Blotting a strip and chasing the exact note you're imagining is genuinely seductive. Then reality lands: most blends smell muddy, cloying, or like nothing in particular, and a scent that's lovely on paper can curdle on skin an hour later.

Materials are pricey, and a single drop too many ruins a batch.

It's slow, expensive trial and error, and your first wearable accord will feel like a small miracle.