Riya teaches first-time blenders — maceration, dilution, the unglamorous middle steps that decide whether a perfume actually works.

A freshly mixed perfume is not the same perfume two weeks later. A short, honest guide to maceration — why aging your blend changes everything, and how long is long enough.

An unopened perfume lasts 3–5 years, an opened one lasts 2–3. Store bottles upright, in the original box, in a cool dark place away from bathrooms and sunlight. Heat, light and oxygen are the three things that quietly kill a fragrance.