Happy Wednesday, everyone! I hope you’re all enjoying this beautiful summer weather. Summer certainly took its sweet time to get here this year, but it’s finally arrived in full force… and I’m loving it!
Question: as the seasons change and you start rotating your wardrobe, do you also rotate your perfume ‘wardrobe’? I don’t know if it’s just me, but I always lean towards warmer and spicier scents in the fall and winter, and go full floral in the spring and summer! I love perfume – I wear it almost every day – but I’m also very particular (okay, okay… picky) when it comes to choosing a fragrance. That’s why I was so excited to discover a place where you can create your very own custom perfume! At Orris Labs, you can mix and match tons of different scents to create a one-of-a-kind signature fragrance that’s uniquely you. If you’re looking for a brand new summer scent, you’re in the right place. And not only that: I’m very excited to announce that I’ve partnered with Orris Labs on an amazing giveaway – read to the end for a chance to win!
Orris Labs has two locations: one in downtown Toronto, and one in Mississauga’s charming lakeside neighbourhood of Port Credit. Tania and I visited their Port Credit location earlier this year, and we got to create two custom fragrances that we absolutely love! And rest assured, it’s not just a ‘girl thing’ – the Orris Labs library contains a wide variety of scents, including more ‘masculine’ ones like leather and tobacco. There were several guys in our class making their own cologne!
Orris Labs’ custom fragrance workshops run between 1.5-2 hours long and are designed for small groups – there were about 10 people in our session, but each individual/couple gets their own separate table. You can also book private workshops for birthday parties, bridal showers, bachelorettes or corporate team-building events. Our evening began with an introduction from the workshop leader: she gave us a rundown of what to expect, walked us through the perfume-making process from start to finish, and offered helpful tips on how to create the best-smelling fragrance.
The first part of the workshop involved smelling all the different oils. Our little ‘laboratory’ was lined with over 60 bottles of different scents: from flowery (rose, freesia, orchid) to woodsy (patchouli, sandalwood, oud) to smoky/spicy (leather, tobacco, pepper) to “gourmand” (vanilla, coconut, fig) – everything you can imagine!
The bottles are labelled to help you identify which scents make the best top, middle and base notes. Top notes are the lighter initial scents that you smell right away when spraying a perfume; middle notes emerge after the top notes fade and are the “core” of the fragrance; and base notes are the heaviest, longest-lasting scents – the base notes are what give the perfume depth and foundation.
Orris Labs recommends combining anywhere between 5-9 different scents for the best results. I’m notoriously indecisive, so narrowing down my favourites was the hardest part for me! (Is it any surprise I maxed out at 9?) Not surprisingly, Tania – the minimalist between us – stuck with 5. And I’ll be honest… I actually think less is more here! Sometimes you can have too much of a good thing. And on that note (no pun intended) you’ll probably need to step outside at least once or twice during the process… all those scents can confuse the nose!
Tania combined peony, warm florals, “oceana”, sea salt and coconut for a fresh and beachy fragrance. Here are the 9 scents I chose (can you tell I like florals??) But I did throw some orange and oak moss in there to add some depth.
Another important thing to consider is which oils will smell best all together. For example, you may not want to combine vanilla and pine… but actually, some scents you wouldn’t think “go” together pair surprisingly well! For instance, ‘masculine’ scents like tobacco or leather can be a great complement to florals.
Once we’d decided on our scents, the workshop leader wrote up custom formulas that incorporated all the ‘ingredients’ in a balanced and complementary way.
They’ll tell you exactly how many drops of each oil to add, then give you a beaker to mix it all together. This setup brought me back to high school science class… although I must say, it smelled a lot better!
After you’re done mixing, the Orris Labs team will take your concoction and package it in a beautiful bottle for you to take home. The standard size is 30ml and is included in the workshop fee, but you can upgrade to a 50ml or 100ml bottle for an additional cost.
Immediately following the workshop, we received an email from Orris Labs with our fragrance ‘recipes’ (helpful if you want to go back and make a second bottle!) and a fun little personality profile based on the scents we chose. Tania’s says she “has a carefree and adventurous spirit, always seeking new experiences and exploring the world around them. This person exudes a sense of calm and confidence, radiating a natural elegance and charm. They are creative and imaginative, with a deep appreciation for the simple joys in life.” Spot on!
According to mine, I have “a deep appreciation for nature and beauty” (check), “a keen eye for detail and a refined taste for luxurious experiences” (check, check) and am “a mysterious and enchanting individual who exudes sophistication and elegance” (I’ll get back to you on that one.)
I’m a sucker for nice packaging, and Orris Labs definitely delivers on that front: the bottles are so minimalist and elegant.
Another thing I love about Orris Labs: if you take your fragrance home and decide you don’t love it for whatever reason, they offer a complimentary remixing session where you can alter the formula to your liking! There’s nothing I love more than a business who stands by their product and is committed to customer satisfaction.
The Orris Labs Custom Perfume/Cologne Workshop costs $79/person and can be booked directly through their website. To see a video of the full workshop in action, check out my Instagram reel here.
Plus: one lucky reader/follower will be winning a FREE workshop for them plus a guest! To enter the giveaway, head to my Instagram page and follow the instructions on my latest post. Good luck!
Our perfume-making experience was generously hosted by Orris Labs. As always, all opinions and thoughts are entirely my own.
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