At NOTE, memories aren’t just seen or heard. They’re bottled. Through the art of perfumery, many of our international guests craft their own scents as a unique way to preserve their experience of Vietnam. Each fragrance becomes a love letter to the country—infused with personal stories, cultural inspirations, and the emotions they felt during their journey. In this blog, we’ll share the heartfelt stories behind some of these DIY perfume workshop, revealing how scent becomes a lasting souvenir and reminder of Vietnam.
How does scent keep your memories?
Memories can be stored in different ways using every single one of your senses. With Visual sense – your eyes, memories are attached with photos; Whenever you look at the photos you took on a trip, you’ll remember the moments immediately.
While Gustatory (Taste) – your tongue works with spices, foods and drinks are great ways to surprisingly evocate memories.
However,…
Olfactory – your nose works differently, it brings up memories in an abstract way. Especially when you smell a familiar scent that has great reminiscence, your nose will send a signal to your brain and after all, it slowly recalls a memory related to the scent.
Scents in Vietnam are countless, they come from every corner, every aspect in life. Including traditional culture, fantastic cuisine, breathtaking landscape or even from the bustling streets where you visit. Imagine having a perfume bottle that captures your Vietnamese memories wherever you go.
Vietnam in a bottle - Customers’ heartfelt stories
We have welcomed many foreign tourists in our DIY perfume workshop who wanted to create their own scents that contain a touch of Vietnam in their bottle. Let’s have a look at our customer’s interesting stories behind every of their perfume.
1. Dung Le – “Little Vietnam”
Dung Le’s story
Dung Le took part in NOTE’s workshop with the intention of creating a real Vietnamese scent. Being far apart from Vietnam – where she was born for a long time, she decided to combine every note that reminded her of this beautiful country. That’s why she named it “Little Vietnam”.
Dung Le’s DIY perfume formula
With the hit of Sen (Lotus) – one main note in her perfume that brings up the Vietnamese spirit, since Lotus is considered as an iconic flower of Vietnam. Sen gave her perfume a soft touch, a light sweetness and an elegant vibe.
Combining with Apricot, Ocean and Bergamot – adding more fresh and fruity scents for a comfortable smelling. Afterall, White Musk jumped in as a base layer – giving a skin-scent and gentle touch which can last for hours.
Sen and these fruity, fresh notes are what brings up the Vietnamese vibe. We’re glad that this perfume formula successfully delivered her beloved country’s atmosphere – which she can carry beside wherever she goes.
2. Fred Grimm – “OLD MAN SUPER POTION”
Fred’s story
This is one of the most memorable stories that we have ever had with our customer. It has been for decades since he was part of the military service in Vietnam’s wartime; Unfortunately, the Agent Orange has negatively affected his vision and hearing ability.
However, it has nothing to do with him and his wife’s love for Vietnam since they take part in DOVE fund – a charity organization for Vietnamese children. This time when he came back to Vietnam and joined the NOTE perfume workshop, he would love to create a perfume that showcases this country’s spirit.
During the whole time, Fred completely trusted our instructor’s recommendations to create his “super potion” after all!
Fred’s DIY perfume formula
It seems like Sen (Lotus) is completely loved by tourists when it represents not only Vietnamese culture but also gives a gentle touch to the whole perfume mixture.
In Fred’s perfume, Sen is mixed with Honeysuckle as 2 main ingredients. This combination smells slightly similar to Jasmine with the hit of tea – that’s why it brings a Vietnamese traditional vibe.
At the same time, we have Leather and Cedarwood as a base layer which offer a clean, woody scent to ease everything down. The woody layer is mixed with a deep sweetness of Honey – giving a vibe of “the old man” – mysterious, manly, old sweat. One special ingredient that he put in was Chypre – a mixture of Patchouli, Bergamot, Oakmoss, giving a cozy and warm feeling.
3. Vanessa Sanchez – “VIETNAM25❤️”
Vanessa’s story
Vanessa wanted to create a “so me” perfume which can clearly showcase her own self. Vanessa named her perfume at NOTE as “VIETNAM25❤️” – a souvenir that reminds her of every single moment in this Vietnamese trip.
Vanessa’s DIY perfume formula
Vanessa preferred strong scents such as Cinnamon and Wet Amber, giving a unique touch of spice intertwined with sweetness and oceanic vibe.
These 2 scents are ideally combined with other fresh notes: Pink Peppercorn – a perfect note to add when the mixture is deeply strong, Green note – a slight air in top note which plays an important role to balance everything else.
What did foreign visitors say ?
Let NOTE help you to tell your own stories through scents
These perfumes are not just scents; they are bottled emotions, memories preserved in olfactory form. Every drop tells a story, every note whispers an experience. At NOTE – The Scent Lab, we celebrate these personal narratives and the deep connection between scent and memory.
If you have a story to tell, why not turn it into a scent? Let us help you create your own perfume, a fragrance that carries your Vietnamese adventure with you, wherever you go.
