Introduction to Perfume Blending: Structured (in person)

Join us for Introduction to Perfume Blending: Guided. This class is designed for newcomers and beginners of the craft as an onboarding to working with scent at the Institute for Art and Olfaction. We’ll introduce you to the foundational terminology and techniques of perfumery as we guide you through the steps of working with aromatic materials in our labspace.

The class will begin with a guided smelling session that introduces you to the world of aromatic materials. You’ll smell a selection of materials from our organ that shine light on the difference between naturals, synthetics, and bases; top, middle, and base notes; and different dilutions and odor intensities. As a group, you’ll take part in several group blending exercises to demonstrate proper technique in writing perfume formula iterations and blending scent trials.

The second portion of the class is dedicated to individual blending time, with a selection of 5 materials chosen and decanted into blending vials by you. Minetta Rogers is here to assist with material selection, formula tweaking, and basic perfume arithmetic as you experiment, explore, and learn. At the end of class, you’ll take home 5 aromatic materials, a final spray vial of your own formulated blend, and perfume-making knowledge!

Topics covered:

+ Institute for Art and Olfaction onboarding of terminology: naturals, synthetics, bases; top/middle/base notes; dilutions; odor intensities+ Introduction to the IAO’s organ and where to locate specific materials in our 300+ selection+ Guided group smelling session of important categories and types of materials

+ Guided group blending exercises demonstrating IAO technique in hands-on blending and writing a formula

+ Blending scent and expanding a formula

Take-Aways:

+ 5 chosen materials in (⅝ dram vials)

+ Spray vial of chosen formula blend

+ Knowledge of working with scent