For a truly unique Parisian experience, consider visiting the Musée du Parfum Fragonard. This museum allows you to discover the rich history of perfume and make your own! Whether you are a perfume novice or an enthusiast, this experience is a terrific way to experience Paris.
The Mini Perfume Workshop (The Basics)
The Mini Perfume Workshop cost us $31.00 per person. As part of the workshop, we were able to create a 12 milliliter bottle of Eau de Toilette, take a guided tour, and get specialized attention and a demonstration in the gift shop.
We chose this tour due to the distance from our hotel, the cost, and the ability to take home a small souvenir!
Our Experience
This tour is offered in multiple languages. We picked a tour offered in English, and our tour guide spoke very clearly!
We chose a morning tour, and arrived early as noted in the instructions posted on the website. We checked in at the front desk, and unfortunately, a group was late to arrive and we all had to wait for them before we could begin.
TIP: I found it to be quite warm inside, and there is no where to put your coat!
Once we got started, we were taken upstairs to a beautiful room where our workshop would take place.
In our class, we learned about the special flower of the year, and mixed together our own combination of three notes including the flower of the year to get a ratio we enjoyed. My husband and I each made our own perfume that smell similar to each other, but were completely unique!
We stood at barrels, and each barrel had about 2-3 people stationed together, sharing the equipment. There was more than enough to go around, and although we were partnered with someone we did not know, we were very comfortable. Creating our unique blend took roughly 20 minutes, and we were able to take lots of photos throughout the experience.
Our tour guide then took us through the history of perfume in the museum, showing us different artifacts, explaining their significance and use. In a city filled with museums, I really enjoyed this one, and felt like I was able to absorb the information. I also loved that I was able to ask any questions I had!
Eventually, as with all guided tours, we ended in the gift shop! At first, I was compelled to leave, and not get drawn in. I am SO glad I did not because I found a perfume that I was absolutely obsessed with, and it has become my absolute favorite.
Our guide started by explaining how different perfumes smell differently on different people, passing around sample sticks of perfumes, and allowing us to spray the ones we liked on ourselves.
The best part, was that they offered a discount for buying three bottles. Three bottles can get a bit expensive. However! They let everyone buddy up, so that three strangers could each buy a bottle, with their own cards, and we would each get ours discounted! You just have to go up to the register together. Two best friends who were travelling together approached me, and that sealed the deal for me to treat myself!
Who should book this Workshop?
My perfume background prior to this experience was small, if not non-existent. I have had a difficult time convincing myself to spend money on perfume, and my fragrance resume was mostly limited to the Victoria’s Secret or Bath & Body Works sprays I acquired in high school.
Because of this, you may say, what do I know about perfume, and how am I qualified to review my experience and recommend it to others? Although I am writing this review from a novice point of view, I will say that many of the others on our tour were VERY familiar with perfume and quizzed our guide on the specific flowers used, notes they smelled, ingredients and percentages, likeness and similar notes they have smelt in other brands and the lines from those brands.
This tour is perfect for both a beginner, new to the perfume world, and someone who is a fragrance aficionado.
Alternatives
If you aren’t feeling the tour, or don’t want to commit ahead of time, admission to the Musee du Parfum is free and no reservation is needed. Expect to spend about 30 minutes looking through the museum!
If you want to build a perfume where you have more flexibility in the scent that you chose, I would perhaps look for a different tour. I really enjoyed creating my scent, but I did not come in with a preconceived notion of what I hoped my scent would be.
I really loved this experience; it was one of the highlights of my trip to Paris. If I go back with family members, I will definitely take them to Fragonard!