St. Martin Perfume Making at French Parfumerie: Tijon

Unfiltered St. Martin

I love a good vintage filter! That may be why I don’t have a Snapchat account.

The bunny ears just don’t do it for me!

I’ll take my plain black and white/sepia any day!

Most of the pictures taken of me at Tijon in St. Martin could only be salvaged through a filter.

I was wearing a new foundation that was lighter than my natural shade.

Secondly, after my “ordeal” in locating Tijon, I forgot to blot my face (I never forget to blot a sweaty face before pictures).

The finished look was ‘cakey’ and ‘mask-y’!

I came close to deleting all of them but that would’ve limited pictures for the blog.

My flustered state also caused me to forget the helpful young lady’s name that worked there.

We’ll call her Sherry (like French for sweetheart) for the sake of the blog.

I did meet the owner, John (his name was in the Tijon booklet).

I do recall Sherry being French. She was a customer before becoming a member of the staff.

She lived briefly in Florida for a Tijon campaign but calls St. Martin home.

Fragrance is like magic, a whiff of mystery that stays with you forever.

Anonymous

La Connoisseur

Some people collect jewelry, art or sports memorabilia.

I collect perfumes!

Despite time slightly altering the smell of my older ones, I don’t see the habit dying down any time soon.

I am running out of room so that might be a deterrent.

But it was my love and passion for “my babies” that led me to Tijon.

Even if you’re not a perfume connoisseur like myself, fragrance is a top gift for every occasion.

I think any gift made from the heart would be more valued than a store-bought.

I’ve been known to plan my excursions years in advance.

Perfume making was no different.

I came across this gem while researching a southern Caribbean cruise.

Limit: 2

My first disappointment with the Priceline shore excursions website was that it had a 2 person minimum. The cost is $135.00 per person.

All of these years of looking forward to book and there was no option for 1.

I panicked and thought my dream of making my own perfume would never happen. This was a few days before my trip.

I listened to the voice that told me to check directly with Tijon’s website. The full cost of the 2-3 hour class was $165.00.

I chose the 90+ minutes for $99.

If you’re going solo and would like to book directly through the website under the ‘Perfume Making Classes” tab, select ‘Perfume Making Classes” to see options. Then select, ‘Class Sign Ups- St. Martin’ to purchase.

TIP: If you’re on a cruise, make a reservation due to the time limit.

Mix & Match (90+ minutes) – All Participants Receive:

• A bottle (55ml/1.85 oz.) of your handcrafted fragrance:  Choose and mix from over 300 oils in three formulas /beakers and bottling the one you like best
• Perfume Workbook & Certificate
• A Tijon VIP Gift Bag of products valued over $45

My Journey to Tijon in St. Martin:

In hindsight, I should have written down the address for Tijon.

I assumed it was a unique place on the island that all would be familiar with!

The reviews prepared me for the set taxi rate of $25 per person from the Phillipsburg port (the Dutch side of the island spelled St. Maarten) to the French side (spelled St. Martin).

The taxis did not have single rates and wanted to charge me $50 each way.

What did this whole experience have against solo travel?

I felt like the $50 would be a ripoff even though the ride was about 30 minutes.

I didn’t want to be penalized for traveling solo.

Can you blame me? I already had to pay double for cruising!

I recalled a reviewer mentioning local buses going to the French side (St. Martin). The taxi driver tried to discourage me with a blatant lie about slow schedules.

I was not about to miss the excursion of a lifetime (especially since it was prepaid).

I walked to the end of the port where the sidewalk began.

Phillipsburg

The guard there told me to make a left and walk about 10-15 minutes to their downtown area.

The walk wasn’t bad. There were other passengers doing the same.

Once I arrived downtown, I asked a lady at a stand for directions. “Cross the street and make a right”.

I passed a casino and a bank.

There were several storefronts with local merchants. Except for the traffic, it was very quiet.

Since I still didn’t see where to take the bus, I asked a security guide outside the bank. She called a vendor over and they both agreed for me to take the bus labeled ‘Marigot’.

Small minivans are used as buses.

Close but no Cigar!

I stood on the right side of the street (across from the bank) to wait for the bus. Cost: $2.

The bus took about 10-15 minutes to arrive and I flagged it down. The driver hadn’t heard of Tijon so I went based on the women’s word.

It took about 30 minutes (based on stops) to arrive in Marigot. Once there, I was directed to a shopping mall down the street from the tiny “terminal”.

I asked a construction worker if he spoke English, he nodded yes and told me I would find the “perfume place” in the mall.

There was a perfume place but no Tijon. I figured they out of everyone should know Tijon.

Sure enough, one of the young ladies at the counter said I was still a distance from Tijon. It was near the St. Martin airport.

So back to the bus terminal I went.

I got on the first waiting bus on the left-hand side. They lined up in queue to be filled. It would be $1.50 for that trip.

The driver had no idea what Tijon was.

At this point, I thought I had come this far and might as well see it through. I told him to just let me off by the St. Martin airport.

I was still doing good with time and wasn’t risking being left behind by Carnival.

Two ladies boarded the bus and I was able to understand their Creole. It was around the end of school and many students were on their way home.

Saved by the…student!

Once the driver stopped near the airport, he asked if I was in danger of missing my flight.

I repeated where I was going and one of the students said he knew the place.

It was a street over.

I got back in and finally…Tijon’s bright pastel building greeted me.

The inside was a cool reprieve from my walking and the warm air of the bus.

I was hot, late, and thirsty. The ice in my PINK water bottle had melted by now.

Sherry was very patient as I explained the reason for my tardiness.

She led me to the perfume section in the front where I would pick my favorite for their form. She reassured me to take my time.

I had to mentally “Woosah” to be in the moment.

The confusion was over. My wish was about to be fulfilled.

It was hard, but I picked my favorite and she gave a brief tour of the perfume-making area.

Did I mention it smelled divine in there?

There was a perfume organ where all of the various oils were stored.

To make the process easier, they had a smaller section with the most popular oils.

I chose the latter.

It was closer and meant less stressful decision making.

Nosey

Sherry presented me with a coat and offered to take my pictures.

She said I looked like a natural and was very efficient.

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I read the instructions and got to work.

The goal was to create three fragrances and pick one to be bottled.

A woman’s perfume tells more about her than her handwriting.

Christian Dior

Sherry and I had small talk throughout. I found out she liked softer and more subtle scents.

I showed her the video of my perfume collection to her amazement.

I’m into the stronger fragrances like Coco Mademoiselle and Miss Dior.

My all-time favorites include Jadore, Miracle, Haute Couture, Vince Camuto, Tresor, Black by Kenneth Cole, Rapture and Cashmere Mist.

The lightest of the 3 creations was my least favorite.

Sherry said I should go outside to make a final decision. The fresh air should give me a better perspective.

Once outdoors, I smelled each spot she’d sprayed.

She was right. Going outdoors helped my nose.

My third choice became my first!

Queen Bee

I named my fragrance ‘Queen Bee’. It was chosen mainly for uniqueness.

The other two were stronger but smelled like other perfumes I have.

TIP: Think of your fragrance’s name ahead of time.    

There were two bottle types to choose from. The bottle’s label went perfectly with the “bee” theme.

The description of my perfume creation is ‘Tropical Island Breezes’. ‘Queen Bee’ has top tropical notes and a middle soft floral base that’s both fresh and powdery.

I received an elegant velvet pouch for my bottle. There was champagne and a certificate to celebrate.

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TIP: Refrigerate fragrance for 5-7 days once you return home.

The class includes a choice of several free gifts. I chose the tote with goodies.

The best part is that Tijon saves your formula and gives you a copy.

You can reorder the perfume or get it in lotion, creme, body oil or home and linen mist.

All the madness of getting to Tijon was worth it.

I recommend this excursion as a personal gift or to give away.

Happiness is like perfume: you can’t give it away without getting a little on yourself.

Anonymous

It’s a guaranteed hit for any fragrance lover.

If you choose to do Tijon solo, you can avoid my mistakes and have a smooth perfume-making process.

Route de L’esperance gave me Key West vibes. It was a narrow street with houses, restaurants, shops, and hotels.

The ocean was a close temptation.

Directions to and fro: St. Maarten to St. Martin

Getting there:

Walk to downtown St. Maarten. Catch bus labeled ‘Marigot’ across from Bank (right-hand side of the street). At the bus station in Marigot (the last stop), catch the 1st bus in queue on your left.

Tijon is located at Route de l’Espérance, Grand-Case, St. Martin.

Getting back to cruise port: From Tijon’s entrance, follow Route de l’Esperance to the very end’s main street (about 10-15 minutes). Catch the bus labeled ‘Marigot’ on the right side of the street.

From the terminal, catch the bus labeled ‘Phillipsburg’ on the right lane.

Total cost: $5.50. Allow at least 4 hours roundtrip. It depends on how long you take at Tijon.

Ironically, I saw the guard when I was walking back to the port. Her story seemed to include the exact directions this time!

I laughed it off inside instead of correcting her! You live and you learn.!

They did “point me” in the right direction!

My determination was no match for getting lost!

I came, I saw, and accomplished!!!

What is your favorite fragrance and would you be interested in making your own?

~Poof…Bee Gone

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