Over the years, I have gained some familiarity with essential oils but wouldn’t know where to start when creating a custom perfume. I’ve seen a few perfume-making classes on Airbnb experiences in Seoul or Busan, but I didn’t realize a lovely boutique offers classes right in Sosabeol. Phyto Blossom is tucked away in a beautiful sunlit room on the backside of the building, right next to the river path.
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| Phyto Blossom Entrance |
Phyto Blossom’s owner and our instructor for the day, Ms. Hyun, is an herbalist and aromatherapist. She explained that we would create our signature scents by smelling various essential oils and allowing our senses to guide us. These perfumes are 100% natural and contain pure ingredients. She asked us what perfumes and scents we generally gravitated toward so she could help guide us through the process. I was looking for something a little earthy but also fresh. My friend, Claire, said she would like to create a more floral perfume.
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| Inside the boutique |
We had directions and a pen to make notes about our concoctions. Although my directions were in Korean, Ms. Hyun spoke perfect English and said that they could be prepared in English. She was kind enough to translate the names of the essential oils. Lucky for me, the essential oils are phonetically the same in Korean and in English. It was a fun opportunity for me to practice reading Hangul.
We needed to determine our favorites to create a base note, middle note, and top note. Ms. Hyun took some of the guesswork out of the process by informing us which oils belong in each category. Next, it was time to start working those olfactory senses. Ms. Hyun gave us paper strips to dip in the individual oils, and we chose our favorites. We worked our way through the base, middle, and then the top. It was a little challenging to differentiate between some of the scents, and we utilized the tin of coffee beans to reset.
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| Carefully counting drops and mixing them together |
Once we decided on our oils, Ms. Hyun recommended how many drops of each essential oil to include in our mixture. She gave us the oils, and we used the droppers to distribute the oil into a beaker. Before we finalized our scent, we dipped a paper strip into the mixture and then went outside to let it dry and make sure we were happy with our final product. Claire and I both added some tweaks based on our unique preferences.
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| The finished product! |
The final steps included adding the oils and alcohol to the glass bottle, followed by some coloring. We both chose shades of blue and completed the look with a label. I thought the finished product was very classy! The total was 40,000 Won for the experience and a bottle of perfume as shown in the photo (includes a 10,000 Won deposit, made upon reservation).
Due to the current social distancing level with COVID19, she is currently only accepting small groups. However, she can typically accommodate larger groups and private parties. This experience would be a fun birthday party or ladies’ night out! Ms. Hyun also informed us that she is opening a cafe next door, which made perfect sense since the only thing missing from this colorful, lovely atmosphere was an Americano for me to sip. Unfortunately, she did not have a definite opening date for the cafe but perhaps as early as July.
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| There are so many fun handmade items in the boutique |
You may also book classes to make soap, diffusers, or candles - all made with natural ingredients. Reservations are a must, especially if you would like to come on a weekend. Again, Ms. Hyun speaks excellent English, so you can call or text for reservations. You may also contact her through Instagram.
This article is written by Emily Peacock a PIEF Foreign Reporter
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