Homemade lemon cologne

Plus, the launch of my new book-themed unisex perfume

We’re beginning the year with scent, and in particular with the ways I work with scent using one of my favorite kitchen staples (by the way, would you like me to do a full newsletter issue devoted to making scent with aromatic, edible ingredients? Let me know in the comments!)

Lemon cologne is one of my favorite wear-it-whenever scents. I’m picky about the perfumes I buy, and depending on the day I migrate between this scent and a few favorite purchased ones: But for homemade colognes, this is my standard go-to. I’ve shared the recipe below: Give it a try and let me know what you think!

Speaking of scents, an exciting announcement:

BibliOddities, one of my favorite scent makers, have crafted a custom, small batch perfume inspired by my books.

If you had told me when I started writing and teaching about fermentation that some day my work would inspire its own perfume, I would not have believed you.

But life has a way of throwing us cool surprises, and working with BibliOddities was one of the more fun ones.

They’ve named the blend Dreamweaver, which is itself such a beautiful interpretation of my work. And I was so honored to both be their first author collaboration of 2026 and seeing my work described in this way:

Working with Julia was such a gift, and seeing her profoundly generous perspective on community and creativity has been eye-opening and exactly what so many of us need going into 2026.

When we started working together, I was really curious how a fermentation-themed perfume might work as it could go in so many directions: Chocolate/wine/vanilla, tangy, sour scents, yeasty bread, earthy scents like shoyu.

They created several sample scents for me to try, and it was incredibly challenging to pick which one I ultimately wanted. But it was also really rewarding to experience my books through a new lens, interpreted by a reader in a new-to-me medium of literary exploration.

We ultimately landed on this blend because it’s versatile, lasts for hours but isn’t overwhelming, and has a good balance of being light enough to work in summer but not so fleeting I can’t wear it in winter. For me, as a person who really doesn’t like most store-bought perfumes, this blend is also cool because it doesn’t smell like run of the mill perfume, which means it’s something I’ll actually wear.

I was admittedly skeptical of the yeasted bread scent note before I tried it, but it actually smells amazing: More like a slight suggestion of bread you get from walking nearby to a bakery. It’s subtle, and works in tandem with the other scent notes to make something comforting, pleasant, and unexpected.

Lemon cologne

Lemon cologne is a fresh, zesty unisex scent that can be worn year-round. I first encountered it while traveling in Turkey in 2015, where kolonya (lemon cologne) or rosewater are often given to guests to refresh themselves. Since then, I’ve learned there are versions made with lemon peel (like this one) and with lemon blossoms.