
WAFT lab didn’t create my perfect scent, but there’s a good chance that they could create yours!
WAFT Someone a Gift!
This makes such a genius gift idea I can’t imagine anyone not loving it!
You can design a special fragrance for a gift and post a special message on the bottle. I think this would really be wonderful for a wedding or anniversary gift.
Or you can let your lucky gift recipient have the fun experience of going through the discovery process and designing their own signature fragrance.
The experience really was fun, and it’s a good value at under $100, not to mention to mention a ridiculously amazing gift idea.
For more information and to order go to http://www.waft.com/
*postscript: after writing this feature I contacted WAFT and shares my issues. They were amazingly responsive, providing not just the notes, but the rationale for why my scent was created. They also agreed that a comments section is necessary. Although I adore spice and incense, my favorite fragrance is still Pheromone by Marilyn Miglin. When I began wearing it only Saks Fifth Avenue carried it. The fragrance is different now that it’s on HSN but (without thinking) I chose the original which wasn’t listed as an “original” as my #1. Pheromone is actually listed as: Floral / Green / woody, green, spicy, patchouli, white floral. So now I understand why my answers might have led the blenders to select what they did.
