Make your own perfume! Shades of green (in person)

Schedule

Mon Jul 20 2026 at 05:30 pm to 07:30 pm

UTC-07:00
Location

The Institute for Art and Olfaction | Los Angeles, CA

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Saskia Wilson-Brown leads a class covering scent creation and formula expansion: Let's make a new perfume that explores facets of green.
About this Event

Ah! Summer. So hot... So dry... So yellow. If you, like us, find yourself missing moisture, cool shade, and green leaves, then have we got the class for you!

Let's give ourselves an olfactory dose of spring, with a perfume workshop that explores all facets of green: From moist leaves to cucumber water, with some unexpected adventures along the way.

IAO founder Saskia Wilson-Brown leads attendees through the basics of perfume composition, with a very simple goal in mind: To make ourselves an interpretation of a green perfume to help us through the yellow season.

The first half of class will focus on learning our aromatic palette, as we smell and discuss a curated selection of verdant materials. The second portion of the class will consist of perfume composition: Each participant will be invited to work with the curated materials to create an original formula, each leaving with a 30ml Eau de Cologne-strength perfume.

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Important notes to manage our expectations:
The instructor will be on hand to help you create your own blend, working with the range of pre-selected materials. These materials are curated, so we cannot accomodate requests outside the chosen palette. After you create your perfume, there is always a possibility that you will not love what you have made! However, you will have the formula and, most importantly, the knowledge you need to tweak it, on your own, down the line.

Topics covered:
+ An overview of perfume creation, and aromatic materials.
+ Smelling and discussing a curated selection of perfume materials, chosen by the instructor.
+ Writing a formula.
+ Compounding a perfume oil at 100%, putting it in solution, and decanting.

Take-Aways:
+ Participants will leave with a knowledge of the basics of perfume blending
+ Participants will leave with their formula
+ Participants will leave with a 30ml bottles of their final scent, at 10% solution.



Event Photos

About your instructor

Saskia Wilson-Brown, a Cuban-British-American artist and curator, received her BA in Fine Art at UC Berkeley and her MA in Fine Art at Central Saint Martins in London. After early work in art, film festivals, and television, in 2012 she founded The Institute for Art and Olfaction (IAO), a nonprofit advancing access and experimentation in perfumery. Through the IAO, she has established and produced many collaborative programs and initiatives, including the Art and Olfaction Awards, Experimental Scent Summit, Open Sourcing Scent Culture, the biennial Scent Week LA, as well as the IAO’s ongoing educational, exhibition, and library initiatives.

A committed advocate for information-sharing in the arts, Saskia is uniquely skilled at elucidating the structures that connect all forms of creative expression, and lectures frequently at leading institutions and universities. With her characteristically open-minded and pan-arts perspective, she has collaborated with organizations that span cultural fields, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Chile, Jet Propulsion Lab (NASA), Sundance Film Festival, Broad Museum, Getty Institute, The Royal College of Art, Craft Contemporary, Pulitzer Foundation, and many more. Saskia hosts and produces the occasional podcast and radio show Perfume on the Radio, and is currently finishing her PhD thesis on scent in creative practice at University College Dublin’s SmartLab.


Materials

Materials are included in the sign-up cost, and provided by the IAO during class.

Attendance and Refund Policy

This is an in person class that will take place at the Institute for Art and Olfaction. Unfortunately, we cannot offer refunds or credit for this class. Note also that event tickets are non-transferable.

On Safety

Some aromatic materials can have side-effects when applied to skin. The information and teaching materials presented in our classes are for educational purposes only. These are not intended for commercial use and do not necessarily reflect commercial best practices or industry safety standards. For more information about commercial best practices and safety, consult the relevant authorities in your country of residence.


Registration Required:

Please note that you must reserve your space in advance. If you just show up without reserving a spot, there is no guarantee we will be able to accommodate you. Space at this event is limited.

All levels are welcome, but this session is 18 and up (or 14+, with adult supervision).

Location:

We are located in Los Angeles’ historic Chinatown neighborhood, on a pedestrian street.

Street Address: 932 Chung King Road Los Angeles CA. 90012

To find us: Chung King Road is a pedestrian-only road that runs parallel to Hill Street, between Hill St and Yale St. See more information here: http://artandolfaction.com/visit


Image credits:
Saskia Wilson-Brown: Photo by Indah Datau
Leaves: Photo by Josefin on Unsplash

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Where is it happening?

The Institute for Art and Olfaction, 932 Chung King Road, Los Angeles, United States

Event Location & Nearby Stays:

Tickets

USD 135.23

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