Create Your Own Perfume in Paris: Les Ateliers des Parfums Candora

France is undoubtedly the capital of fragrance, with the majority of luxurious scents created in Grasse. This Provençal town has been recognized as the heart of the perfume industry since the 17th century. Since January 2017, perfume production finds a home in Paris’s Marais neighborhood at Les Ateliers des Parfums Candora. How better to discover the process of perfume making than by creating your own custom fragrance? Within this atelier located just a stone’s throw from the Seine, learn all about the history of fragrances in France while indulging in a sensorial experience. (Do you know the oldest perfume house in Paris?) Even the name Candora has significance in the perfume world. Once an opera singer in the 1930s, Candora created cosmetics and perfumes for luxury French brands. Now she hands the role over to those willing and eager to create their own custom scent. With a selection of 17 professionally crafted fragrances to choose from, including Rose, Wild Herbs and Oud, your nose goes on a journey into selecting the perfect mix of scents to fit your personality. Spend 90 minutes sampling and mixing just the right amounts of each fragrance into a beaker, much like in a lab, albeit a well-scented one. You’ll be assisted by the expert brother/sister team who founded Candora. You can also opt for a shorter 20-minute workshop. Kids are welcome too, with a perfume workshop especially designed for families. By the end of the workshop you’ll have created a bespoke perfume named after you, perhaps even inspired by a historic muse like Candora. 1 rue du Pont Louis-Philippe, Paris 4th, Tel: +33(0)143487605. Website: http://candora.fr. Open from 2 to 7pm Tuesday to Saturday, or by reservation. Perfume Creation Workshops range from 79€ to 120€ per adult, 49€ per child, private workshops available. Related articles: Perfume in Paris: The Debut of the Grand Musée du Parfum Unisex Perfume from Maison Trudon: The Oldest Candlemakers in Paris Paris Perfume: Gare Saint-Lazare’s Scent-sational New Installation Le Nuage Parfumé: Cartier Presents a “Scented Cloud” for the FIAC Art Fair