Hone your skills as a perfumer and create a signature scent that is entirely your own.
Perfume is deeply personal. It can capture a mood, trigger a memory or become as distinctive as your personal style. In Dubai, where fragrance culture runs from oud and bakhoor to contemporary niche perfumery, there are several ways to take matters into your own hands. From guided workshops that explore individual ingredients to one-to-one consultations and customised bottles, get creative with scent and make your own perfume in Dubai.
Aromaobraz
For a more serious introduction to perfumery, Aromaobraz offers hands-on creation sessions from its two-storey atelier in JBR. Founder Veronika Brukhovetskaya is a perfumer and aromachologist who has studied at ISIPCA in Versailles, and her workshops delve into both the technical and emotional sides of fragrance. Participants explore professional perfumery materials before co-creating a scent inspired by their personality and preferences. The group workshop lasts around two to three hours and includes a 50ml fragrance, which you also get to name. Better still, Aromaobraz keeps your formula on file, allowing your personal perfume to be recreated in the future
Where: Aromaobraz, Jumeirah Beach Residence, Dubai
Contact: https://aromaobrazperfume.com
Atalis Solèa
Atalis Solèa turns perfume blending into a relaxed creative activity rather than a lesson in fragrance chemistry. Its Signature Scent Lab, priced at AED 199, invites participants to explore individual fragrance notes before combining favourites into a scent of their own. There is no complicated terminology or technical theory to master, with the emphasis instead placed on intuition, experimentation and personal expression. The Dubai-based creative concept also hosts candle making, cake painting and sip-and-paint experiences, making its scent session particularly suited to date nights, birthdays or an afternoon with friends. Private events and group bookings can also be arranged.
Where: Atalis Solèa, Blumi Cafe, Al Quoz, Dubai
Contact: www.atalisolea.com
Guerlain Boutique Dubai Mall
Guerlain takes a different approach to personalisation. Rather than formulating a fragrance from raw materials, guests can discover their olfactory signature during a tailored consultation before customising one of the French Maison’s existing creations. The famous Bee Bottle offers the greatest scope for creativity, with customers able to select their Guerlain fragrance, bottle size and design, cord and seal before adding an engraved name, initials or message. L’Art & La Matière fragrances can also be personalised with decorative plates and other details. Services are available at Guerlain boutiques in The Dubai Mall and City Centre Mirdif, making this an appealing option for luxury fragrance collectors.
Where: Guerlain Boutique, Fashion Avenue, The Dubai Mall, Downtown Dubai
Contact: www.guerlain.com
Maison 21G
Maison 21G puts the customer at the centre of the creative process. At its Dubai Hills Mall boutique, budding perfumers can explore a library of more than 35 fragrance essences before combining their favourites into a personal blend. Workshops introduce the basics of perfumery and help participants identify ingredients suited to their tastes, while the brand’s scent personality quiz can offer additional inspiration. You then adjust the proportions yourself and bottle the finished eau de parfum. Personalisation extends to the packaging, with options for customised bottle designs and labels.
Where: Maison 21G, Dubai Hills Mall, Dubai
Contact: @maison21gme
Oo La Lab
Once found in Alserkal Avenue, Oo La Lab’s Dubai fragrance laboratory is now located in Dubai Design District, where its Chemistry of Oo sessions turn perfume-making into a hands-on experiment. The group experience starts from AED 400, while private workshops start from AED 600. Participants deconstruct fine fragrance into individual building blocks, work with the brand’s collection of notes and create an eau de parfum to take home. Serious scent enthusiasts can opt for the three-hour advanced workshop, which explores 50 materials, including naturals, aroma chemicals and nature-identical isolates, before participants develop multiple formulas and select one for a personalised 50ml bottle.
Where: Oo La Lab, Building 4, Design District, Dubai
Contact: https://uae.oola-lab.com
Perfume House at Al Shindagha Museum
For a fragrance experience rooted firmly in Emirati heritage, head to the Perfume House at Al Shindagha Museum. Set within the former home of Sheikha Shaikha bint Saeed bin Maktoum, the pavilion traces the UAE’s relationship with scent through ingredients such as oud, saffron and rose. Interactive displays reveal how perfume has shaped hospitality, religious rituals and everyday life, while the hands-on perfume-making workshop explores traditional Emirati techniques. Sessions currently take place every Wednesday between 12pm and 3pm and last around 20 to 30 minutes.
Where: Perfume House, Al Shindagha Museum, Al Shindagha Historic District, Dubai Creek
Contact: https://alshindagha.dubaiculture.gov.ae
The Perfume Bar
If you want plenty of freedom without an intensive perfumery lesson, The Perfume Bar makes the process pleasingly straightforward. The concept started in Montreal in 2018 and now operates across the Gulf, with its Dubai Mall flagship hosting private Make Your Own Perfume sessions. Guests can choose from Arabic and French-inspired profiles before combining different fragrances and adjusting the percentages to create a personalised formula. Notes span oud, saffron and amber to florals, citrus and musk, allowing combinations to move from distinctly regional to contemporary. Once satisfied, you can name your creation and have it bottled. Workshops currently start from AED 290.
Where: The Perfume Bar, The Dubai Mall, Downtown Dubai
Contact: @theperfumebaruae
Yusuf Bhai
Dubai’s fragrance scene has made Yusuf Bhai something of a local institution. Founded by perfumer Yusuf Madappen, the homegrown brand specialises in personalised scents inspired by everything from favourite fragrances to memories and individual preferences. Its Bespoke Experience takes the process further, guiding guests through premium ingredients before refining individual notes to create a fragrance that feels distinctly personal. Rather than following the format of a conventional classroom workshop, the experience centres on one-to-one consultation and customisation, making it particularly appealing for serious scent lovers. Bespoke fragrance appointments start from AED 200 and can be booked through the brand’s website.
Where: Yusuf Bhai, Al Sabkha, Deira, Dubai
Contact: https://yusufbhaifragrances.com