What Happens at a Scent Blending Workshop?

We had the joy of running our first public candle scent blending workshop at Boutique Fairs Singapore: The Gifting Edition 2022, and we’re looking forward to more workshops in the future! If you’re thinking of learning the art of scent blending and creating your own custom candle blend with us, here’s what you can expect at a workshop. Sessions are kept to small, intimate group sizes and are beginner-friendly.

All about essential oils and scent notes

First, we’ll meet our palette of essential oils. We have more than 20 organic essential oils to experiment with, across a range of scent notes. Broadly speaking, there are 8 different types of scent notes that make up a blend, such as floral, citrus, spicy or woody notes. We’ll have a go at identifying the different scent notes and associating them with each essential oil — and exchange some fun facts about the different essential oils along the way.

For example, did you know that lavender can smell extremely different depending on the region where it’s grown (or its terroir), and whether it’s farmed or wild? Most unspecified lavender scents or oils we encounter in the market are likely to be a mix of lavender from a variety of sources.

While learning about all these essential oils could be a whole course of its own, we love to share as much as we can, and no questions are off limits! Ask away if you’d like to know more about a specific essential oil.

Choosing our aromatic materials

Choosing scents can be an incredibly personal affair. At our workshops, you’ll sniff away at essential oils, and let your senses guide you to the smells that most appeal to you.

Aside from scent preferences, another important aspect we consider when selecting essential oils is the intended purpose of your candle. Certain essential oils have therapeutic qualities that are better suited for different activities, routines or moods. Are you creating candle that will perk you up or help you stay focused while working? Or a candle that will help you relax before bed?

We’ll spend some time identifying essential oils that match your desired use or mood — like citrus scents to uplift and brighten, or woody scents to ground and soothe.

Perfecting the balance

After you’ve narrowed down the essential oils you like, we’ll start to play with different groups of scents, removing and replacing them until you find a combination that speaks to you.

Finally, we’ll teach you how to balance your combination. There’s no magic ratio or formula to creating the right scent, and when you have the freedom to create your own blend, the only rule to observe is your own taste and preference. Some basic math is involved, but don’t worry: we’ll show you how it’s done.

Custom candles

At the end of the workshop, you’ll end up with a 10ml bottle of your own essential oil blend. We’ll take the bottles back with us to our studio, where we’ll turn them into coconut wax candles, delivered to your door one week later.

Each candle is 230ml, with personalised candle jar labels, and we can also make multiple candles with your blend if you wish. Come 2023, we will be organising more public workshops — get in touch if you’d like to be the first to know about any upcoming workshops.