
Perfumes are typically made up of three notes: top, middle, and base notes. The combination of these notes creates a unique scent. While it is possible to create a perfume that smells like someone, it is a complex process that involves capturing volatile molecules from a person's garment or bacteria from their body and distilling them to create a scent. This method has been used by artists like Ani Liu, who utilized emerging technologies to create human-scented perfumes. Alternatively, one can create a personalized scent by blending essential oils and fragrance oils, taking into account the desired ratio and strength of each oil. The process of creating a perfume that smells like someone involves experimentation and an understanding of the chemistry behind scent creation.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Type of Perfume | Skin scent/skin perfume |
| Scent | Familiar yet mysterious, peculiar yet personal, subtle |
| Notes | Top notes, heart notes, base notes |
| Top Notes | Strong, sharp, angular oils like clove or vanilla |
| Heart Notes | Warm woods, white amber, musky notes, transparent florals |
| Base Notes | Heavy, overpowering notes like clove or vanilla |
| Process | Capturing volatile molecules from a person's garment in a solvent for several weeks and then distilling the solution |
| Technology Used | Emerging technologies, video glasses, goggles, drones, traditional glassware |
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What You'll Learn
- Artist Ani Liu has created a human-scented perfume using emerging technologies
- Skin scents are made to enhance the wearer's natural musk
- Perfumes are made up of top, middle and base notes
- The ratio of each note can be adjusted to change the overall scent
- Perfumes can be made at home using essential oils and vodka

Artist Ani Liu has created a human-scented perfume using emerging technologies
Liu's work often explores the intersection of art, science, and technology, and how these fields influence each other. Her human-scented perfume is part of this exploration, as she considers how technology shapes human behaviour and beliefs, particularly in a social context. By creating a scent that can evoke powerful memories, Liu is leveraging the physiological connection between smell and memory to create a unique, multi-sensory artistic experience.
The process of creating the perfume is also a reflection of Liu's interest in the post-humanist extension of human cognition and the sensory system with tools. By capturing the scent of a person through their garments, Liu is able to externalise and bottle a person's scent, creating a kind of "cultural prosthetic" that blurs the boundary between human and machine. This idea of extending human capabilities with technology is a recurring theme in Liu's work, as she creates art that examines the social, cultural, and emotional effects of emerging technologies.
Liu's human-scented perfume is just one example of her innovative and transdisciplinary work, which also includes eyesight-swapping goggles, microbial self-portraits, and performance art exploring female agency. Through her art, Liu aims to ask questions about what it means to be human and alive, and how technology is shaping our understanding of these fundamental concepts. By combining art, science, and technology, Liu is pushing the boundaries of artistic expression and challenging societal norms.
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Skin scents are made to enhance the wearer's natural musk
Skin scents are designed to enhance the wearer's natural musk. When a fragrance comes into contact with the skin, a chemical reaction occurs, and the resulting scent depends on how the perfume reacts with the wearer's body temperature, pH balance, and other factors. Skin scents are crafted to work with this natural chemistry. They are subtle, designed to softly play with the wearer's natural scent, rather than overpower it.
Skin scents are made with specific ingredients that complement the body's natural odour. They often feature warm woods, white amber, musky notes, and transparent florals. Strong, sharp, or overpowering notes like clove or vanilla are typically avoided or used in very small quantities. The base notes in a skin scent, which last the longest, are usually soft and subtle scents like vanilla or sandalwood. The heart note, which makes up most of the scent, is typically a transparent floral, and the head note, which is strong and fleeting, might be a citrus scent like orange or grapefruit.
The process of creating a skin scent involves careful experimentation with different oils and fragrances. Perfume makers might choose to use essential oils, fragrance oils, infused oils, or even flavour extracts. They must also consider the ratio and number of drops of each oil, as this will impact the strength and smell of the final product. Aging the fragrance allows the scents to mingle and become stronger, and additional scent can be added after this process if needed.
In recent years, technology has also been used to create human-scented perfumes. Artist Ani Liu, for example, has used emerging technologies to capture volatile molecules from a person's garment or bacteria from their armpit to create a human-scented perfume.
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Perfumes are made up of top, middle and base notes
Perfumes are complex mixtures of fragrant essential oils, absolutes, or other aroma compounds that give off a pleasant smell. They are made up of several different layers of scents, known as notes, which all have different evaporation rates. Notes are the individual scents that can be sensed when smelling a fragrance. When these notes are combined, they create a unique and complete fragrance.
The three main types of notes are top notes, middle notes, and base notes. Top notes, also known as head notes, are the scents that are perceived immediately upon application of the perfume. They are usually described as sharp, strong, fresh, or tangy. These notes evaporate quickly and include scents such as lemon, orange, grapefruit, and lime.
The middle notes, also called heart notes, appear once the top notes evaporate. They are often rich, soft, and mellow, and act as a bridge between the top and base notes. Scents such as coriander, palmarosa, basil, and lavender are commonly used as middle notes.
Base notes, also referred to as dry down or body notes, are the foundation of the perfume. They are typically deep, heavy, and rich, and they evaporate slowly, lasting longer than the other notes. Common base notes include patchouli, vetiver, cedarwood, and sandalwood.
The combination and ratio of these notes are crucial in determining the overall scent of the perfume. The process of creating a perfume involves careful experimentation and blending of these notes to achieve the desired fragrance.
Additionally, it is worth noting that some artists, such as Ani Liu, have used emerging technologies to create human-scented perfumes. Liu's process involves capturing volatile molecules from a person's garment or bacteria from their armpit and then distilling the solution to create a unique fragrance. This innovative approach explores the social, cultural, and emotional effects of technology.
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The ratio of each note can be adjusted to change the overall scent
Perfumes are conventionally made up of three notes: top, heart, and base notes, or head, heart, and base notes. The heart note, or middle note, typically makes up most of the scent and lasts the longest. The top or head note is the initial scent but disappears quickly. The base note comes after the middle note and forms the base of the perfume. The ratio of these notes can be adjusted to change the overall scent.
When creating a perfume, the order of the notes matters. The base notes should be added first, followed by the heart or middle notes, and finally the top or head notes. The number of drops of each note can be adjusted to change the overall scent. For example, a perfume could be composed of 12 drops of a base note, 5 drops of a heart note, and 3 drops of a head note. However, it is recommended to use more base and heart notes than head notes.
The choice of ingredients for each note can also impact the overall scent. For example, top notes typically include scents like lemon, orange, grapefruit, or peppermint, while heart notes may include coriander, palmarosa, or lavender. Base notes often include patchouli, vetiver, or cedarwood. The strength and smell of the oils used will also impact the ratio and overall scent.
Additionally, the process of aging the fragrance can change the overall scent. Allowing the fragrance to age in a cool, dark location for at least 48 hours up to a month gives the scents time to mingle and become stronger. After aging, additional drops of scent can be added to tweak the overall fragrance, and the perfume may need to be aged again.
While it may not be possible to perfectly recreate the scent of a specific person, advancements in technology have made it possible to create human-scented perfumes. Artist Ani Liu has used emerging technologies, including synthetic biology, to create human-scented perfumes by capturing volatile molecules from a person's garment or bacteria from their armpit and distilling the solution.
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Perfumes can be made at home using essential oils and vodka
Ingredients and Materials:
Firstly, gather your ingredients and materials. You will need essential oils of your choice, vodka, and a perfume bottle, preferably with a dark-coloured glass to protect the ingredients from UV rays. Amber or cobalt bottles are good options. You can also use a roll-on ball applicator for your perfume. If you are reusing an old bottle, make sure to clean it thoroughly.
Choosing Essential Oils:
When choosing essential oils, opt for pure and high-quality oils, such as Plant Therapy. Consider the scents you like and select a few to create your unique blend. You can experiment with different combinations of base notes (e.g., vanilla, sandalwood), heart notes (floral scents), and head notes (strong scents that evaporate quickly). Additionally, look up any health advisories associated with the essential oils to ensure they are safe for your skin.
Mixing the Scents:
Start by adding your chosen essential oils to the bottle, following the ratios of base, heart, and head notes. Typically, you would use more base and heart notes than head notes. You can adjust the proportions based on your preference and experiment with different combinations. Once you have added the oils, blend them well and let the mixture sit for a few days to allow the scents to mix.
Adding Vodka:
After your oil blend has rested, add the vodka to the bottle. The amount of vodka added will depend on the strength you desire. Tighten the cap and shake the bottle well. Store your perfume in a cool, dark place for at least a month. This aging process helps to reduce the alcohol smell, allowing the oils' fragrances to become more prominent.
Testing Your Perfume:
After a month, take your perfume out of storage and smell it. If the alcohol odour is still strong, you may need to let it sit longer. However, if the alcohol smell dissipates quickly, you will be left with the beautiful fragrance of your chosen oils. Spray or apply a small amount on your pressure points, and enjoy your unique, homemade perfume!
Creating perfume at home is a fun and rewarding process that allows you to design a scent that is truly yours. With some experimentation and patience, you can become your very own home perfumer, crafting olfactory masterpieces that impress and delight.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, it is possible to make a perfume that smells like someone. Artist Ani Liu has created human-scented perfumes using emerging technologies such as synthetic biology. She captured volatile molecules from a person's garment in a solvent for several weeks and then distilled the solution through traditional glassware.
When a fragrance comes in contact with your skin, there is a chemical reaction, and the scent outcome depends on how it reacts with your body's natural odour, including your body temperature and pH balance. Skin scents are made to enhance your natural musk by softly playing with your natural scent.
Skin-scent perfumes usually have warm woods, white amber, musky notes, and transparent florals. They rarely have heavy notes like clove or vanilla unless used in small amounts.
To make perfume, you need a combination of essential oils or fragrance oils, a carrier oil, and a bottle. You can experiment with different oils and their ratios to create your desired scent. Once you have added the oils, age the fragrance in a cool, dark location for up to a month to allow the scents to mingle and strengthen. Then, dilute the fragrance with distilled water and glycerine before bottling it.



















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