he perfume-making workshop in Budapest is like opening the door to a secret fragrance laboratory.
You enter an elegant yet friendly space where tables are lined with a forest of glass bottles: tiny vials containing special essential oils and essences.
On the shelves, lavender, rose, sandalwood, bergamot, jasmine, vanilla, amber, and countless other exotic ingredients await you.
From the very first moment, the air is filled with a medley of different scents, and you immediately feel like a modern-day alchemist.
Discovering the secrets of scents
The instructor, usually an experienced perfumer or aromatherapist, first reveals the secrets of the world of scents.
- How is a perfume constructed?
- What do top notes, middle notes, and base notes mean?
- Why does citrus evaporate in minutes, while patchouli or musk lingers for hours?
That’s when you realize that every scent has a story and that a perfume is actually a narrative you write—not with words, but with scent molecules.
The time for discovery
Then comes the time for discovery.
You get a small strip of paper (blotter), put a few drops on it, smell it, and try to put the experience into words: fresh, sweet, spicy, clean, earthy, or sensual.
At first, you feel a little uncertain, but as you try the different essences one by one, you begin to recognize which ones resonate with you.
Some people find themselves in light floral scents, others fall in love with deep oriental tones.
And, of course, some are captivated by woody, leathery scents.
Creating your own fragrance
The best part of the workshop is when you create your own fragrance.
You don’t rush – you experiment patiently, drop by drop.
- A little bergamot for freshness
- A hint of rose for femininity
- A pinch of vanilla for sweet seduction
- A touch of vetiver for strength and poise
As you experiment, you feel the scent changing, slowly coming together into something that is truly yours.
A deeply intimate experience
There is something extremely intimate about this.
A scent is like an invisible business card: you don’t have to say anything, yet it tells your story.
That’s why creating your own perfume is more special than any bottle you can buy in a store.
The scent you create carries your personality, your mood, and perhaps even the memory of a particular period in your life.
The final touch – a piece of yourself
And when your creation finally goes into the little bottle and you can write the name you’ve chosen on the label—because yes, in many places you can name your perfume—you truly feel that you’ve created something lasting.
Not just a fragrance, but a piece of yourself.
More than just a workshop
What’s more, the perfume-making workshop is an experience you can enjoy alone if you want to focus inward, but it’s also a great activity with friends.
It’s playful, experimental, and filled with laughter as you exclaim:
- „Oh, this is more like a cleaning product than a perfume,” or
- „Oh my God, this is like a dream.”
And at the end, everyone takes home a small bottle with their own story, which you can spray on yourself anywhere in the world, but it will always remind you of Budapest and that afternoon.
