INPUT ARTICLE: Article: The first step to creating your fragrance is adding your base note. Often  times base notes are earthy scents that provide a good lasting smell for your perfume and can be five to 20 percent of your blend (but this varies). However, some people choose to use scents like grape-seed oil or sweet almond oil. It's your personal preference and you may experiment to see what scents you like. If you aren't sure where to start you can follow this guideline:  For a fresh and energizing perfume add 17 drops of grapefruit oil to your perfume bottle or roller bottle.  For a romantic and floral blend, add 25 drops of rose essential oil. For a sensual and earthy fragrance, add 20 drops of sweet orange essential oil. This is the heart of your fragrance, the smell that appears after your top note has dissipated. Some people choose to use a more floral scent for this note, but once again it is your personal preference. Often times middle notes are the biggest portion of your blend (50 to 80 percent), but once again this varies with experimentation. Here are some suggestions that follow the previous step:  For a fresh and energizing perfume add 14 drops of ginger essential oil.  For a floral and romantic blend add 10 drops of lime essential oil. For a sensual, earthy fragrance add 15 drops ylang ylang oil. Ylang ylang is an oil derived from the cananga tree, and is known for it's rich floral scent. Finally, your last main addition to your perfume is the top note, which will fade quickly but will be the first scent that you smell when you open up your perfume. They can often be five to 20 percent of the blend, but you can add more or less if you choose. Some people prefer to use fruity, minty, or refreshing scents for their top note. Try out different scents if you aren't sure and see what you like the best. You can also follow this guideline:  For an energizing, fresh blend add 10 drops of vetiver essential oil. Vetiver is a bunchgrass that is native to India and is often used as a flavoring agent because it creates a thick syrup. It also has fixative properties, which are what help the fragrance of the perfume to last.  For a floral, romantic perfume add 10 drops of vetiver essential oil. For an earthy, sensual fragrance add 10 drops of cedar wood essential oil. If you have tried out several different combinations and aren't pleased, you may need to just experiment with your scents. Play with different scents until you find one you like.  You may prefer a more woodsy scent and want to stick to vanilla, sandalwood, and sweet almond oil. Or you may enjoy very floral scents and want to use lavender, ylang ylang, and grapeseed oil. Maybe you appreciate fruity scents and want to use lemon, sweet orange, and mandarin. If you have created a great scent thus far and then messed it up with another oil, don't fret. You can add a drop of orange oil, which supposedly helps cancel out other perfumes. This step isn't necessary, but can be helpful if you want your scent to last longer. Depending on the size of bottle you choose will determine how much alcohol to use. If you are using 60 or so drops of essential oil, you can use three to four ounces of alcohol. If you are only using 20 to 30 drops of essential oil, you should probably drop the amount of alcohol to one to two ounces. You can use any type of alcohol for this, but you may want one that blends well with your scents. Some people choose vodka because it is relatively flavorless, but a spiced rum might be nice. If you aren't sure, start with an alcohol that has less flavoring. After you have added all of your ingredients to your fragrance, shake it up. This will allow the scents to fuse and mingle. Then, if you are patient enough, let it sit for about a month before you use it. You can use it beforehand, but the scents will become stronger as it sits and the alcohol scent will also fade off. You can also create a solid perfume by using beeswax and jojoba oil. Some people use jojoba oil only for their liquid perfume, but if it becomes cold it will harden. So, it's best to use it if you are going for a solid perfume.  One recipe you might try is four tablespoons beeswax, four tablespoons jojoba, 27-32 drops sandalwood oil, 27-32 drops vanilla oil, 25-30 drops grapefruit oil, and 20-25 drops bergamot oil. Start by grating and melting the beeswax in a boiler over low heat. Then add the jojoba oil until thoroughly blended. Allow the mixture to cool below 120 degrees Fahrenheit and then proceed to add the rest of the oils. Store in a small jar or lip balm tube.

SUMMARY: Add your base note. Mix in your middle note. Add your top note. Experiment with your scents. Add alcohol for a preservative. Shake your perfume and use it. Make a solid perfume.


INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Sit cross-legged in a half-lotus pose. Place your hands on your knees. Move your torso in a circular direction. Repeat for five times before switching the direction of the circle. Sit in staff pose with your legs stretched straight in front of you. Widen your legs to a 90 degree angle. Walk your hands forward along your legs. Your torso should start bending towards the ground. Grab your feet and hold the pose for twenty to thirty seconds. Sit down with your legs crossed, and press the bottoms of your feet together. Drop your knees as close to the ground as you can. As you stretch your torso straight, lean forward as far as you can go. Hold the pose for twenty or thirty seconds. Stand with your legs apart and your feet at a 45 degree angle to your body. Bend your knees until your thighs are 90 degrees to the rest of your body. Place your palms together, and keep your spine straight. Try to hold this pose for up to a minute. Start by lying on your stomach. Your hands should be placed under your shoulders. Using your arms, lift the top half of your body, including your head, chest, and abdomen. Your navel should be pressed to the ground. Stretch up through the top half of your body as you press down with your pubic bone.

SUMMARY: Make seated pelvic circles. Lean forward in open angle pose. Fold forward in a butterfly pose. Open your hips with a goddess pose. Lift yourself into a cobra pose.


INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Liven up a dark or neutral outfit with something eye-catching, like a scarf in a bold color or pattern. If you are going for a sophisticated look, this can create a fun edge without making your overall look less formal or polished. Choose a chunky knit scarf to create some interesting texture for an otherwise sleek silhouette. A pair of simple ballet flats in a bright color, like cherry red, can create a similar effect. Feel free to match a bright scarf with ballet flats of the same color – as long as the rest of the outfit is neutral, matching these bright accessories can look really stylish. It may sound odd to wear heels with jeans, but they can definitely work with a pair of dark gray skinny jeans. The fit must be snug and the leg needs to be tapered. A cropped pair of jeans looks great, but you could also roll up the bottom hems to create tiny cuffs. Make sure the cuffs graze the top of your ankle – this look doesn’t work if the bottom hems go past your ankles. If you’re going for a dressy, office-ready look in your gray jeans, the accessories you choose need to be dark, sleek and classic. A patent leather clutch or high quality briefcase will perfectly compliment the more formal attire and actually add to the overall sophistication of your outfit. Stick to items that have clean lines and basic structures. To complete this look, make sure your shoes are also sleek and black.

SUMMARY:
Add a pop of color with a brightly colored scarf or pair of flats. Wear heels. Complete a sophisticated look with a sleek black clutch or briefcase.