Scentsational: we tried Canberra’s first perfume-making workshop

Posted on 24 June, 2024

Yep, blending your signature scent is as fun as it sounds.

Everyone knows the pain of trying to find the perfect perfume – the hours spent spritzing and sniffing to find something that you like on both the tester strip and your skin that doesn’t cost a fortune (I’m looking at you Tom Ford Vanilla Sex Eau de Parfum).

Sometimes, it really is better to do it yourself – because the nose knows – so, with the launch of Instala DIY Studio’s perfume-making workshop, there’s never been a better time to dedicate yourself to a signature scent, especially when it costs less than $100.

Of course, we had to try it for ourselves.

Located in the ORI Building in Braddon right near Moo Moo Frozen Yogurt (so you can snack after you spritz) Instala recently opened its doors to bring unique art workshops for locals looking for something different to do.

Owned and operated by Yolanda Wang, it was born from her own creative passions – and from perfume-making to candle-crafting, jewellery making, and even a Fluid bear making experience, it’s a place where DIY dreams come true.

Moving to Canberra from China in 2018 to study for her Masters’ Degree at the Australian National University, Yolanda worked in finance for three years until July 2023 before packing her bag and travelling for seven months.

Going everywhere from Europe to Asia before road-tripping around Australia, she decided to put her finance career on the back burner and follow her passions. From there, Instala DIY Studio was born.

“It’s exactly like what I imagined, it’s my dream place. I moved to Canberra in 2018 and I have many friends here and they always complain that there’s nothing to do in Canberra,” she says.

“I wanted to do something different, so people have something for fun with their friends and family…you don’t have to be an artist, you can be a beginner. No matter what age you are, we will help you step by step to make sure you create something perfect for yourself or someone else.”

Thank goodness for that – because while I love to wear it, I don’t know the first thing about the science behind making perfume. And when you spot the wall of over 100 fragrances amongst all of the adorable candles, Fluid bears and artworks in the studio, it can be a little overwhelming.

But before the team could get sniffing, the first step was to take a perfume personality test to help us narrow down what kind of scents we like – floral, citrus, woody, Oriental, or fresh.

Amanda scored highly for Oriental scents while Emma (a confessed perfume addict) was an even mix of all the categories. I was an even split between floral and Oriental – a nod towards my ‘romantic and feminine personality’ and my ‘flair for the dramatic and deep sense of passion’ (the quiz’s words, not mine).

Explaining the basics of the fragrance pyramid and the difference between top, middle, and base notes, Yolanda told us to choose between five to seven fragrances for the best result and then set us loose at the wall.

All self-taught, she patiently talked us through our lengthy decision process, suggesting where she thought our perfumes might need something extra –  like a woody note in mine to cut through the sweetness of the vanilla and chocolate base notes.

“I learned everything in three different countries. I went to China, Japan, and Singapore because I have friends who own a similar kind of shop. I learned from them, and it’s been my long-term hobby as well…I’ve read many books and done lots of research,” Yolanda says.

“[I wanted to offer perfume making] because it’s elegant and easy to make and it’s something very personal….If you make your own perfume, you can make sure you like every single scent in it and you can adjust it. It’s really fun!”

It really is.

As someone drawn to vanilla and floral-based scents, I was almost sure my odd combination of fragrances would lead to creating a sickly-sweet perfume. But with a little help from Yolanda, the result was feminine and warm, with base notes of vanilla, chocolate, and myrrh (which was Yolanda’s suggestion), middle notes of magnolia and camellia and a faint top note of pomegranate. I loved it.

It turns out that if you have some fragrances, a scale, some ethanol, distilled water, a fixative, and an aging accelerator, it’s very easy and fun to create your perfume, and we all walked away with unique scents that spoke to our personalities. Add in the extra touches like the option to add some glitter, and to name your creation, and making your own perfume is not an experience to turn your nose up at (I will not apologise for that pun).

It is quickly worth noting that we did have to do a little bit of math to get the formula right – which totally stumped the team and had us sitting there in silence for a few beats (we’re words people, ok?) – but with the calmness of a saint, Yolanda talked us through it several times until it clicked.

With an abundance of activities to choose from – and with plans to bring in a new activity every two months to keep things fresh – from an essential oil and crystal stone diffuser-making workshop to a Decoden cream DIY workshop and a silver-ring making workshop, there will be plenty at Instala DIY Studio to keep you entertained.

Open for group bookings (perfect for birthday parties, team-building events, and kids’ parties where guests can bring beverages and snacks, making it the ideal place to sip, snack, and get crafty), this is just the beginning for Instala DIY Studio – Yolanda has even more coming in the future.

“We know that meeting new people in Canberra can be challenging, so we are very excited to soon host social events where attendees can meet new friends while enjoying our activities,” she explains.

“Additionally, we will offer high tea combined with our activities, which is a delightful option for a girls’ day out or a date.”

And if you want to give your creation to a loved one, there are also free gift-wrapping services available, possibly making Instala DIY Studio the most wholesome place in Canberra. But for those who love getting creative but have a few perfectionist tendencies (like myself), Yolanda has one simple tip: have fun.

“It’s a friendly, relaxing place. They don’t need to feel pressure because it’s not a class and there’s no exam. Art is a very personal thing…I feel like as long as it makes you happy, that’s more than amazing.”

Besides, there’s something bougie about being able to say you made your own perfume for under $100. Nara Smith, who?

The HerCanberra Team were gifted Instala DIY’s perfume making workshop. Opinions remain our own.