Anguk Station perfume class: grassy white musk blend at Muhwawon

Hi everyone ☺️ Today I'm bringing you my review of a one-day class at Muhwawon, a perfume workshop in Seoul I visited with a friend. If you're the type who wants to make something in your own taste instead of buying a brand perfume, or you're looking for a fun activity to do with a friend or partner, this should help. I wrote down exactly how the scent changed from round one to round three — failures and all!

Muhwawon one-day class price and what's included

Muhwawon Bukchon Perfume Workshop's one-day class runs ₩49,000 per person for the premium 50ml perfume course, and takes about 90 minutes. Advance booking through Naver Reservation is required — we paid ₩98,000 for two people.

• Reservation: advance booking required via Naver Reservation
• Entry: enter the building's shared entrance code, then take the elevator
• Duration: about 90 minutes
• Price: premium perfume 50ml, ₩49,000 (₩98,000 for two, ₩49,000 per person)
• Options: extra 30ml ₩25,000 / extra 50ml ₩20,000 / raise concentration to 16% for ₩10,000
• Payment: pay directly at the studio
• Note: leave a Naver review same-day for a bonus mini perfume blending two of your scents

Theory notebook + 2 videos + scent-note checklist + rounds 1–3 of testing + final blending

My one-line take: a Seoul perfume workshop that keeps steering you back on course even after you fail the first round.

Booking Muhwawon and getting there: check the entrance code first

Muhwawon's one-day class works on advance Naver Reservation booking. Once you book, they text you very detailed directions before your visit, so there's no chance of getting lost.

There's one thing that might throw off first-timers — you don't just walk straight in.

You need to enter the shared entrance code first, then take the elevator up. The code is included in the text message, so check it before you arrive and you won't be stuck loitering at the door.

What's set up at your seat at Muhwawon

Every seat at Muhwawon's one-day class is set up identically — headset, beaker, dropper, tray of fragrance bottles, blotter strips, and a scale, all laid out per person.

At my assigned seat there was a headset waiting, plus a beaker and dropper — tools I hadn't touched in ages.

The fragrance bottles were neatly arranged on a tray, along with blotter strips and a scale — it honestly felt like a science lab.

When I think 'perfume workshop in Seoul,' I picture a wall of fragrance oils you just scoop and pour — but this place was different.

Learning concentration levels and the note pyramid from the notebook and videos

Before touching any fragrance oils, Muhwawon's one-day class starts by opening up a scent-note notebook. You watch a short video through headsets to first learn the concepts of concentration percentage and the note pyramid.

First you're guided to open what's called the Muhwawon scent notebook, and you watch a short video through the headset.

It covers the basics of fragrance, and since the same content is printed in the notebook, it was easy to follow along.

Concentration levels come first: splash cologne is 1%, eau de cologne 2–3%, eau de toilette 4–8%, eau de parfum 8–15%, and parfum extrait 15–30%.

How long top, middle and base notes last

Next is the note pyramid. Top notes are citrus-green and last about 30 minutes; middle notes are floral and last 4–8 hours; base notes are woody-musk and can linger 4–48 hours, they explained. Knowing this upfront made it click later why certain fragrance combinations made sense.

Using the scent notebook to pin down what you like

Once the video ends, it's time to check off which scents you like in the notebook and start narrowing down your taste.

You smell each fragrance one by one, reading the names attached to little stones, and jot down the ones you like in the notebook — I got so absorbed I lost track of time. Some smelled totally different from what I imagined based on their names alone, and the unusual, distinctly Asian-inspired scents were fascinating too. Once you finish checking your preferences, a second video plays — this time explaining the actual blending process.

Round one lemon miss, round three grassy white musk

The core of Muhwawon's one-day class is the formula sheet, where you write down 6–9 fragrance oils and adjust the drop count across rounds one, two, and three. We didn't get it right on the first try either.

In round one, we added just one drop of each oil and tested it on a blotter strip — what I wanted was a soft, subtle grassy scent. But all I got was lemon jumping out over everything, which was pretty disappointing. That's when it hit me, quite literally through my nose, that top notes surge forward first. In round two, we leaned toward grass and white musk, but this time both were so faint they barely registered. In round three, we added one more drop of forest note, which pairs well with grassy tones, to give it more of an enveloping feel.

In the end we landed on a subtle grassy scent wrapped in a cozy layer of musk. It's the kind of scent that would feel healing when you're stressed at work. Since they guide you through three rounds, don't worry if round one flops — you'll still get there.

The perfumer calculates the final gram amounts for you

Once the direction is set, the perfumer writes down exactly how many grams of each oil to add to the beaker. Our final total came to 6.00g.

Each oil comes out to numbers like 0.55g or 1.09g, down to the decimal. Since the perfumer does the math, not you—

—all you have to do is weigh it on the scale and pour it in.

There's no stress about the numbers, so it's an easy enough level even for an upper-elementary kid. Once you hand the finished beaker to the perfumer, they quickly turn it into an actual bottle of perfume for you. Even the label on the bottle at Muhwawon felt meaningful and thoughtfully designed.

I named mine 'rest gomini.' I worked in 'Gomini,' a nickname my boyfriend and I use for each other, into something you can spray without a second thought on the days you need rest.

Why I chose Muhwawon over other perfume workshops in Seoul

If you search for perfume workshops in Seoul, plenty of them are quick 30-minute to 1-hour classes where you just pick fragrances and pour. Prices across class platforms generally run from the ₩30,000s to ₩70,000s, but the structure varies a lot even within that range.

We wanted to understand why we were choosing a scent, not just pick one and be done, so we went with Muhwawon's one-day class, which includes the theory notebook and three rounds of testing. At ₩49,000, it's pricier than the shorter courses, but that made sense once I considered you walk away with a full 50ml bottle of premium perfume. If you're short on time or just want something light, though, a shorter course would suit you better.

What to know before your Muhwawon class

Here's what's worth prepping before booking Muhwawon's one-day class.

• Book in advance via Naver Reservation
• Check the entrance code sent by text
• Set aside a comfortable 90-minute window
• Skip wearing perfume so you can focus on scents
• Jot down keywords for the scent you want beforehand
• Leave a Naver review the same day for a free mini perfume

Wearing perfume beforehand can interfere with the sniff-testing, so it's best to go scent-free that day. Also, they say it's better to let your finished perfume rest for about two weeks before using it, so if it's a gift, plan the timing accordingly.

Muhwawon one-day class: the verdict

The packaging was so clean and tasteful I could have gifted it as-is. Since I left a Naver review, they even made me a mini perfume blending two of the scents I'd created. Muhwawon's one-day class was both a fun experience to share with a friend and a chance to figure out what kind of scent I actually like. If you're shopping for a housewarming or birthday gift, or looking for something for kids to try during school break, a perfume workshop in Seoul like this is a solid choice. Next time, I want to try making another one with the scent that got drowned out by lemon this round.