Fancy making your own perfume or getting a unique fragrance by a local perfumer? Here's where to get mixing
When it comes to bespoke things, we've got them suits and cocktails so it makes sense to get a little more personalised when it comes to perfumes and scents. Swap that departmental store bottle for something more bespoke, and local, with these homegrown brands mixing up a storm.
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Founder Jason Lee creates perfumes to reenact moments and capture memories. The perfumes on this homegrown label was created for the trendy, adventurous and soul-searching individual, the unisex scents come in a six variants collection. The first three variants, 123 Tribeca, 1724 Puka and 27˚F Biei were named after places in New York, Boracay and Hokkaido respectively.
Mmerci Encore makes handcrafted artisanal aromatherapy goods that smell divine. The active ingredients are sourced fresh from around the world and products are made in small batches so that quality won't be compromised. Its handcrafted perfumes are alcohol-free and made purely with essential oils. These potent blends also have a lot of benefits. The Nightshade ($37) is useful for inducing a good night's sleep while the Glow Elixir ($39) is great for uplifting spirits and relieving nervous tension.
It's hard not to notice Sifr Aromatics in Arab Street. Not only is the shop a beautiful space, customers – tourists from Japan travel here to visit the shop – flit in and out, often with purchases, and always happy with their buys. Perfumer Johari Kazura who runs the store has a way with scents, and perhaps it's really in his blood. His family has been in the business for years before he decided to branch out to do something more experimental.
One of the services he offers is the customisation and he is very open to your suggestions. No matter the requests – whether it is to bottle the scent of the Caribbean or to include ginger, he handles it as a new adventure. Go crazy with your ideas, although do put some thought into it of course.
Before you embark on your journey to bottle your special scent, the perfume designer at Freda'D will help you through a questionnaire before mixing a fragrance based on your answers. Some of these questions include whether the perfume is meant for you or as a gift and the stage of life you are in, and where or what do you intend to use your perfume
At the end of creating your bespoke fragrance, you have the opportunity to name your signature scent to your liking. Every bespoke perfume is truly unique masterpiece so know that it will take some time to make.
At Oo La Lab, complex fine fragrances are deconstructed into primary building blocks what you will pick and choose, and eventually put together to craft your own perfect fragrance. Feel like a chemist mixing around liquids – choose up to 20 – before deciding on one that best evokes character, mood and context.
Oo La Lab are also active in the pop-up scene so keep a lookout for them at your favourite flea market, fair or even music festival.
You may think that candles is all they do but Candles of Light also dabble in bespoke scents as well. Known for their natural and earthy scents, the perfumes are meant to be layered so they truly reflect who you are. Catch them at the next pop-up and get mixing – there's no wait and you can try out as many combinations as you want.
One thing you'll love with the fragrances of Code Deco is how much care goes into telling the story of each fragrance. Experimenting with the Code Deco fragrances is also a lot of fun. Observe how each of the scents transforms your mood and creates an unforgettable aura wherever you go. You can start by choosing one scent with ingredients and combinations that you love and one or two others with unfamiliar materials and combinations to create something new and exciting. Best thing about bespoke scents is that you get to play around as much as you can.
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