Perfume class with Mom near Anguk Station: our tastes differ, Muhwawon

I've been totally into dates with my mom lately. This time I wanted to make a special memory, so we went to a perfume workshop near Anguk Station. Workshops like this are usually an indoor date spot for couples, but Muhwawon is so elegant and calm that it was really great for taking a parent too. Spoiler: Mom loved it so much that I felt proud myself. Here's my review of Muhwawon Bukchon Perfume Workshop (무화원 북촌향수공방).

Where is Muhwawon Bukchon Perfume Workshop, and what about hours and parking?

Muhwawon Bukchon Perfume Workshop is at 23 Yulgok-ro 6-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul, Suite 301, and is open daily from 12 PM to 10 PM. You can park across from the Muhwawon building for ₩1,200 per 10 minutes, up to ₩25,000.

Muhwawon perfume-making prices

At Muhwawon you can make premium perfume, car fresheners and diffusers, and the price range is roughly what you see in the photo below.

Muhwawon's atmosphere near Anguk Station and date spots nearby

The sign at Muhwawon Bukchon Perfume Workshop is small, so I almost walked right past it at first.

Muhwawon is close to Changdeokgung, Bukchon Hanok Village, Insa-dong, Ikseon-dong and Seosunra-gil. Seosunra-gil in particular is super hot right now. It's a perfect spot to plan a day out: make a perfume, then stroll the nearby palaces and hanok (traditional Korean house) alleys.

The workshop's name, Muhwawon (霧花園), means "scent blooming like mist in a garden." The brand was inspired by the mist rising in Changdeokgung's Secret Garden, and the space itself feels calm, elegant and mysterious, just as that description says.

It looks like up to ten people can take part in one session! Some couples were already in the middle of their class.

Our perfume-making experience at Muhwawon with Mom

At Muhwawon you can smell and blend scents full of Korean nature, like hanji (traditional paper), herbal medicine and temple incense, and Mom found that especially interesting.

I also liked that it starts with a video. It's a one-day class anyone can try, whatever their age!

Besides perfume (EDP 12%), you can also make car fresheners and diffusers. They also say every fragrance uses only genuine, safety-certified ingredients, so we could pick scents comfortably and with peace of mind.

Smelling: lots of good Korean scents

First, smell everything and pick what you like! Surprisingly, the Korean scents on the bottom row had a lot of good ones. The herbal medicine perfume... doesn't seem easy. It looked difficult and I wondered what to do, but the perfumer guides you well, so you can just follow the video and go with your gut.

Sampling: the perfumer even advises on ratios

Once you've found scents you like, you choose the ones to sample. Here too, the perfumer advises which to add and how much, which was great!

You make it by dripping in one or two drops, so it takes more delicate (?) work than you'd think. The scents look colorful and pretty. You sample about three times before making the full bottle, but my hand slipped and I dripped in one or two extra drops, so I had to sample once more... The more detail you give about the perfume you want, the better the result, so take it slowly and give your nose enough rest.

Making the full bottle: watch the video carefully

The last step is blending the full bottle. Be sure to watch the instruction video closely! It's a precision scale, so timing can be a bit off; I'd recommend going slowly the first time. The class takes about 1 hour 30 minutes on average. Quietly chatting with Mom while finding scents that suit each other was a really healing time. I also found out that Mom and I have different scent tastes.

Muhwawon's finished perfume packaging and aging period

Your finished perfume comes in a premium package with a silver label sticker, and the packaging quality was excellent, which pleased me again. You can't use the perfume right away: it needs about 2 weeks of aging. They say the alcohol smell is too strong at first.

Why I recommend Muhwawon as a different kind of date with parents

If you want to treat your parents to an elegant, unusual outing, I recommend making a special scent at Muhwawon. And if you do the review event, you get a car diffuser too. Be sure to join in and take it home!