Fragrance. Perfume. Scents. A bouquet or which you and you alone are recognized. We all have our own signature smells. For some, it’s as simple as a bar of soap. Conversely, for others, it’s a blend of essential oils derived from flowers and spices, also known as a ‘fragrance’ or Perfume.
As mentioned before, the depth of experiences on the island of Saint Martin, an Island embodies 2 countries, is there for the taking. One minute you might be beach-bound, enjoying snorkeling and by afternoon, creating your own signature perfume.
Truly a Saint Martin vacation offers well-rounded experiential fun and learning how to prepare your own fragrance is one of those encounters. Truly a 5-star experience for men, women, and children, don’t miss this opportunity.
Let’s go to Grand Case, in Saint Martin (on the French side – in case you did not catch the spelling) and enjoy crafting a fragrance or a cologne.
Where To Create Your Own Signature Perfume in Saint Martin
There’s no saying to something that creates so many unique memories and will define you. Grand Case has a lot of fun shops and many are reopened and ready for all of us, the tourists.
The experience I am about to share with you today is for everyone. For those that never considered the art of Perfuming, it’s time. As long as you use a bar of soap, you already are primed for the creation of your own signature scent.
Life is about enjoyment and we derive enjoyment through smell. While I travel the world, this is one experience, I’ve not had, and I’d venture to guess that will be the same for most.
Immersion travel and experiential travel truly dive deeper into the French culture and thus make travel, deeper. Do you dare?
Before You Turn Your Nose Up
Parfumerie Classes At Tijon
Tijon Parfumerie. The destination that will have your nose, being ‘nosey’ and will send your olfactory into overdrive scented heaven. From mild to exotic, to faint, musky and floral, get ready to embrace the PERFUMER in you.
Your job while visiting the Tijon Parfumerie is to be an official NOSE for your own fragrance or cologne. The sniffer on your face will be introduced to a multifarious of oils that when combined create aromatic scents.
Travel is about immersion into a culture. Where better to immerse than on the French side of Saint Martin? To me the words French and perfume are synonymous.
Go as a family, a couple, or as a girlfriend experience while the guys hang at the beach (or whatever they do!) It all begins here with this piece of paper. Ready?
The experience you will encounter is one that ranges from beginners that have never tried their hand at fragrance creation to those that really can ‘sniff’ out fun.
I guess I should say for those that have an ‘accurate nose’ for sensing smell. You don’t have to be pro, you do need to want to have fun.
A Look At The Boutique
Just in case you don’t have time to head to a Perfume Making Class at Tijon Parfumerie, you can still stop by. Why would you stop at the Tijon Parfumerie?
The Tijon Retail store offers a retail side to purchase delightful, Caribbean crafted scents. Additionally, you will find tees, a book written by the owner, and other Saint Martin items.
For those of you that are just trying to see the Island (both countries) while you are at this port of call, stop in to buy one of those fragrances. Call it a memory of Saint Martin in a bottle.
Now I might add, that if you choose not to purchase while you are there, rejoice, there’s another way! Go online and order the scent of choice.
Yep, you can bring a little bit of Saint Martin home via your laptop, iPad, desktop or smartphone!
Best Testing Method IMO
Trust me, there are plenty of fragrance/colognes around the store. Do what I do. Spray. Test. Repeat. Being honest, one of my favorite things to do is ‘test’ fragrance.
Now, in full disclosure, I don’t use the test strip of paper either. I go ‘ALL-IN’ and spray myself. To me, this is how to fully immerse, even if I end up a bit more aromatic than others in my proximity.
Honestly, I guess I have been craving a fragrance making experience, since testing, smelling and learning how oils mix is the journey’s end to the bottle is in my hands.
Warning – Science Lab Ahead
Admittley, I love experimenting, with combinations of food. After all, I am not just a travel writer, I am a culinary gal as well. Experimentation is my middle name and testing is my game.
My whole family was super excited to visit this unique and fun destination on The French Side. There is a good spread of age in our group and no one put up a STINK about it (pun intended!)
It’s time to dawn a fashionable lab jacket, learn about essential oils and mix things up. Speaking of oils, did I mention that you will be exposed to over 300 oils that allow you a large realm of creativity options? Yes, 300.
Trust me, pairing down and figuring out where your nose will lead you is half the fun. Success comes the minute you decide on the fragrance that best defines you, and places a label on it. Creation in fragrance is cool, delicate and so aromatic.
Your Expert Perfumologists
Our Perfumologists were Judith and Mimi. 2 wonderful women with a nose for the job (lol). Each of them explained our overall objective, and how to get to that point.
Additionally, as we worked they encouraged us to try things that were both in and out of our normal scope of aromas. While true, they work in the background, they are also your right hand when both of yours are locked up.
Mixing is an art, and their tips and tricks along the way will help you reach your end game: A bottle of hand-crafted, made-by-you, perfume or cologne, that you will name and take home.
Your take-home unique gift a certificate of completion, as well as a personalized bottle of Perfume or Cologne. Naming it will be the hardest task, not creating it!
Prep Time in The Lab
Both Niko and MJ are very into science. One is going to school to become a nurse and the other wants to be a Radiologist. Naturally, they were in experiment heaven, so to answer your questions: this is definitely a non-gender specific, fun, family activity.
The guys were as busy as Kallie and I. In fact, at some points, I think they were more vested in the production than we were. This really caught me by surprise, but they LOVED it!
My daughter and husband also enjoyed themselves. Honestly, Michael is a fragrance junkie if that is a thing. He has a very diversified collection of sprays that he wears daily and the ability to create his own was definitely a high point of the trip in Saint Martin.
Kallie, well, she’s all girl and I believe she embraces that with perfume daily. Creation of her own scent, that turned out graceful and clean was a uniquely fun opportunity.
Your Work Space
In front of each person (depending on the package chosen) will be beakers and a container of disposable droppers, as well as water.
First, you will add in a pre-mixed oil as a base, there is a multitude of options. Don’t be afraid to experiment. With our package, we had 3 attempts to create a suitable, fragrance or cologne with our hand-crafted choices.
Next, you will visit the 300 essential oils and choose 3 to mix into the pre-mixed oil. It’s that simple. What will be the biggest challenge? Narrowing down the organ oils you like.
You can sniff if you like before you use a dropper.
Finally, you will choose ONE out of the Three you created to craft your own bottle of perfume/cologne to take with you. But there’s more. In addition to creating the fragrance, the hardest part is yet to come. You must name your artisan-crafted, immortal, aromatic scent.
Astonishing Results From The Immersive Experience.
What you might see are happy faces, studious glances and a family so busy, that time just slips on by. I knew that on every level this is an experience from Saint Martin I would write about.
Name Your Scent
Mixing, smelling, laughing, it was all part of the experience. Now, to be fair, I loved it because no one was using their phone, other than a picture here and there.
Rather, we were chatting, smelling, and bantering back and forth. In true Vento spirit, we were the loudest people there. It’s just a Vento thing and it is the norm.
Further, I did want to mention that when we began our class, there was another MOM and her SON finishing theirs. Yes, boys go here! Affirmed before we even started!
A Very French Finish at Tijon
To be clear, I DID NOT Drink the contents in the Beaker, I was showing YOU the Beaker. I only sniffed the beaker to smell what I had mixed within. The champagne however… that is a whole other story! Cheers!
What’s more French than perfume creation? Champagne! Sip. Sip. Hooray. It took us an hour and a half to create our own bottle of fragrance. Each of us created a very different and personal scent.
Our bottles of fragrance/cologne ranged in smell from delightful to divine, to familiar, floral, heady, balmy and airy.
When You Are Already A Brand…
Since I am already a brand, and I wear my name every day, I thought, “Why not just name my Tijon Parfumerie Scent after myself.” The rest is history in a bottle that I can share each day. I loved this entire experience from start to finish.
Champagne and our gift bag topped it off. Insight is a paradigm and one which intricated mixing of oils leads to a fully immersive experience and end product in Saint Martin. There’s no doubt in my mind that when I return to Saint Martin, I will return to Tijon Parfumerie.
Cheers To Fun
My personal thanks to Tijon Parfumerie for hosting my family and all of the fun we had that day with both Judith and Mimi. The scent you create reflects you, your personality and is something that people will forever connect with your essence for life.
A must visit destination in Saint Martin, The French Side. Reservations required for classes.
