Anguk perfume workshop date: boyfriend's scent car freshener, Muhwawon

I wanted a different kind of date with my boyfriend, so I looked up perfume workshops in Seoul. Muhwawon was close to Deoksugung, which we had just visited, so that is where we went.

Where is Muhwawon Perfume Workshop near Anguk Station, and where to park?

Muhwawon Bukchon Perfume Workshop (무화원 북촌향수공방) is at 23 Yulgok-ro 6-gil, 3rd floor, Jongno-gu, Seoul, and is open daily from 12:00 to 22:00. It has no parking of its own, so you need to use a nearby paid lot.

It is a 6-minute walk from Anguk Station Exit 4 and a 7-minute walk from Jongno 3-ga Station Exit 6. The location is great for pairing with a Bukchon date, and for parking you can use a nearby paid lot.

Right in front of the workshop is the Kakao T Changdeokgung Parking Lot No. 1, and when it is full you can use Gigwang Parking Lot.

What kind of perfume workshop is Muhwawon (霧花園)?

Muhwawon means "scent blooming like mist in a garden." It is said to be a perfume workshop brand blending tradition and modernity, born from the inspiration of mist rising in Changdeokgung's Secret Garden. It reinterprets traditional Korean scents in a modern way, and you can make perfume that captures the mood of Korean nature, such as hanji (traditional Korean paper), herbal medicine ingredients and temple incense.

Muhwawon runs on reservations only, so I recommend booking ahead before you visit.

How does perfume making at Muhwawon work, step by step?

Tablet questionnaire and choosing a scent-note mood

You start by sitting at a table, filling in a survey on a tablet and watching a short video. After the video, staff explain things, and you pick three or more moods for the day's scent on the Muhwawon blending note. I chose woody, forest and rich.

Smelling 48 scents and picking at least 6

Next, choosing scents! You smell the 48 scents set out in front of you and pick at least 6. My boyfriend and I each sniffed on our own and shared our favorites, and time flew by. The 12 scents in the very last row are special materials that capture Korean scents, so I think it is a good idea to add at least one of them.

When your nose gets tired, you can refresh your sense of smell with the coffee beans they have ready.

Three blending rounds to perfect the perfume

Once you finish choosing, you get advice on whether your scents go well together and what is missing, and then you bring the materials you chose to the tray on the wall.

Muhwawon does the blending in 3 rounds in total.

• First: add each chosen scent once to check the overall impression
• Second: pick scents that are lacking or that you want to add, to fill the gaps
• Third: blend freely however you like

I added the materials, shook the mix, dabbed it on a scent strip to smell it, and refined the result while listening to the staff's explanations.

Measuring into a beaker, mixing and bottling

Once you settle on a blend you like, a staff member writes down the weights, and you add the materials to a beaker accordingly. The order is base note, middle note, then top note.

When all the materials are in, you stir with a glass rod more than 100 times and pour the mixture into the bottle.

Final step: naming your perfume label

The last step of perfume making at Muhwawon is choosing the name that goes on the perfume label.

A staff member put the base into the perfume bottle and brought over the label, so all that was left was sticking the label on the bottle. Done!

Can you make a car air freshener at Muhwawon too?

At Muhwawon you can buy a car air freshener as an add-on. I happened to need one, so I bought it while I was there. I thought my boyfriend's scent would suit a car freshener, so the staff adjusted the ingredient blend for car use based on the scent he made.

Ta-da! They wrapped it up so nicely, too.

The car freshener can be used right away, but they recommend letting the perfume age for 2 weeks before use, so I could not spray it yet. I am so curious what it will smell like once it has aged.

Is Muhwawon good for first-time perfume makers?

It was my first time making perfume, and I worried it might be hard, but the Muhwawon staff explained everything well and helped me every time I got indecisive, so it was easy and fun. Above all, I enjoyed smelling the scents myself, sharing tastes with my boyfriend and creating a scent that is ours.

Muhwawon is near Bukchon and Anguk Station, so it also works well as part of a date route. If you are looking for an unusual date in Seoul, I recommend Muhwawon Perfume Workshop.