Rainy-evening couples perfume workshop in Anguk: last slot at Muhwawon

Why I picked Muhwawon near Anguk Station for a date

Muhwawon (무화원) is a perfume workshop near Anguk Station said to be inspired by Changdeokgung's Secret Garden. I wanted a special weekend date with my partner, and since we also wanted to stroll quiet Bukchon and Sunraegil, I made a quick Bukchon date plan haha.

We've all smelled someone on the street or the subway wearing the exact same perfume as us and felt awkward, right lol. Department-store brand perfumes are boring, and niche perfumes are too pricey T_T. When I posted it on my social media story, my friends' DMs exploded, so it's a seriously hot spot and I have to share it!

Eating and sightseeing on dates is nice, but workshops are popular too. And making your own scent? So curious! Since I love making memories, I couldn't just walk past a Seoul perfume workshop while I was in Jongno.

Getting to Muhwawon, and a tip for the last evening slot

From Anguk Station Exit 4, walk about 6 minutes along a pretty hanok (traditional Korean house) alley full of graffiti. On the last evening slot, the building's front entrance may be locked, so know this in advance.

This might throw you: maybe because I came for the last evening slot, the front entrance was closed..T_T I contacted the staff right away and they gave me the door code, so don't panic. Just press the code and walk in!!!

What's the atmosphere at Muhwawon like on a rainy day?

The 3rd floor of Muhwawon is full of hanok charm yet very stylish, with big windows overlooking tiled roofs. On a rainy day it's a perfect indoor date in Seoul.

The moment I took the elevator up and opened the door on the 3rd floor, I couldn't help saying "wow" haha. It was exactly like its name, "a scent blooming like mist in a garden." I happened to come on a rainy day, and my gloomy mood turned into the thought that this would be a perfect moody rainy-day indoor date in Seoul. This atmosphere, what can I even say!! My partner was busy taking photos as soon as we walked in, too haha. Planning this date? Pat on the back for me!!

The space is so calm and misty-feeling, you really have to go see it.

What ingredients does Muhwawon have? 48 Korean scents

Muhwawon has 48 premium ingredients capturing the feel of Korean nature, such as hanji (traditional Korean paper), temple incense, traditional herbal medicine and omija (five-flavor berry). When your nose gets tired, take a break by sniffing the coffee beans provided.

At most Seoul perfume workshops you get the same orange, rose and soap scents, right? But this place was really different!! You can smell them one by one, and when your nose is tired, just sniff the coffee beans to rest haha. The biggest plus, I think, is that instead of an ordinary generic perfume, you can make a one-of-a-kind scent like your own skin. It totally hit my taste lol.

One slightly funny drawback.. after smelling so many scents, your nose gets a bit fuzzy later lol. Sniff the coffee beans often, and I don't recommend sniffing too deeply or too close. Just my own tip!

How does the class work? Headset and tablet blending

Each seat has a headset and a smart tablet, so you learn the theory by yourself with video guides, then get 1:1 feedback from a professional perfumer. The class took 1 hour 30 minutes.

Okay, now it's time to actually make perfume! At first I wondered what this was, why on earth there were headsets for making perfume, whether we'd be doing something while listening to music? You learn the theory with music through a video guide, very easy and private, which was so comfortable. On top of that, a professional perfumer gives close 1:1 feedback and helps you find the feel you want, so even beginners have zero chance of failing!

It was fun and amazing how the scent changes so much depending on the blend ratio haha. This is really, really amazing.. add this, add this, and the scent truly shifts... wow, impressive. The 1 hour 30 minutes flew by. A proper Seoul perfume workshop indeed!!

Muhwawon's signature scents instead of luxury perfume: worth it?

At Muhwawon you can make your own perfume with signature scents drawn from nature, such as hanji, temple incense, traditional herbs, wood and mountain mugwort. The writer says it may divide opinions, but personally leans toward liking it, finding the scent addictively intriguing.

Luxury perfumes costing hundreds of thousands of won.. honestly I've started to feel it's a waste of money. We've all gone out wearing the common Jo Malone, Diptyque, Chanel or Dior and awkwardly overlapped with our boyfriend/girlfriend's friends, right? If you're sick of mass-produced scents you meet every 3 seconds on the street, list yours on Danggeun Market (a Korean secondhand app) right now~ and go to Muhwawon to make a scent that suits you for just ₩40,000, a signature smell all your own that rivals ₩400,000 niche perfumes.

A scent only I have.. wow, isn't that so unique? And it doesn't smell cheap or like something you've smelled before. Hanji or temple incense scent, sounds odd, right? It's a matter of taste, but I lean toward liking it and it's addictively intriguing~ I like it, just my personal taste! It's my own scent anyway. A gentle recommendation.

How much does Muhwawon cost?

A premium 50ml perfume costs ₩49,000, and couples can choose a set of 2 perfumes for ₩79,000. If you join the Naver receipt review event after class, you get a car air freshener as a freebie.

It's a high-grade perfume whose staying power lasts as long as luxury perfume, so the value is really excellent. Couples, I strongly recommend the 2-perfume set for ₩79,000 haha. One more big tip: the review event even gets you a car air freshener! Isn't that a total win??

Come up with your perfume's name before you go

Muhwawon's packaging has an ink-wash-painting feel, and they even add a silver label, where you can write a name you've made up for your perfume. So it's good to think of the name in advance. I decided my name before going and just waited for the label moment lol.

Perfume in atmospheric Bukchon~ a Bukchon perfume workshop is such a romantic date, and it felt like giving myself a gift, which touched me even more T_T

Booking, parking and the nearby date route

Muhwawon is 100% by reservation, so Naver booking is a must. There's no parking, so I recommend using a nearby paid lot or public transport!

Hot Seosunraegil, Ikseon-dong and Bukchon Hanok Village are all within walking distance, so it's an unfairly good spot for planning a date of meal and tea after class lol.

If you want a memorable, scent-filled Seoul perfume workshop date that's not clichéd, I hope you'll visit Muhwawon! Thanks to the special perfume I blended myself, I wrapped up this weekend very successfully haha.