Bukchon perfume studio: EDP 12% scents for each other at Muhwawon

Making perfumes for each other at Muhwawon, a Bukchon perfume workshop

I like perfume enough that I go to perfume workshops more often than you'd expect, and whenever I try a new one, I can't help comparing how many scent types they have, how the session runs, and what the space feels like. This time my friend and I had plans in Anguk, so we booked Muhwawon, a perfume workshop in Bukchon, and went together.

Honestly, Muhwawon was one of the main reasons we went to Anguk that day, so I had pretty high expectations. I've been to several perfume workshops in Seoul, but Muhwawon felt different the moment we walked in. The space itself is quiet and calm without being heavy or stiff, and it really matches the Bukchon vibe. It's a good spot to build into a Bukchon date course — make your perfume, grab a meal nearby, then wander around Bukchon and Changdeokgung.

Muhwawon location and opening hours in Bukchon

Muhwawon Bukchon Perfume Workshop is at 23 Yulgok-ro 6-gil, 3rd floor, Jongno-gu, Seoul, about 410m from Exit 4 of Anguk Station. It's open daily from 12:00 to 22:00.

Since it's within walking distance of Anguk Station, it's easy to grab a meal nearby beforehand. It's also close to Changdeokgung, Bukchon Hanok Village, Insadong, Ikseon-dong, and Seosunra-gil, so you can turn it into a full day itinerary. We ate first and then visited Muhwawon, and honestly Anguk has so much to eat and see that it's perfect for putting together this kind of Bukchon date course.

What the Muhwawon studio space feels like

Inside a Seoul perfume workshop

The name Muhwawon apparently means "a scent blooming like mist in a garden." It's said to be a brand inspired by the mist rising in the Secret Garden of Changdeokgung, blending tradition with a modern sensibility, and you can feel that concept a bit once you step inside.

Overall the space felt tidy, calm, and quite sophisticated. Every workshop I've been to has a distinctly different mood, and Muhwawon's really matched both its Bukchon location and its brand identity. If you're someone who cares about the atmosphere when picking a Bukchon perfume workshop, I think you'll be satisfied here.

The scent briefing, explained on video first

One thing that personally stood out was that you watch a video explanation about perfume before starting. At a lot of the Seoul perfume workshops I've been to, a staff member walks you through everything from the start, but Muhwawon has you quietly watch a video first. It worked better than I expected.

Since the space itself is calm, watching a video kept the mood from getting scattered and made it easy for each of us to focus on the content. Even having been to several perfume workshops before, it was oddly fun to revisit the basics again since every place emphasizes slightly different points.

First-timers can also ease in step by step through the video, so it shouldn't feel intimidating.

Another appeal at Muhwawon: the theory notebook

Before making perfume, you get to look over some basic explanations about perfume, one of which is concentration. Concentration refers to the proportion of fragrance oil in the total solution.

• Splash cologne: about 1%
• Eau de Cologne: about 2-3%
• Eau de Toilette: about 4-8%
• Eau de Parfum: about 8-15%
• Parfum Extrait: about 15-30%

At Muhwawon you can make an EDP 12% perfume, which falls into the Eau de Parfum range. After a few workshop visits, you start caring not just about whether the scent is nice but about what concentration it's actually made at, so I liked that they explained the concentration too.

Top notes, middle notes and base notes

There was also an explanation of the top note, middle note, and base note terms you hear often with perfume. The top note is the first impression felt for about 30 minutes right after spraying, usually light and fresh scents like citrus or green notes. The middle note lasts about 4 to 8 hours and becomes the core of the perfume. And the base note lingers for about 4 to 48 hours, usually deep, long-lasting notes like woody or musk.

Both my friend and I lean toward woody scents, so we paid extra attention to this part. No matter how many perfume workshops you visit, the family of scents you keep reaching for tends to stay the same.

Accords and the roles of base, modifier, blender and fixative

There was also an explanation about accords. An accord means combining two or more scents into one harmonious scent. When building a fragrance, roles are divided into base note, modifier, blender, and fixative. The base note is like the lead character at the center of the scent, the modifier adds a change to that scent, the blender helps the scents connect naturally, and the fixative boosts the scent's longevity.

After going to enough perfume workshops, you learn that mixing a few scents you like doesn't automatically create something pretty. Each one smells great on its own, but combined they sometimes clash more than expected, and other times a combination you didn't expect much from turns out perfect. That balancing process is my favorite part of making perfume.

Hanji and herbal medicine: Muhwawon's signature scents

When we actually got to smelling the fragrances, there was quite a wide variety prepared. You go through them one by one, narrowing down to the ones you like, and even after doing this many times, that process is always fun. What I especially liked about Muhwawon was that beyond the usual fragrance oils, they have their own signature scents. Notes like hanji (traditional Korean paper), Korean herbal medicine, and cured incense reinterpret a Korean, natural feeling in a modern way, which clearly set this Bukchon perfume workshop apart from others.

Visit enough perfume workshops and you start noticing the same familiar scents repeating. I liked that Muhwawon has notes unique to itself. They also matched the space's atmosphere really well.

Blending a perfume that suits your friend

This time, instead of each making our own perfume, we decided to make one that suits the other person. The concept was to turn the first impression or mood we each get from the other into a scent. Even though I've been to several perfume workshops, I usually end up making a scent I want to wear myself, so picking something that suits someone else felt completely different.

The forest-like woody scent I made for my friend

We both lean toward woody scents, so naturally we both reached for wood notes from the start. For the scent I made for my friend, I wanted something less heavy and intense than a full woody scent — more of a comfortable wood note with a hint of the fresh green feeling you get walking into a forest.

So I picked mostly woody and forest-like notes, but combining them wasn't as easy as I expected. Each one smelled great alone, but mixed together some felt heavier than expected, and some notes stood out more than I wanted.

So I kept adjusting the ratio little by little to bring it toward something comfortable and calm.

In the end I landed on a scent that matched the image I had of my friend pretty well, so I was satisfied.

Cutting the lychee note without hesitation

My friend initially tried adding a lychee note to my scent. On the first sniff it was sweet with a fruity note, and I didn't think it was bad, but once combined with the other notes, it turned out to be way stronger than expected.

The lychee note ended up dominating too much, so we gave up on that combination and started over. Going to perfume workshops has taught me that boldly cutting a note you originally picked matters just as much.

In the end we settled on something with a slight floral note alongside a sweet woody scent, which felt much closer to my taste than the first combination. The floral note wasn't too strong, and the woody base supported it well, so it came out as something I'd actually wear often.

How long the class took and what the finished package includes

Muhwawon's experience takes about 1 hour and 30 minutes on average, but time really flies while you're sniffing and combining scents one by one.

The finished perfume came with a premium package and a silver label sticker, so it looked clean and polished when we got it.

Muhwawon says it only uses certified, authentic fragrance oils, which is worth noting. I go to perfume workshops often enough that a similar format can start feeling familiar quickly, but Muhwawon felt fresh thanks to the video explanation format and its Korean signature notes. So I'd say this is worth a visit not just for first-timers but for anyone like me who's been to several Seoul perfume workshops.

Turning the rejected blends into car air fresheners

At Muhwawon you can also make car diffusers or room diffusers, not just perfume. While blending our perfumes, we picked two notes we liked but that didn't make the final cut, and turned them into car diffusers. It was better than I expected. Since you have to settle on one final combination for the perfume,

there are inevitably some scents that unfortunately don't make it, but you can turn those into a different product. We each made one and are using them in our cars now, and it's quite satisfying. There's a subtle scent whenever we get in the car, and since it's a scent we blended ourselves, it feels even nicer. Getting to use the perfume as perfume and still keep a car diffuser besides makes the whole experience last longer, in a way.

Building a Bukchon date course around Muhwawon

Also, the Anguk location is a big plus! Like we did, set the perfume workshop as your main plan, grab a meal nearby, and wander around Bukchon or Changdeokgung — it makes for a great one-day Bukchon date course.

Muhwawon itself matches Bukchon's atmosphere so well that I felt good about the choice of location while doing the experience. I'd recommend it to people who love perfume, friends who want to make a scent that suits each other, and anyone looking for a slightly different Bukchon date course.

There was a good variety of scents, Muhwawon had its own signature notes, and I liked being able to take my time choosing scents in a quiet space. This was my review of Muhwawon, a Bukchon perfume workshop that satisfied even me, someone who goes to these often. If you're looking for a Seoul perfume workshop around Anguk, Muhwawon is worth a visit :)

Saving this so I can reorder if I end up loving the scent. Oh, and Muhwawon keeps your checked blend record on file, so keep that in mind!