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Making your own perfume is both rewarding and fun. One of our most popular articles is 10 Stunning Perfume Oil Recipes and our Ebook: Make your Own Affordable Perfumes is a top seller, so we know you like perfume recipes!
Using vodka as a base is fantastic for making spray perfumes that evaporate around you. The projection of vodka is stronger than perfume oils, allowing you to experience the top, middle, and base notes more thoroughly. A little spritz of these perfumes goes a long way.
We have scoured books and the internet to bring you a list of 20 vodka-based perfume recipes, so enjoy!
Sourcing Alcohol for Perfume
Alcohol is used as a fixative in perfume, it holds the scent molecules together. Alcohol evaporates quickly, lifting and diffusing the aroma. Most commercially sold fragrances use alcohol as their base.
For your convenience, all of the recipes I am sharing use Vodka, as this is the easiest alcohol-base that you can source. Other fixatives such as perfumer’s alcohol and denatured alcohol are harder to find. Vodka works perfectly well for creating perfumes for home use.
Look for the highest-proof vodka you can find.
Sourcing Essential Oils
For the best aroma, you need quality ingredients. Top-quality essential oils will smell better than imitation and cheap essential oils.
If you are wondering where to source quality essential oils, you can check out my article on, “What is the Best Essential Oil Brand“. Or you can head over to Rocky Mountain Oils now for the best quality essential oils at very affordable prices.
So without further ado, let’s get to the recipes!
20 Vodka-Based Perfume Recipes
Simple DIY Perfume Recipe
Ingredients:
- 2 cups (500 ml) distilled water.
- 3 tablespoons (45 ml) vodka
- 25 drops essential oils - 10 drops floral, 10 drops citrus, 5 drops woody.
Directions:
- Pour distilled water into a glass jar.
- Add the vodka and essential oils.
- Stir with a wooden spoon for a full minute.
- Allow the perfume to settle for 24 hours before use.
Exotic Flower Perfume Recipe
Ingredients:
- 2 drops palmarosa essential oil
- 3 drops bergamot essential oil
- 4 drops sandalwood essential oil
- 3 drops rose absolute essential oil
- ½ fluid ounce vodka (approx 15 ml)
Directions:
- Blend the alcohol and essential oils in a glass bottle.
- Let the mixture sit for 2 to 6 weeks. Shake to mix occasionally.
Floral Love Perfume Recipe
Ingredients:
- 10 fluid ounces Vodka (300 ml)
- 3 drops Cedarwood essential oil
- 2 drops Vanilla essential oil
- 15 drops Bergamot essential oil
- 3 drops Sandalwood essential oil
Directions:
- Using a dropper, drop the essential oils into a glass bottle.
- Close the bottle and shake to mix all the essential oils.
- Add the vodka and shake again.
- Let the mixture settle for 1 - 2 weeks in a dark, cool place.
- Shake the bottle every few days.
- Enjoy!
Sexy Spice Perfume Recipe
Ingredients:
- 11 drops bergamot essential oil (bergaptene-free)
- 8 drops bay essential oil
- 3 drops vetiver essential oil
- 2 drops neroli essential oil
- 3 fluid ounces of distilled water
- 1 fluid ounce vodka
Directions:
- Pour alcohol into a clean glass jar.
- Add essential oils with a dropper (clean the dropper with rubbing alcohol between each essential oil).
- Stir the mixture.
- Let it sit for 2 - 5 weeks, shaking occasionally.
Happy Flowers Perfume Recipe
Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup vodka
- 5 drops musk oil
- 8 drops vanilla oil
- 1/4 cup distilled water
- 8 drops helichrysum essential oil
Directions:
- Add all the essential oils together.
- Add vodka and mix well.
- Pour the mixture into a spray bottle, and add water.
- Shake well.
- Let the perfume rest for 2 weeks, shaking occasionally.
A Botanical Walk Perfume Recipe
Ingredients:
- 9 drops lavender essential oil
- 6 drops cedarwood essential oil
- 15 drops clove essential oil
- 2 tablespoons sweet almond oil
- 2.5 tablespoons distilled water
- 6 tablespoons vodka
Directions:
- Put the sweet almond oil into a glass jar.
- Add the essential oils and blend well.
- Add the vodka.
- Close the lid and shake for a few minutes so that everything blends well.
- Let the mixture sit and settle for 48 hours in a dark, cool, and dry place.
- Shake well before use.
Rose Perfume Recipe
Ingredients:
- 30 drops rose essential oil
- 3 ounces of vodka
Directions:
- Mix essential oil and vodka in a glass jar, shake well.
- Allow the mixture to sit for 2 - 3 weeks in a dark, dry, and cool place.
- Filter the mixture with a coffee filter and funnel.
- Shake well before use.
Flowery Citrus Perfume Recipe
Ingredients:
- 16 drops bergamot essential oil
- 15 drops petitgrain essential oil
- 2 drops orange essential oil
- 15 drops lemon essential oil
- 5 drops lavender essential oil
- 5 drops neroli essential oil
- 2 teaspoons orange flower water
- 15 tablespoons vodka
Directions:
- Pour alcohol in a glass jar
- Add essential oils with a dropper, dipping the dropper into rubbing alcohol for cleaning between each scent.
- Mix well.
- Leave for 4 days to settle.
- Add orange flower water and give it a shake.
- Leave for another 2 weeks, shaking the bottle every day.
Sensual Men’s Perfume Recipe
Ingredients:
- 10 drops lavender essential oil
- 20 drops coriander essential oil
- 22 drops sandalwood essential oil
- 23 drops cedarwood essential oil
- 5 drops frankincense essential oil
- 100 ml vodka
Directions:
- Pour alcohol into a glass jar.
- Add essential oils with a dropper, dipping the dropper into rubbing alcohol for cleaning between each scent.
- Mix well.
- Leave for 2 - 3 days before using.
Lime Ylang-Ylang Perfume Recipe
Ingredients:
- 2 drops ylang-ylang essential oil
- 10 drops lime essential oil
- 2 teaspoons vodka.
Directions:
- Add alcohol to a glass jar
- Pour both essential oils and stir well.
- Leave sit for 15 minutes.
- Shake well before use.
Orange Flowers Perfume Recipe
Ingredients:
- 2 drops vetiver essential oil
- 3 drops frankincense essential oil
- 4 drops rose essential oil
- 4 drops grapefruit essential oil
- 4 drops neroli essential oil
- 1/4 cup orange blossom water
- 1/4 cup vodka
Directions:
- In a glass jar, add alcohol.
- Add essential oils with a dropper, dipping the dropper into rubbing alcohol for cleaning between each scent.
- Mix well.
- Cap and let sit for 2 days, shaking it each day.
- Add the orange blossom water.
- Shake before applying.
Sandalwood Cassia Perfume Recipe
Ingredients:
- 5 drops bergamot essential oil
- 3 drops sandalwood essential oil
- 5 drops cassia essential oil
- 1 cup distilled water
- 5 teaspoons vodka
Directions:
- Mix essential oils together and shake
- Slowly stir in the vodka
- Add distilled water
- Let the mixture rest for 2 days.
Lime Freshness Perfume Recipe
Ingredients:
- 2 drops lemongrass essential oil
- 6 drops lavender essential oil
- 5 drops lime essential oil
- 5 teaspoons vodka
- 1/2 cup distilled water
Directions:
- Add the alcohol to a glass jar.
- Add essential oils.
- Pour distilled water into the mixture.
- Stir well and let sit for 24 hours.
Woodsy Fruit Perfume Recipe
Ingredients:
- 15 drops lemon essential oil
- 10 drops grapefruit essential oil
- 10 drops lemongrass essential oil
- 2 drops benzoin essential oil
- 3 drops cedarwood essential oil
- 5 drops neroli essential oil
- 5 drops cypress essential oil
- 10 drops verbena essential oil
- 5 teaspoons vodka
- 1/ teaspoon distilled water
Directions:
- Pour alcohol into a glass jar.
- Add essential oils one at a time with a dropper, cleaning the dropper with rubbing alcohol between each scent.
- Stir well and add distilled water.
- Shake well and store for 3 weeks.
- Transfer to perfume jar and shake well before each use.
Sunshiney Day Perfume Recipe
Ingredients:
- 6 tablespoons vodka
- 2 tablespoons carrier oil such as jojoba oil
- 14 drops lemongrass essential oil
- 7 drops pine essential oil
- 9 drops orange essential oil
- 2.5 tablespoons distilled water
Directions:
- Place carrier oil and essential oils into a glass jar.
- Add vodka, cap, and shake well.
- Let the contents sit for 2 to 6 weeks.
- Check the scent regularly, when you are pleased with it, add the water to the blend.
- Shake for 1 minute.
- Get a funnel and place a coffee filter into it and transfer the contents to your storage bottle.
- Label and wear.
Passion Perfume Recipe
Ingredients:
- 2 drops ylang-ylang essential oil
- 3 drops neroli essential oil
- 3 drops passionflower essential oil
- 300 ml vodka
Directions:
- Pour vodka into a glass jar.
- Mix in the essential oils.
- Shake the mixture well and then let settle for 1 week in a cool, dark, dry place.
Spicy Men’s Perfume Recipe
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup vodka
- 22 drops mandarin essential oil
- 15 drops patchouli essential oil
- 5 drops oakmoss absolute essential oil
- 5 drops bay laurel essential oil
- 3 drops ginger essential oil
- 2 drops neroli essential oil
Directions:
- Pour vodka into a clean glass jar.
- Add each of the essential oils and shake well.
- Let sit in a dark place for 7 - 10 days, shaking daily.
Jasmine Perfume Recipe
Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup vodka
- 6 drops jasmine essential oil
- 2 drops patchouli essential oil
- 2 drops bergamot essential oil
- 2 tablespoons distilled water
Directions:
- Pour vodka into a glass container.
- Add the jasmine essential oil and blend well.
- Add patchouli and bergamot essential oils and stir slowly.
- Cover and let the mixture sit for 2 days in a dark place.
- Add water and stir mixture gently.
- Cover and let mature for 2 weeks in a dark, cool, dry spot.
Light and Spicy Perfume Recipe
Ingredients:
- 8 drops Bergamot Essential Oil
- 14 drops Rose Absolute
- 4 drops Frankincense Oil
- 3 drops Sandalwood Essential Oil
- 2 drops clove bud essential oil.
- 1/8 of an ounce of vodka.
Directions:
- Pour vodka into a glass bottle and add the essential oils.
- Shake well and let sit in a dark place for 2 weeks before using.
Lavender Perfume Recipe
Ingredients:
- 30 drops Lavender Essential Oil
- 1/2 cup plain Vodka
- 1/2 cup distilled Water
- 6 drops of Liquid Glycerin
Directions:
- Combine the ingredients in a dark glass bottle with a tight-fitting lid.
- Store in a cool dark place.
Conclusion
I hope you enjoyed our roundup of 20 vodka-based perfume recipes! Make sure you check out Rocky Mountain Oils for the best price on quality essential oils.
Or head over to Amazon, they have a large selection.
If you have any questions, please leave them in the comments below and we will do our best to help you out!


What brand vodka do i need to purchase?
If you can find Russian or Polish Rectified Vodka, that is best. Here is a list of the strongest vodkas that would work. Otherwise I would just buy any vodka from the liquor store.
Is absolut vodka a great choice? Thats the highest proof vodka i can find my country. I cant open the link that you posted in one of your comment. And can i omit the distilled water? Thank you?
Absolut vodka would work 🙂 Some of the recipes do not include distilled water, so use one of those recipes to make sure your perfume will turn out.
Thanks for sharing the amazing article. I like the lime fragrance, so I decide to make the lime freshness perfume.
Thank you for your recipes. I’m definitely going to give a couple a go. I’m looking for to try and get a scent similar to something like Aqua di Parma Cologne. Not sure which one would be best.
According to the website Fragrantica, Acqua di Parma Colonia contains citrus, lavender, rosemary, lemon verbena, rose, vetiver, white musk, jasmine, sandalwood, patchouli, and amber. You could try using 100 ml of vodka with those essential oils (adding to 80 drops). I would play around with amounts. Here is an example:
- 12 drops sweet orange, 12 drops rosemary, 10 drops lemon verbena, 8 drops rose, 8 drops vetiver, 6 drops musk, 6 drops jasmine, 6 drops sandalwood, 6 drops patchouli, and 6 drops amber.
Let me know if you have any other questions!
A lot of oils come in a base of jojoba oil. Is it ok to use these or do the oils need to be 100% free of base oils?
Hi Wendie, you could use oils in that are mixed in a base, their scent just won’t be as strong 🙂
CAN I USE ETHANOL ALCOHOL INSTEAD OF VODKA?
I would say no, not if you are applying it to your skin
I absolutely ADORE Perry Ellis 360 (for women). I went to their website, n they actually give u the scents they use for each level (top/heart/base). My question is, how the heck do I figure out how many drops of each scent do I use?? 🥺. Also, would strictly using the e.o.’s mixed with a carrier oil (meaning no water or alcohol) work as a roll-on fragrance? 😏 Essential oils are too expensive to “experiment” with, if the scent doesn’t turn out as it should 😔.
Hi Toni, thanks for stopping in! Essential oils mixed with a carrier work wonderfully as a roll-on fragrance. I have an article on how to create oil perfumes, I also talk about how many drops of essential oils to use to get eh right ratio for top/heart/base levels. You can also check out my ebook on how to make your own natural perfumes.
Let me know if you have any other questions!
love your perfume recipes…..would love to see more recipes with ylang ylang and geranium..what can I substitute for rose (expensive)…does the vodka help with a lasting scent….thank you jan
Hi Janice, thanks for your questions. Ylang-ylang and geranium are lovely 🙂 Rose is an expensive oil, palmarosa and geranium are good substitutes. The vodka holds the scent molecules together and helps dissipate the scent, the essential oils will be what makes the scent lasting.