Loreto of Funkier Than Thou has two custom perfume options. The cheaper of the two is a simple mix of up to five your favorite scents/notes from her very extensive list of essential oils and fragrance oils. For $12 you get 1/2 oz of perfume oil in a jojoba base, 1/2 oz eau de toilette in an alcohol base, or 2 oz of massage oil in a sweet almond oil base. People in the evil_enablers community who have gone for this option have been very happy with the results.
I went for the more complicated, second option, called the Custom Perfume Profile--$20 for the same three options listed above. After you purchase that option, Loreto sends you a personality test type questionnaire. It's relatively basic, asking you questions about your favorite and least favorite perfume notes as well as some lifestyle questions. It took me maybe 15 minutes or so to fill out and wasn't at all difficult. Based on some comments on evil_enablers, I was sure to be pretty specific about my perfume likes and dislikes, making sure to list the notes that my skin chemistry hates--which are, for the record: rose, jasmine, some synthetic vanillas, and anything that's supposed to smell like cream or milk--in addition to my more general dislikes. I did the same with my likes, saying, for example, that I like spicy notes and listing both cardamom and saffron as particular likes.
Less than a week later, I got my perfume oil and it is gorgeous. Loreto paid attention to my likes as well as the various types of perfume my profile said were right for me, and even included a couple of traditional Leo oils. The result was pretty damn complex.
Top Notes: Cardamom, Mandarin, Orange, Pomegranate and Clove
Middle Notes: Saffron, Cinnamon, Ylang Ylang, Almond and Black Poppy
Base Notes: Egyptian Red Musk, Amber, Balsam Peru and Sandalwood
So, how's it smell? The first thing you notice when you open the bottle is sweet, slightly fruity spice with a very strong cardamom note. Once one me, I get more of the fruit and I can smell both the oranges and pomegranate, along with the cardamom.
The dry down brings out the almond and cinnamon, along with a faint hint of saffron. It goes to my beloved Middle Eastern place and I'd be perfectly satisfied if it stayed there.
Several minutes later, it smoothes out even more. I get a faint floral, and although ylang ylang is usually too heavy for me, it's faint enough here that it really works. I'm also getting the grounding base notes now, and though my skin usually amps sandalwood and dries out any blend it's in, that's not happening here. I can smell the amber a little, which is just fine for me; plain amber was my default perfume for years.
About 20 minutes in, it's just perfume and I mean that in the best possible way. All the notes have calmed down and blended into something that's sweetly spicy. *grins* One of my all time favorite BPAL scents is Scherezade, and this seems like a somewhat lighter, more fruity version of that, only without that "head-shoppy" note that some people don't like in BPAL's blends. I liken Scherezade to stepping into a spice stall in an Iranian bazaar; this blend is more like one of the small neighborhood shops that sells sweets, spices and fruit.
The throw is pretty good, particularly since I tend to put a little in my hair as well as using a fair amount in the more classic places. It's got pretty good staying power as well.
Like I said, it's utterly gorgeous and I love it to pieces. I'm really hoping she keeps her blends on file because I suspect I'll be wanting more of this so I can blend it into some lotion and probably some of the dry oil spray I use to tame my hair.
At some point, I will probably try to come up with a couple of blends on my own to have her mix up. For now, however, I'm completely thrilled with my blend and highly recommend the process to anyone who loves perfume.
Please note: Loreto is currently on vacation and so customized perfume profiles won't be available until May 21.
Update: Loreto's change the name of her shop to Loreto Aromatica and her prices have gone up a little. I'd say that at $16 for a five note custom blend and $24 for a custom profile blend, you're still getting a great deal.
