A Yummy Season 


Winter is very near, the autumn days are almost gone and the crisp air is turning
colder. Another year is coming to an end. It’s time to get some warmth in the
comfort of our home, enjoy some sweet treats and give a warm welcome to the
winter and Christmas season. From warm, mouthwatering delicacies to cool,
fresh and spicy, in this edition of Juan’s Fragrance Lab you’ll find a wide
spectrum of scents that will surely turn holidays into a true yummy season.


First, a treat for your tummy! 


Chocolate Cranberry Cookies 


½C Butter or margarine

1C All purpose flour

¾C Sugar

1 Egg

2 tsp Vanilla

½ tsp Baking powder

½ tsp Cinnamon

1C Quick cooking rolled oats

1C Cranberries, coarsely chopped

½C Walnuts or pecans, coarsely chopped

½C Chocolate Chips


In a large mixing bowl, beat margarine or butter with an electric mixer on medium
to high speed for about 30 seconds or until softened. Add the flour, sugar,
cinnamon, vanilla, egg, and baking powder. Scrape the sides of the bowl
occasionally while mixing and beat until thoroughly combined. Stir in chocolate
chips and cranberries. Drop by rounded teaspoons onto greased cookie sheets
approximately 3 inches apart. Bake at 375°F for 10 to 12 minutes. Cookies are
done when the edges are lightly browned. Remove cookies from baking sheet
and cool on wire racks. Makes 42 cookies. 


Sounds yummy, doesn’t it? Well, now that we’ve satisfied your sweet tooth,
let’s make a blend for bath and body that smells just like chocolate cranberry
cookies fresh out of the oven! 


Chocolate Cranberry Cookies 


5 parts OT Chocolate Truffle


5 parts OT Chai Tea

3 parts OT Cranberry 

 


Poached Pears & Vanilla 


5 parts OT Rich Vanilla Crème


5 parts OT Perfect Pear

2 parts OT Ginger Spice 


Imagine poached pears bursting with spicy ginger syrup and a scoop of cold
vanilla ice cream by their side. That’s what this blend is about. I’m sure you’ll go
for the real thing as soon as you smell this mouthwatering blend. 


Coconut Gingerbread Baby 


5 parts OT Baby Bee Buttermilk Bath


5 parts OT Creamy Coconut

2 parts OT Chai Tea

2 parts OT Ginger Spice


Like if the previous blends weren’t yummy enough, here’s the baby version of the
Gingerbread man. Oh! Spicy ginger bread cookies made with coconut milk and a
touch grated coconut, honey and buttermilk! This blend is pure sweet heaven
without being overwhelming like many synthetic food fragrances could be
sometimes. The fragrance oils harmonized perfectly with no scent overtaking the
others. Note: I highly recommend Creamy Coconut for this blend, but you can
substitute Lemon-a-Peel, Cranberry or any other of your favorite Oregon Trail
fruit fragrance oil for Creamy Coconut to have other fruity gingerbread versions. 


Christmas Greens & Pomander 


1 part OT Forest Glen


1 part OT Moroccan Spice

1 part OT Pepperberry 


I love this fragrance! It’s a pure representation of a Christmas home, decorated

with fresh fir, cedar and spruce sprigs, pine cones, berries and spiced pomander
oranges. It has the woody freshness of evergreens with a balanced mix of
spices, a heart of orange and a slight hint of berries.


Snowy Lake 


5 parts OT Peppermint Ice


3 parts OT Forest Glen

1 part OT Cool Mountain Lake



This blend is so fresh and cool that you’ll feel the frost in your nose when you smell this
fragrance. Don’t expect this blend to smell like candy canes. When I smell this fragrance, I
imagine a pristine white frosted lake, surrounded by an evergreen forest covered with snow. I
highly recommend this blend if you are looking for a fresh Christmas scent with no spices and
fruits.

…and now you have to try this one!


Christmas Splendor 


1 part OT Christmas Greens & Pomander blend (see above)


1 part OT Snowy Lake blend (see above) 


I thought before mixing these two blends together that maybe it would not work,
but to my surprise both blends turned out very nice together. It truly captures the
elements of the Christmas season in the northern hemisphere, the cool snow,
frosty evergreens, spices and fruits. I encourage you to try this one. I’m sure
you’ll not be disappointed. 


Fragrance blending notes: 


Fragrance blending could be as simple as just blending a couple of scents we

like in any specific proportions, but it can be a joyful art as well. I compare
fragrance blending like painting. Just like a painting can express feelings and
ideas by applying pigments, a fragrance blend can do the same using different
scents. Here’s what I personally like to do when blending fragrances: 


1) Think about a concept – do I want my fragrance to smell like a warm evening

full of blooming fragrant flowers, or like being in a tropical island beach full of
delicious tropical fruits, or do I simply want a spicy-floral or a fruity or herbal
blend? 


2) Selecting the fragrances - now that I have my ideal blend in mind it’s time to
translate the idea into fragrance. I start by choosing the fragrances I think could
go well in my blend. I never worry about choosing any fragrance by top, middle or
bottom notes. I just choose what I like. 


3) Select the lead fragrance for the blend - I like to choose the “lead fragrance”
first. That’s the fragrance I want to build the blend around. For example: if I want
to make a “spring garden” blend where rose will be the predominant scent, I start
with 5 drops of Rose FO. Blending fragrances using drops is the method that
works best for me. I think it’s much better than using cotton swabs or paper strips
of different scents bundled together. With drops you can see how each fragrance
reacts with the other and you will get the most accurate scent. 


4) Blend 1 drop of each chosen scent at a time – as I mentioned previously, I

start with 5 drops of the lead fragrance, as it’s easier for me increasing or
decreasing fragrance components. You can start with the quantity you think is
easier for you. Once I begin with 5 drops of the lead FO, I start adding 1 drop of
each chosen FO at a time, then increase or decrease the amount of the
fragrances as needed. Remember to take note of all you are doing. It’s very
important to write the amounts down on paper that you can have it for reference
later. 


5) Wait at least 1 day for evaluation – fragrance components may react with each other once they
are blended together, so it’s best to wait at least 1 day for evaluation of the fragrance for possible
reactions. You may need to increase or decrease one or more of the fragrance components and
keep evaluating until you are happy with the results.

Well, that’s the method that works for me, but you can try any other ways you
feel comfortable with. Once you are happy with the resulting blend,
congratulations! Now you just need a spectacular name for your blend and you
are done with your fragrance masterpiece. 


A Simple Recipe for Making Solid Perfumes 


Solid perfumes are a wonderful alternative to alcohol based perfumes. They are
handy to carry anywhere, very easy to make and unlike alcohol based perfumes
that evaporate quickly, the scent of solid perfumes lingers for hours. The
following recipe is very easy to do and will turn your favorite scents or blends into
luxurious solid perfumes: 


2 parts yellow or white beeswax


2 parts carrier oil of your choice (I like jojoba or almond, but you can use any oil
you like)

1 part shea butter (you can use any other butter you like or even another oil)

1 part OT fragrance oil

Optional: You can also about 10 drops of Vitamin E per ounce of melted oils and
wax 


In a double boiler or in a microwave oven, melt the beeswax, oils and shea
butter. Add fragrance oil and pour in containers. Oregon Trail has a complete
line of lip pots that you can use as elegant containers for your perfumes. Lip
balm tubes are also great for solid perfumes. 


Fragrance Highlights: 


If you’ve been looking for that perfect baby bee buttermilk, you need to try
Oregon Trail ’s Burts Bee Buttermilk Bath *type* . This crystal clear fragrance
is so soft and beautiful that it’s great for a complete line of products. Buttermilk
products will fly out the door when your customers experience the soft honey,
almond and buttermilk notes of this delicate fragrance. Also as a wonderful extra,
this fragrance does not discolor cold process soap, a quality very difficult to
achieve in this type of fragrance. Pepperberry is another fragrance that quickly
got my attention for its spicy complexity without being pungent. It has rich
peppercorn and light berry top notes with a woody moss heart. It ends with a
very noticeable oakmoss note. This unisex fragrance is perfect by itself but also
great blended with other scents for a gorgeous masculine fragrance that will
linger for a long time. It’s also a wonderful alternative for those that don’t want to
use straight oakmoss in a blend.