Fancy creating your own scent? Now, you can do so at Je T’aime’s Artisanal Perfume Workshop held at Goodman Arts Centre. What started as a passion, became a career for Mrs Prachi when she helped her friends concoct bespoke perfumes.
When entering the studio, a medley of scents hits you as your find yourself in a wide room with tables, where the workshops are conducted. You’ll also spot crates of scented oils and empty perfume bottles, waiting to be filled.
Mrs Prachi and her team have been studying from ‘Ancient Perfumery‘, ‘Perfume Recipes from Brahat Simhita‘, ‘Asian Ingredients‘, ‘Attars of the Great Mughals‘, and more to constantly keep up with the game.
Their latest read is the study of Original Orchids of Singapore, and they hope to expand on their existing collection.
The team have over 40 exclusive perfumes of exotic orchids that are now extinct in Singapore, and you are more than welcome to use these when creating your own perfume.
Besides the orchid collection, they have over 400 top quality oils, gathered from all around the world, many of which are often used in high end perfume making.
Creating a scent is so much more than simply blending oils together – it is about putting your personality into a bottle and wearing it with confidence.
We first had to answer a series of questions which was supposed to somewhat determine our personality and character traits, they are segmented into five categories – Fresh, Oriental, Woody, Citrus and Floral.
Floral scents are popular among the ladies, Oriental and Woody lovers are harder to come by, and those who prefer Fresh and Citrus scents tend to be the younger and more fun-loving crowd.
After which, Mrs Prachi or her assistant will help to calibrate the amount of bottles and drops from each category you will need, and you can proceed to take out said numbers of bottles after going through every single scent.
There were approximately 20 – 30 bottles of oils to go through per category, but I finally picked out the ones that I wanted. One thing I learned though: picking out the smell that you like is very different from how you want to smell.
My first sample of perfume turned out to be a very masculine, with a woody scent. I obviously liked the smell but agreed that it’s perhaps not something I want people smelling on me.
After going through all the different oils, you will pipette drops from each category according to the sheet prepared and create a sample to determine whether you like the scent or not. If you don’t, you can either try again or engage Mrs Prachi or her assistant for professional views on how to tweak it according to your preference.
A perfume consist of top, middle and base notes — the top is the first to hit the nose, the middle settles in after awhile, and the base lingers for the longest and interacts with your perspiration.
By explaining what you’re looking for to Mrs Prachi, she can advise on the different notes and pick out oils for you if you can’t decide.
After deciding on a sample that you like, Mrs Prachi or her assistant will scale the mixture to a perfume bottle, in either Eau De Toilette or Eau De Parfum concentrations, before finally filling up the rest of the bottle with alcohol.
Once your personal bottle of perfume is crafted, you can seal it and you’re done! Your very own bespoke perfume is created. You’ll be given a fragrance profile that you can keep and bring back to concoct the same fragrance if you ever run out.
The entire process was really intriguing, and we learned so much more about fragrance oils — how they’re derived, and what exactly perfume is made of. We definitely recommend going for the workshops to learn more about perfumery.
Why not try out their couples workshop, where you both get to create your favourite scents together. Him for her, and her for him!
Each workshop costs $125 per person, where you get to make your own scent and take it home (105ml). It also includes three 10ml travel packs and one 75ml perfume in a hand-polished crystal bottle.
Psst, you even get to engrave your name on the bottle if you wish.
Price: $125 per person