Build Your Signature Scent at the Glitters and Grace Perfume Bar
To build your signature scent, you don't need a perfume degree. You need a nose, a little curiosity and someone beside you who knows the materials. That is what our perfume bar is for.
This is more than a scent station. It is a short, happy lesson in how perfume works, and every guest walks away with a bottle that smells like them.
- Perfumer-led
- Made in our New Lenox lab
- Six base styles
- Eau de parfum strength
How a perfume is built
Every perfume has three layers of notes. A note is simply one smell you can pick out, like lemon or vanilla. Perfumers sort notes by how quickly they fade.
Top notes are the first sparkle, and they fade fastest. Heart notes are the emotional middle that lasts through the afternoon. Base notes are the warm foundation that lingers on your skin into the evening. A good perfume balances all three.
The materials on our bar
Our perfume material library is organized so you can explore one layer at a time. For top notes, you might find bergamot, grapefruit and pear for that bright first impression.
For the heart, there are florals like rose, freesia, jasmine and peony. For the base, there is musk, sandalwood and amber for warmth and depth.
We work with absolutes, CO2 extracts and essential oils. In plain words, those are the concentrated natural extracts perfumers use. Every finished bottle is an eau de parfum, a perfume-strength spray made at 50% fragrance material to perfumer's alcohol.
Start from a base, then make it yours
At our blending bars, every perfume starts from a base, the foundation a perfume is built on. There are six base styles: floral, masculine, fresh, musk, sophisticated and gourmand, which means sweet and edible, like vanilla or caramel.
From there, you add notes that make it yours. Signage at the bar suggests combinations, so if you would rather not decide from scratch, you don't have to.
Think about a mood, an occasion or a memory. A summer porch. Your grandmother's garden. The way you want to feel walking into a room. Those are wonderful places to start when you build your signature scent.
One guest's story: a familiar floral, made her own
One guest came to the bar with a mission. She loved Philosophy's Amazing Grace, a soft, clean floral, and wanted her own version with a twist.
So we looked at how a scent like that is built. Top: bergamot and grapefruit. Heart: freesia, jasmine and rose. Base: musk and soft woods.
She kept the bergamot and freesia, then added a hint of pear for brightness. She swapped rose for peony to soften the floral edge. For her base, she layered our soft musk with a touch of vanilla for warmth.
The result nodded to the perfume she loved, but felt entirely her own: elegant, modern and personal. That is the whole idea.
Keeping your signature scent
Here is something worth knowing before you fall in love. At event perfume bars, the table moves quickly, so individual formulas are not recorded.
If you want a scent you can reorder for years, book a one-to-one fragrance consultation. It is $650, at your home or, from January 2027, at our Mokena studio. Your formula is recorded so it can be remade, and you can reorder your fragrance anytime.
Bring the perfume bar to your celebration
A birthday, a bridal shower, a boutique pop-up or a company party all work beautifully. Guests blend, bottle and name their creations, and the room fills with laughter and comparing notes.
Want to go deeper first? Our DIY fragrance handbook walks through blending step by step. When you are ready, see our perfume bar experiences and send us your date.
Glitters and Grace was founded by Cheryl Gleason, a trained perfumer and cosmetic and skincare formulator. Every perfume, lip color and skincare base is made by hand in our New Lenox lab. Meet the founder.
Questions about how to build your signature scent
Do I need to know anything about perfume first?
Not at all. Our hosts guide you from the first sniff to the finished bottle, and signage suggests combinations if you get stuck.
What are the six base styles?
Floral, masculine, fresh, musk, sophisticated and gourmand, which is sweet.
What size bottle do I take home?
Perfume comes in 15 ml or 20 ml bottles, and every bottle is an eau de parfum spray.
Can I reorder the scent I blend at a party?
Formulas are not recorded at event perfume bars. A one-to-one fragrance consultation, which is $650, keeps your formula on file.
How much does a perfume bar for my event cost?
Adult and corporate events start at $500, and kids parties start at $475.
Ready to scent your celebration?
Send your date, venue and rough guest count. We reply within two business days with an itemized proposal.
perfume@glittersandgrace.com · 815.418.6740
With Grace,
Cheryl Gleason · Owner, Perfumer & Creative Director
Prefer to text? 815.418.6740 · or email us
