Hello everyone, and welcome to another of my reviews. In this article, I’ll review my recent perfume workshop experience with the local perfume house Maison 21G.
I previously did a perfume workshop with Pocholo last year, back in their (now defunct) Duxton outlet. Since then, Maison 21G has launched a “Level 2” perfume workshop, which they call the Advanced Perfume Atelier. I decided to visit Pocholo in their Marina Bay Sands (MBS) boutique to try out the new workshop – let’s see how my experience went.
Maison 21G – The Experience
I’ve been to the MBS boutique before, and with the previous Duxton shophouse shuttered, it’s now the flagship for the brand locally.
The showroom is located next to prominent perfume brands such as Penhaligon’s and Le Labo – you can’t miss it if you’re shopping for fragrances in MBS.
I was excited to try out the advanced perfume workshop, which the brand boldly states is meant “only for true perfumery aficionados”.
Just like the Level 1 workshop, the advanced perfume workshop starts with a 20-minute introduction, which was presented by Pocholo. While the introduction in the Level 1 workshop covers mostly the basics (e.g. what are top, middle and base notes, etc), the presentation here covers more complex issues such as natural vs synthetic ingredients in perfumery.
I’ve filmed the introduction with Pocholo – those interested in perfumery can watch the YouTube video above.
I should stress that the introductory presentation is not a one-way lecture – there are plenty of hands-on components, with Pocholo frequently offering me exotic scents (such as rose, pepper and oud) to try while elucidating on their preparation and extraction processes.
For example, as Pocholo expounds upon the coveted nature of oud (I learnt that a kilogram of agarwood can cost up to USD 100,000), he would hand me scent strips dipped in oud fragrance oil to try. In other words, it’s a workshop that engages the senses.
After the hands-on introduction, it was finally time to create my bespoke perfume.
The first step was to shortlist potential ingredients. Due to Pocholo’s extensive introduction, I already had a rough idea of the ingredients that intrigued me and was focused on searching for ingredients that complemented them.
Unlike the Level 1 perfume workshop, the Advanced Atelier allows participants to fully utilise the Black Collection (essentially the core collection on steroids) at no additional cost. Pricier and more exotic ingredients are used, resulting in richer and more complex creations.
Eventually, I narrowed down my choices to four scents: Peony Pearl as my top note, Geranium Gem and Secret Spirit (a tantalising cocktail of cognac, patchouli and tonka beans) as my heart notes, and Ancestral Agar as my base note.
Firstly, I love the sweet floral notes of peony, which act as an intoxicating invite. Secondly, the fruity and citrusy characteristics of geranium act as the perfect foil to the rich and sensual nature of Secret Spirit (which is inspired by a project Maison 21G did for Hennessy). Lastly, the exotic earthiness of Ancestral Agar (with oud/agarwood being the most expensive perfumery ingredient in the world) acts as a great base note to anchor the scent creation.
After selecting the scents, Pocholo takes over briefly to recommend the appropriate composition of each ingredient. Thereafter, participants mix the ingredients themselves, squeezing the droppers to the recommended quantity for each ingredient. It’s a hands-on activity that reminds me of secondary school chemistry class.
Once done, Pocholo sprays the mixed perfume onto my wrist, giving me a whiff of my creation. For the first iteration, the two of us concurred that the fresh floral notes dominate the scent, so Pocholo suggested that I increase the quantity of Secret Spirit and Ancestral Agarwood.
This showcases the raison d’etre of Maison 21G, which is to offer bespoke perfumery for its customers. In my review of Maison 21G’s Level 1 Perfume Workshop, I stated that “The final smell of the perfume can still differ even if participants choose the exact same ingredients as the composition (i.e. how much of each ingredient) may be different.” That’s the beauty of crafting your perfume – you can tweak it to fit your individual preferences.
After increasing the amount of Secret Spirit and Ancestral Agar, the woodiness of the scent becomes more prominent and acts as a nice juxtaposition to the fresh floral notes of Peony Pearl and Geranium Gem. The result is a balanced scent that smells fresh in the morning and evolves into a lovely sweet musky fragrance in the evening.
Once again, I want to highlight the expertise of Pocholo – his know-how was invaluable, especially when providing advice on which scents complement each other, as well as the optimal quantity of each ingredient (which he tweaks based on your preference).
With the scent finalised, it was time to select the bottle design. Customers can choose between a variety of artwork, submit their own image, or opt for engraved text. Since the bottle was a sleek matte black, I decided on a simple monogram of my name.
Once again, Pocholo aided with the bottle design. Even for a simple text engraving, customers are still able to choose from a variety of fonts and decide how large they want the text engraving to be.
The only downside is that the engraving process takes about 15 minutes, which is a rather long time to wait. Maison 21G does offer hot refreshments such as coffee and tea, so at least you can wait in comfort.
However, the finished engraving turned out beautifully – the golden font adds a touch of luxe to the bottle. I also love that the bottle states the scent ingredients used, which is a nice detail.
If you don’t have the time (or patience) to sit through the 75-minute perfume workshop, Maison 21G also offers grab-and-go perfume creations. These off-the-shelf sets feature two ingredients packed in small separate bottles, which customers can mix themselves (thus retaining the hands-on element of the workshop) at home.
Conclusion – so Maison 21G’s Advanced Perfume Workshop “shiok” or not?
As someone who’s been through multiple perfume workshops, I have to say that the Advanced Perfume Atelier was the most thorough and enjoyable experience thus far. Maison 21G bills it as a workshop for perfume aficionados, and it delivers. The introductory presentation is in-depth and educational, the Black Collection ingredients are top-tier, and the overall workshop is enjoyable and engaging. I much prefer this Level 2 workshop to Level 1, whose focus on the AI personality quiz felt tacky at times. I understand the rationale – it’s a fun way to hook beginners into the world of perfumery – but if you’re an enthusiast, then the Advanced Perfume Creation Atelier will be more up your alley.
Those interested in Maison 21G’s perfume workshops can use the promo code “WAHMAISON25” to enjoy a 25% discount on all weekday bookings online here. Simply enter the promo code while checking out online, or mention it/flash this article in-store. After the discount, the 60-minute standard perfume workshop would cost just $135, while the 75-minute advanced workshop (which includes the Black Label ingredients) would cost a mere $150. Given the marginal price difference, I recommend opting for the Level 2 advanced workshop. There’s also a Love Atelier for couples and even a Family Atelier for families – there’s something for everyone.
Book the perfume workshop or customise your own scent from Maison 21G here.
Maison 21G’s store locations:
L1-32, The Shoppes, MBS
Takashimaya S.C., 391 Orchard Road, #B1-31A
P.S: Check out The Shiok Store here – it serves as a curation of my favourite products from my favourite brands.
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P.P.P.P.S Shiok is a common word Singaporeans use to express admiration or approval. As of 2016, you can find the definition of the word in the Oxford English Dictionary.
