About Vanessa Muri
Montreal City Editor Vanessa Muri has lived in London and Tokyo, but finds the charms of her hometown irresistible. From the latest scoops to the best deals in Montreal and everything in between, don't miss her weekly take on life in the fair city.
Scent of a Woman
Montreal Musings: Essence Workshop canada, Montreal
(Jan.18.12)
Thanks to Aeroplan, I just discovered one of the best gift ideas in the city.
Remember my ‘flight’ at Skyventure in Laval? (I still get chills thinking about.) It was so much fun and truly out of the ordinary.
Well, Aeroplan has done it again and arranged a partnership with Essence Workshop, a service that brings the glamour and sensuality of perfume to you, in a way you might never have imagined possible: the design and creation of your own signature scent.
In the course of a two-hour atelier, you will learn about the olfactory pyramid (base, heart and top notes), scent families (like oriental, floral and woody), and tricks of the trade (never apply perfume to your chest, as it reacts with the sun and creates dark spots!).
Then, in the second half, you’ll sniff and select from essences produced in the South of France, India and Thailande, creating your unique eau de parfum, guided by your senses… And with founder and entrepreneur Ruby Brown, and chemist Marion Maire, steering you in the right direction.
Finally, you'll leave the atelier with 50ml of your custom scent. Your recipe is kept in their files, so whenever you run out, all you have to do is call them and reorder!
For 16,500 miles, you can be part of a regular group workshop, while 65,500 miles gets you a private atelier for four people (confirmed reservations only). This is a great idea for a bachelorette, birthday celebration or Valentine’s Day. (Hint, hint.) A third of her participants are men, so being of the female persuasion isn’t a necessity.
My finished eau de parfum. Or as my sister calls it, ‘Aqua di Vanessa’.
The only ‘snag’? The perfume takes a week to ‘set’. Five more days to go…