Homemade Perfume Concoctions

Lately Rosie has been taking quite an interest in my morning routine and loves watching me get ready for the day. If I put on earnings, she asks for her clip-ons. When she sees me putting on a bit of make-up, she asks for some too. She has also taken quite an interest in mommy's perfume. After my shower, I often spray myself with a refreshing body mist like the ones they sell at Victoria's Secret. Rosie loves the way they smell and always asks for a spritz in her hair. She also asks to hold and spray the fragrances and throws a small fit when I say no. This got me thinking..... there has to be a way to let her explore perfume freely.....

Homemade Perfume Concoctions

When this idea came to me, I was so excited! I knew Rosie would love it!

We gathered an array of wild flowers while on an early morning nature hike.

Then, I set up a little perfume mixing station during the girls nap.

In addition to the flowers, I set out bowls and other kitchen gadgets. I also created a few fragrant mixtures for Rosie to use as a base for her perfume concoctions. I used an empty body wash container, a water bottle, and a soap dispenser, all pulled from the recycling. I filled each one with water and colored the water with food coloring. I then added scent to each container using lavender and rose essential oils that I already had on hand and use frequently for our sensory baths.

Rosie was so surprised when she woke from her nap and saw this playtime all set up! I told her she was going to make mommy some perfume, and her face lit with excitement! As soon as she sat down, she went right to mixing

She loved pouring and dumping her perfume mixtures

All of Rosie's concoctions were so beautiful!

And all of the colors and scents were so appealing

Rosie smelling one of her perfume concoctions

Rosie mixed up different concoctions for quite a while. Then we bottled them into a few empty containers.

Rosie's perfume blends smell fantastic! I have been spritzing the body mist on every morning. Rosie's face fills with so much pride every time I do too!

I have also been adding the other concoction to Rosie's bath in the evening. It smells great, and tints her water a very pale pink. The bath perfume (as Rosie and I call it) is almost gone, but I will probably toss the body mist in a few more days just to err on the side of caution. I doubt our homemade perfumes would keep for too much longer than that.

Rosie loved this activity! As she played, we talked about the colors and scents. Rosie explored varying textures. We introduced new vocabulary words. Rosie was also filled with such a sense of pride, which is fostering her independence and belief in herself.

And most importantly, this activity was SO MUCH FUN!