You’ll smell it before you see Oo La Lab’s workshop, its counters lined with bottles of essential oils. Located in Commune Home Millenia Walk, Oo La Lab lets you design your own fragrance in its 90-minute workshops ($98/pax, $176/two people). The nose behind this perfumery is South African fragrance designer Terry Jacobson – the man responsible for the iconic smells of ION Orchard and Changi Airport, just to name a few.
Here’s how to customise your own scent in five steps:
1. Smell everything
The first step requires you to take a whiff of every scent on the display counter and pick your favourite ones.
The lab carries ‘edible’ scents such as Vanilla and Gourmande – these aromas are so sweet, you’ll be tempted to taste them. Petrichor, the crowd-favourite scent blend, consists of the elements Green and Wood, and will remind you of rainy days.
2. Do simple math
Here’s the slightly tedious part: mark down 20 smells that you want to combine and decide how many drops of each scent will go into your trial mixture. You might need two to three adjustments to perfect the smell.
3. Be a chemist (or act like one)
Based on your prior selection, combine the scents in a bigger bottle using the apparatus provided – you’re guaranteed an instant throwback to chemistry lessons during school days.
4. Add more liquids
The mixture in the bottle will then be iodised and topped up with alcohol, before being fitted and packaged.
5. Name it
You’re all set to bring home a 20ml eau de parfum – all that’s left is to name your fragrance.
– Gladys Tan
Sign up for Oo La Lab’s workshop here.