Holiday itinerary
Set in Grasse, the beautiful French town surrounded by rolling fields of lavender, jasmine, mimosa, orange blossom and violets, your hotel provides the perfect base for a perfume making holiday. Just 30 minutes from Nice airport and 10 minutes from the main Boulevard in Cannes, the perfume school and fragrance studio is also just 600 metres away.
On both days the enthusiastic and engaging professionals will guide you through the architecture of a good perfume’s top, middle and base notes. You will learn about the different families of scents along with their typical ingredients and discover the secrets of achieving a truly harmonious combination for the perfect perfume.
The Rose de Mai perfume course will encourage you to explore your creative side and imagination to create your own perfume which you can take home in a personalised perfume bottle.
On the 'Organ of Flavours' course, you will learn how to make your own unique home fragrance inspired by over 40 culinary scents, from summer scents, childhood flavours and oriental spices. You’ll choose your scents from within a chosen menu relating to cuisine and aromas that will stimulate your olfactory memory and your taste buds to create a delicious personal home fragrance.
Your bespoke home fragrance will be structured just like a real perfume as you compose the base (starter), the heart (main course) and top notes (dessert) as you choose from an Organ of over 40 fragrances under the guidance of a Creation Master.
Accommodation is set in the 4* Best Western Elixir Grasse, in comfortable en-suite double room and the hotel also offers a lovely swimming pool.
Enjoy an excellent perfume making holiday with a difference with the perfect balance of world class tuition set in the heart of France’s perfume capital.
Suitability
- Perfume making holidays are suitable for all levels from beginners seeking an introduction to the joys of perfume making through to advanced practitioners
- Minimum age 8 (under 16’s must be accompanied by an adult)
Travelling Solo?
- This perfume making holiday makes a great singles holiday
- You can book your own private double/twin room for a compulsory single supplement, to check prices see the 'costings and extras' tab
- Shared single rooms for solo travellers are not offered as an option at this hotel
Perfume Making Holiday Start Days
- Dates are flexible and you can start any day throughout the year
- Perfume making holidays are for 2 nights/3 days
- Please note: you will be in tuition until 12pm on the day of departure please inform us at the time of booking if you have early flights on day 3 and we will do our best to accommodate your second lesson on day 2
- Please note: the perfume school is closed on Sundays from October-14 April and no lessons will take place on a Sunday during this period. Scheduled lessons will instead take place on the same day as your other lesson (2 courses in 1 day)
- If you wish to stay for extra nights please email to check availability for your preferred duration and we will do our best to accommodate you
- If dates appear ‘on request’ please email us and we’ll check availability for your preferred day of arrival as quickly as possible
Perfume Making Holiday Itinerary
The itinerary is for guidance only and is subject to change depending on the group’s needs and wishes but is typically as follows:
(Please note the perfume school is closed on Sundays from October-14 April and no lessons will take place on a Sunday during this period. Scheduled lessons will instead take place on the same day as your other lesson)
Day 1- Arrival
- Arrival at the hotel where you can check into your room anytime after 2pm, take your time to explore the area or even take a swim in the lovely swimming pool
- Why not explore Grasse in the evening?
- You will need to take a taxi or bus to the centre of Grasse, or it is a 40 minute walk uphill
Day 2- Rose de Mai
- Enjoy a leisurely French breakfast at the hotel
- Your perfume class starts at 10am each day and lasts for around 3 hours (the perfume school is a 600m/10 minute walk from the hotel)
- Today you will enjoy your Rose of May course where you will learn to make your own personalised perfume
- You will spend most of the 2 hours at your workspace
- There will be 1 Creation Master for every group of students to guide you
- Choosing from 140 essences (natural and a small amount of synthetics), you will design your own signature scent
- At the end of the class, toast your creation with a complimentary glass of champagne
- Following your class you can walk across to the factory to enjoy a guided tour
- Please note that the perfume factory is on a hill and so there is a steep walk to and from the factory at this is about 10 minutes
- You can take the rest of the afternoon and evening to relax, take a swim or explore the magnificent surroundings
Day 3- Organ of Flavours course and departure
- You’ll start the morning with breakfast
- You will enjoy your final 1.5 hour Organ of Flavours class at 10am before departure
- You will choose from an ‘organ’ of 40 fragrances all relating to cuisine with aromas that will stimulate your taste buds to create a delicious home fragrance
- You will spend most of the 1.5 hours at your work station, learning home to blend the different ‘notes’ to create your unique scent
- There will be 1 creation master and an assistant for every group of students to guide you through the process
-You will create your Home Fragrance just like a real perfume, with its head notes (starter), heart notes (main course) and base notes (dessert)
- You will choose a menu from Oriental, Chidhood, Aromatic or Summer Flavours
- Please note that if your flights leave early on day 3 we will need to accommodate both of your lessons on day 2 and we must be notified at the time of booking
- Check out returning feeling relaxed and inspired with new skills and knowledge about perfume making
Your Perfume Making Tutor
- Your perfumery tutors are known as the ‘Nose’ or creation masters and both tutors have many years’ experience in perfumery
- They are enthusiastic and accommodating focusing on individuals within the group
- With a wealth of knowledge and experience to draw upon their professional approach will inspire your perfume making practice
- Lessons can be taught in either French or English, please state your preference during the booking process
What Will I Learn?
- Learn about the architecture of good perfume and how to balance top, middle and base notes
-You will learn how to use your olfactory memories to create a delicious home fragrance
- You will learn about the different families of scents including their ingredients and traditional components
- You will discover the secrets of creating a harmonious balance of all the notes to create your own personalised perfume that you will be able to take home with you
- Choosing from 140 essences (natural and a small amount of synthetics), you will design your own signature scent with the help of the creation master
- You will enjoy a tour of the traditional factory where you will discover the excellent collection of museum pieces as well as the antique production equipment
- The tour will guide you through the laboratory and the conditioning room where you will enjoy a thorough explanation of the extraction methods of aromatic raw materials, flowers, plants and aromatic woods
- You will learn all about how a perfume is made from the raw materials to the perfume itself, by means of distillation and enfleurage
- Please note: the perfume factory is closed daily between 12-2pm and you will need to walk there yourself (about 10 minutes away)
Ingredients Used
Rose of May:
- 140 essences are available to choose from
- These essences are classified in 14 olfactive families, and in top notes/heart notes/base notes
- They are compositions of several ingredients, all created by our Parfumeur to allow for harmonious blends
Organ of Flavors :
- 40 fragrances related to cuisine and aromas
The 4* Best Western Elixir Grasse Accommodation
- The lovely 4* hotel is just a short walk (10 minutes downhill) from the perfume school
- The Best Western Elixir Grasse is located in a peaceful area outside of the centre of Grasse (about 1.6km from Grasse center)
- If you wish to visit the centre of Grasse, you can take a bus from outside the hotel or it is a 40 minute walk uphill
- It is just 8.1 miles (13 km) from Boulevard de la Croisette in Cannes, 23 minutes from Nice airport and close to the town's 3 golf courses
- The accommodation where you’ll stay is modern and comfortable and all twin/double rooms were renovated in 2009 and have air conditioning, satellite TV, Wi-Fi Internet access, safe and bathroom with shower or bath
- Ideally located for the exploration of Grasse, Nice, Cannes and the surrounding areas, a perfect setting for your perfume making short break
- The hotel offers a beautiful swimming pool for all guests (not heated)
- Prices are based on 2 people sharing a room
- If you are travelling solo, you can reserve your own private room for a compulsory single supplement (shared rooms for solo travellers are not offered at this hotel)
- Accommodation is included for 2 nights / 3 days
- Check in anytime after 2pm on day 1 and check out by 11am on day 3
Meals
- All breakfasts are included in the price
Free Time In Grasse
- As France’s perfume capital there are so many things to do in this enchanting area of France
- Grasse’s winding streets are fantastic for spellbinding meander through the historical town
- In Grasse you will discover many beautiful squares fountains and cafe and restaurants which are perfect for watching the world go by
- You can visit Notre-Dame du Puy cathedral built in the Provençal Romanesque style in the 11th century
- There are many fields, gardens and conservatories filled with perfumed plants from the region of Grasse, a botanical garden at the Bastide du Parfumeur is a highlight
- The Grasse area is good for outdoor activities, including hiking in the hills horse riding, mountain biking and playing golf and tennis
Practise perfume making and home fragrance making in this fascinating French haven of rich culture and natural beauty, breathe the fresh air and take time out for yourself on this perfume making course with a difference.