Have you ever dreamt of creating your own unique perfume? Look no further, because there’s a new perfume concept in Lisbon and it’s all about you! OPAR is a cute little place where you’re invited to create your own bespoke fragrance. It might sound daunting, but trust me, it’s a lot of fun and not difficult at all.
First you’ll talk to the perfumer about what smells you like and don’t like. You could even mention other things, like foods, experiences, places – whatever you think is important in the creation of your scent. From there on, you’ll get to smell various ingredients/notes, and rate them from 1 to 5. A few of the notes that I smelled were: black truffle, tomato leaf, absinthe, rhubarb and clary sage.
The perfumer (in this case the lovely Marie, pictured above) will then select the notes you rated 4-5 and see if they all fit together, perhaps remove something or add something, and then start creating the fragrance. Drip, drop, you’ll see the different ingredients blend together in a glass container and once everything is mixed, you can try it on skin.
If you’re not really into the first version, don’t worry! You can always increase the amount of some of the notes, and try it again, and that’s how it goes. I think I had 6 or 7 different versions before I was satisfied with my creation, and chose the final edition. But the possibilities are truly endless.
Once you’re happy, the perfumer will make a full 100 ml bottle of your fragrance, and put a label on it. You can choose the name yourself too! For my fragrance, which I aptly named “Pick Me Up”, I was really into the idea of doing something strong and boozy. Here are the notes I chose:
Top: Yuzu, Fig, Absinthe
Heart: Whisky, Virginia Tobacco, Rice, Black Tea, Coffee
Base: Light Patchouli, Suede, Guaiac, Vegan Castoreum
To visit OPAR, you should book an appointment using their online form, and be ready to set aside about 90 minutes for your visit.
As of June 2024, there is a second OPAR location, which you can find at the edge of Principe Real, close to Praça da Alegria. Here, the concept is basically the same, but focused more on group experiences. OPAR has also launched two novelty fragrances, Maresia and Veraneio, as well as matching candles. For the launch party, they served delicious non-alcoholic beverages from Awesome Beverage Co, paired with each fragrance.
Here are more details on the two new fragrances:
Maresia (inspired by the ocean drive towards Guincho)
Top: Sea foam, Bergamot, Spearmint
Heart: Eucalyptus, Solar Flowers, Incense, Elemi
Base: White Musk, Vetiver, Thyme, Sea Salt
Veraneio (repels mosquitoes and smells great!)
Top: Lime, Mint, Basil, Lemongrass
Heart: Eucalyptus, Spearmint, Rose
Base: White Woods
Cheering the opening of OPAR’s second location, together with my friend Uvika (@skintensely).
OPAR locations:
R. Garcia de Orta 71C lj11, 1200-678 Lisboa (Individual appointments)
R. da Alegria 41D, 1250-182 Lisboa (Group appointments + ready fragrances/candles)
Happy creating! And don’t forget to follow me (@scentrified) and OPAR on Instagram!
PS. Would you like to see your boutique/brand on the blog? Write me an email and let’s talk!