Bukchon, Seoul custom perfume class: four blending rounds at Muhwawon

Why buying perfume online is a gamble — and worth a Seoul workshop instead

My usual go-to perfume ran out right on cue, so I needed to find a new one!

I'd always ordered perfume online, but honestly, it's such a gamble T_T

Some days you get exactly the mood you wanted, but other days you buy based on the description alone and it's so different from what you imagined that you end up returning a pile of bottles T_T

So this time, instead of half-heartedly picking someone else's perfume, I really wanted to blend one myself, note by note, into exactly the scent I wanted!

After looking around, I found out there's a one-day class studio in Bukchon where you can make your own perfume, so I went straight there haha. The place I visited is Muhwawon Perfume Workshop, located in Bukchon!

Muhwawon perfume class price and booking: 49,000 won for 50ml

Muhwawon Bukchon Perfume Workshop's custom perfume class costs about ₩49,000 per person for a 50ml bottle. I booked ahead through Naver Reservations before visiting!

Getting a quality experience like this right in the middle of Bukchon felt like really solid value for money haha.

The moment I stepped into the studio, the sentimental, neat atmosphere felt like entering a completely different world from everyday life — it got me so excited lol.

Choosing a mood on the blending sheet and smelling the scent samples

Once I sat down, they brought me Muhwawon's 'scent notebook'! On the front page, you could pick the overall mood you wanted for your scent!

I'd always thought of myself as someone who really loves woody scents!

So I confidently checked off wood, herb, moss, grass, forest, paper, dry, smoky, cozy, rich, and clean moods haha.

After finishing the mood selection, I watched a short guide video, then moved on to actually smelling the top notes, middle notes, base notes, and Muhwawon's own special Korean scents one by one to pick out ingredients I liked!

• Top notes: bergamot, yuzu
• Middle notes: fig, basil, geranium, hay
• Base notes: rosewood, amber
• Korean scents: mountain forest, cloud osmanthus, herbal medicine

What the perfumer found: green scents suited her better than woody ones

Once I'd picked out the scents I liked, a professional perfumer came over and kindly guided me through the process!

She looked closely at the combination and preferences I'd chosen, and then said something that hit the nail on the head!

I think you actually prefer a fresh, sentimental green scent more than a heavy woody one!

I got chills for a second lol.

Four blending rounds at Muhwawon, from the first mix to the final one

Following the perfumer's recommended guide, I started with the first blend!

<Round 1 blend> One drop each of top (mugwort), middle (fig, basil, rosewood), and base (amber, herbal medicine) mixed together! When I smelled the first blend — wow, it was so fresh and green that I already loved it after just round one T_T

But since I wanted to get a little greedy and add a touch of sweetness, the perfumer suggested trying round two with a changed ratio: 2 drops fig, 3 drops rosewood, 2 drops amber!

Round two smelled even more green, but light with a hint of sweetness! For round three, I added 2 drops of hanji (Korean paper) scent to blend things together a bit more, and for round four I removed the hanji scent from the mix and added 1 drop of bergamot instead!

The moment I smelled round four, it was so rich and sophisticated it genuinely felt like a high-end perfume you'd buy in a store lol. Both round two and round four smelled amazing, so I got really torn!

Coffee beans to reset your nose mid-class

After smelling so many scents in a row, my nose got a bit numb, so they had coffee beans set up in the studio for resetting your sense of smell! I smelled the coffee, waited about 3 minutes, then reset my nose and smelled the blends again.

Round two had a soft, fresh green scent but felt a bit light! Round four opened with bright bergamot first, but since it's a top note it faded quickly, leaving a rich, deep green scent — a perfect balance! In the end, I finally decided on round four, my absolute favorite blend lolol.

Mixing it yourself with a scale and dropper, plus notes kept on file

Once you decide on your final scent, the perfumer calculates the exact measurements for each ingredient and writes them down.

Following that, I weighed everything on a scale and used a dropper to pour the liquid into the bottle myself — making it with my own hands made me feel incredibly attached to this perfume lol.

If you ask them to keep your scent notebook on file, they'll make it for you at a cheaper remake price later if you want the same scent again! That's amazing, right? haha

Is the Muhwawon perfume class worth it? Verdict and tips

Honestly, I went in with pretty low expectations, but I ended up way more satisfied than I imagined! Thanks to the perfumer's careful coaching, I was able to complete my exact signature scent without any missteps ><lol

Now I don't have to worry about failing at buying perfume online anymore! Plus, the finished perfume comes beautifully wrapped in a nice dedicated box package, so it even felt like receiving a gift haha.

One tip! If you take part in the Naver receipt review event, they'll make you a mini car diffuser using the one-of-a-kind scent you just created as a freebie, so if you visit, definitely leave a Naver review too!!!

Smelling all these lovely scents while soaking in the unique atmosphere of the Bukchon hanok village and finding my real taste was such a healing and enjoyable time!

If I get the chance next time, I'd love to visit Muhwawon perfume workshop in Bukchon again to make another signature scent with a totally different vibe ><! haha