Hello everyone, and welcome back to another Singaporean article! Today, I’m rounding up 3 perfume workshop experiences that you can opt for in Singapore. I’ve personally visited and tried all the workshops mentioned in this article, and have enjoyed all of them.
Whether you’re a perfume enthusiast or simply looking for a fun date night idea, attending a perfume workshop – whereby you get to craft a personalised bottle of perfume – will make for a great experience. In addition, you will be supporting homegrown brands during these tough COVID times.
Alright, let’s delve into the listicle!
1) Maison 21G
Maison 21G specialises in “tailor-made perfumes”, allowing customers to create their own unique scent at an affordable price.
Who they are: “We’re a House of Scent Designers. Come inside and feel empowered to experiment with the finest ingredients. With us, you’ll be able to unlock your soul scent. Free of all toxins and hazards, this is a scent of your own. Made by you, for you.”
My opinion: I love Maison 21G – they are undoubtedly one of my personal favourites on this list. Their Duxton road boutique is welcoming and beautifully designed, though they do have a new ION outlet (pictured above) as well. At Maison 21G’s perfume workshop, participants can learn about the history and art of perfume making, as well as get the opportunity to bespeak their own scent. I find their online personality quiz – whereby they recommend specific ingredients based upon your personality and needs – to be pretty cool, and it’s definitely a unique selling point for the brand. Maison 21G also offers free engraving (both text and pictures) on each of their perfume bottles, so they make for great gifts as well. For those interested, I chronicled my experience of attending a workshop at Maison 21G’s Duxton outlet here, at their ION outlet here, and most recently at their new MBS outlet here.
What you get: 1-hour perfume workshop experience, with a customised 30ml bottle of perfume to keep.
Prices: Maison 21G’s perfume workshop starts at $150, though there is a special student price (<21 yo) at $120. For those interested, the promo code “M21GWAHSOSHIOK” will grant readers 15% off weekday perfume workshop bookings from Maison 21G online, as well as all other products on their webstore.
Where to book: Interested readers can book their appointment online here.
2) Jetaime Perfume Workshop
One of the first perfume workshops in Singapore, Jetaime Perfume Workshop offers its workshop in both Mandarin and English, and possesses an impressive 5.0 perfect Google review rating.
Who they are: Jetaime Perfumery is actually the sister brand of Singapore Memories, a local brand offering Singapore-inspired perfumes and room fragrances. Established in 2014, the brand was one of the first to offer perfume workshops to the local market.
My opinion: Personally, I found Jetaime Perfume Workshop to be an intriguing experience, and really enjoyed smelling all the bottles of perfumed oils and coming up with a unique concoction that is based on my personal taste. I learnt that perfumery – like watchmaking, tailoring and shoe-making – is a complex and intricate field, and I’m glad to have had a small insight into the world of perfumery. At two hours long, I would say that it’s a tad more detailed than the other two perfume workshops on this list. You also get the most amount of perfume to bring home here, a whopping 120ml in total. It’s a value-for-money pick, though some aspects of the workshop (such as the paper personality quiz) felt dated at times. The locations aren’t the most accessible as well, with one outlet located at Goodman Art Centre in Mountbatten and the other at Sentosa. For those interested, I wrote about my experience at Jetaime Perfume Workshop here.
What you get: 2-hour perfume workshop experience, 2 perfume samples of 10ml, and 1 customised perfume bottle of 100ml to keep. Name engraving is available for free if the workshop is booked a week in advance.
Prices: A couple workshop at Jetaime Perfume Workshop is $125 per pax (or $250 total). At the present moment, the brand does not offer perfume workshops for just one person, only for 2-5 pax. As Jetaime Perfume Workshop is an official partner of Wah So Shiok, readers can quote the promo code “WAHSOSHIOK” upon checkout to enjoy 10% off the workshops online, as well as 10% off all perfumes and room scents from their sister brand Singapore Memories. I’ve previously reviewed their line of perfumes here, and their offering of room fragrances here.
Where to book: Interested readers can book their appointment online here.
3) Scentopia
Scentopia is a newly opened attraction in Sentosa. It’s the brainchild of Mrs. Prachi, who’s also behind the fragrance label Singapore Memories and the Perfume Workshop.
Who they are: As aforementioned above, Scentopia is actually the sister brand of Perfume Workshop as well as perfume label Singapore Memories. It just opened this year, making it the newest brand in Mrs. Prachi’s portfolio.
My opinion: Scentopia is a unique proposition in itself – I can’t think of any other scent attractions in Singapore, much less one in a tourist destination such as Sentosa. The perfume workshop process was fun and engaging, with a very different concept as compared to the other local perfume workshops in Singapore. Scentopia also has features such as AR exhibits that make it a great family activity to do with kids as well. That being said, hardcore enthusiasts may feel a tad disappointed as Scentopia doesn’t state the specific scent ingredients that go into each stick, and simply classify them into broad families (fresh, woody, etc). If you’re someone who’s very specific and particular about what goes into your perfumes, then opt for some of the other local perfume workshops. But if you’re simply looking for an entertaining date idea or an interesting family outing, or are simply a casual perfume user looking to get into the world of perfumery, then I’ll recommend giving Scentopia a try.
What you get: 1-hour perfume workshop experience, with a 100ml bottle of perfume to take back home.
Prices: The 100ml perfume workshop is priced at $125. As Scentopia is an official partner of Wah So Shiok, readers can use the promo code “WAHSOSHIOK” to enjoy 10% off all workshop bookings here.
Conclusion
A perfume workshop is a great way to spend a nice night out with your significant other. Of course, it doesn’t have to be a romantic event – even if you’re attending a perfume workshop with a bunch of friends, it will also be a blast. Alternatively, if you have always been interested in perfumes and the concoction of fragrances, then attending a perfume workshop is a great first step to entering the world of perfumery. Learn about perfumes, have a fun time with your partner or friends, and support local brands at the same time – what’s not to like?
P.S: Check out The Shiok Store here – it serves as a curation of my favourite products from my favourite brands.
P.P.S: Do check out the new “Discounts!” page for exclusive discounts for Wah so Shiok readers! More brands will be added very soon – stay tuned!
P.P.P.S: If you haven’t already, do follow my social media channels on Facebook here, on Instagram here, and on Youtube here.
P.P.P.P.S Shiok is a common word Singaporeans use to express admiration or approval. As of 2016, you can find the definition of the word in the Oxford English Dictionary.
