It was amazing and Annie was a great instructor. I've taken several other classes to try other things (jewelry making, cooking, etc), and I can say this class was easily the most enjoyable. You have a lot of freedom to try different things and Annie is super supportive and easy going. Would recommend to anyone who wants to try something new! read more

Opal'z Soaps and Scents - My orange almond cologne - Cosmetics & Beauty Supply Near Me - Mountain View, California

We get a candle every month. Each one is designed to smell like that month. And she does it! The soy candles last a long time. 40 hours at least . read more

You know you come across some experiences and it really blows your mind. This was one of those. We did this as a valentines day event. Our class was small so it felt more personal. Annie was such an amazing individual. We asked question before starting and once it was time to go the class flowed smoothly. We were amazed at the process as it is one of a kind. The creations you can make is truly only limited by your imagination. Being a so called cologne aficionado I enjoyed using my creative nature to craft what I deem a go to scent. If you are interested in soap/candle making, cologne/perfume making this is really a must. read more

I was able to attend a perfume making class during my birthday weekend and I had a blast. We were worried that we were too late because of a few unfortunate accidents that caused some traffic on the way to the building, but Annie was kind enough to allow us to play catch up. She was so knowledgeable and answered any questions we had during the whole process. I've raved about the experience to family, friends, and coworkers. I'm a perfume lover, and it felt very special being able to play around with all the different essential oils to create a personal scent. I'm sure I'll be returning for another class in the near future. Thanks for such a wonderful time Annie! read more

Opal'z Soaps and Scents - The finished products :) - Cosmetics & Beauty Supply Near Me - Mountain View, California

While I haven't actually visited, I called here today and spoke with the owner Annie who was incredibly helpful. I called trying to book something for my mom who was coming to town and while Annie didn't offer exactly what I was looking for, she stayed on the phone with me even researching with me to help me find something that may be more in line with what my mom was looking for. I thought it was very noble of her especially today where customer service in majority of other places seems to be lacking. I appreciate your time, Annie! I hope to visit one of your workshops soon! read more

My team attended the Candle Making class lead by Annie for our offsite and had a blast!. Our class was about 2 hours and we were able to make 3 candles each. Annie was very kind and helpful as she went through instructing and assisting us create our candles. There was a good variety of materials and scents to select from when designing our candle creations. It was cert hands on and the studio was quaint and casual. It was a fun and unique way to spend the afternoon with my team and would definitely recommend for those looking to something fun and new. read more

Annie is just the best teacher and I encourage everyone interested in learning how to make candles and perfume to sign up for a class! This is the second time we've taken classes at Opal'z - the first time was for a signature scent class and the second time for candle-making. In both instances, we learned so much from Annie. She explains instructions very well and organizes classes in a way that is manageable and interesting. I would definitely recommend Annie's classes to anyone interested in making crafts. She's the best! read more

We went here on a team event and we were a large group for a candle making workshop. Anne has kept everything ready for us by the time we came and also was really nice in waiting for a few more people who were late. We had a good time however this experience was more like coloring in a coloring book. We were given a hot jar of wax and asked to pour into the glass and we are done. I would have liked to know how to make candles from the scratch. read more

It's such a breath of fresh air when I come across a place that is not only affordable, but that also has exceptional customer service. That's what I found at Opal'z. I was in need of two inexpensive white elephant gift swap items and a gift for a friend. I was in the neighborhood today, and a quick search on my phone revealed Opal'z as a place that sold what I was looking for. It's tucked in a corner of a parking lot, and the signage was very good, so I had no trouble finding it. I walked in to find a warm, inviting space. This is a place to go to make your own soap, and that was obvious from the creative feel of the space. A new employee, Joanne, immediately asked how I was and if I needed any help, and I described what I was looking for. She started giving me some suggestions, then got the owner Annie since she has more experience at the store than Joanne. Annie listened carefully to what I wanted and had several suggestions that fit my budget. She suggested piecing together a little package of 3 items, insisted on wrapping it with her own supply of recycled tissue paper and ribbon, then helped me do the same for the other gift swap gift. She was also very patient with me when I was looking at items for my friend (I'm being intentionally vague here since she reads my reviews), and I found exactly what I wanted (no, it's not soap). Not only was Annie friendly, but she provided all sorts of extras that I wasn't expecting -- all 3 gifts wrapped for free, and a deal on top of that. If you want to make your own soap, have a soap-making party, or just want to pick up some soap for your house or as a gift, this is the place to go, as it's much more personal than a chain like Lush. I guarantee you won't find this level of customer service at one of the chain stores. Thanks! read more

I went to Opalz recently with my kids, who were invited there for a soap-making birthday party, a first for us. After arriving we were greeted by the owner, Annie, who directed us upstairs to the party room. After all partygoers arrived she then gave us an introduction to the process and showed samples of what the kids could make. To make a piece of soap, each kid is given a clear, plastic mold into which they can place a variety of colored soap shapes and even tiny plastic animals. Then they are given a pyrex container of melted glycerin soap (not hot enough to burn) to which they can add color and scent. Once satisfied, they can pour the soup into their mold and let it cool. Even though the process is decidedly simple and low tech, at first most kids seem wary of trying anything wild or outrageous. But by the fourth or fifth mold, they are coming up with all kinds of cool colors and funky combos. (I was even allowed to do one myself since the owner noticed my enthusiasm - my theme was "frogs & lips"). The best part was taking home the completed soap and using it for that night's bath. My kids were pretty excited to use soap they designed themselves, and they will be able to use all the pieces for months to come. (This is so much better than taking home party gift bags with cheap, plastic crap that will become boring and broken in a matter of hours). Opalz is not a chain and has a refreshing indie feel, unlike some of the "factories" that crank out birthday parties. The space size is limited though, and 20 people is the maximum number they can handle. Even though she had some teenage helpers assisting the kids, sometimes the owner got a bit overloaded. LOCATION: Opalz is a bit hard to find since it is tucked in the back of a small stripmall/office park at the corner of Middlefield and Colorado Ave. The front entrance is facing an "alley" adjacent to the small parking lot for Starbucks. There is also a much larger parking lot back behind the Safeway. I have included some pictures of the alleyway area. read more

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Ahhh what a cutsey way to spend an afternoon! I came here for the perfume making session. You can either make 2 small bottles or 1 large bottle of perfume and it takes 1-3 hours. Step 1: Smell ALL of the perfumes & take note of the ones you like Step 2: Mix'em up together ( a few drops here and few more drops there) and then sample what you made. *** Be sure to keep track of the ratio so when you go ahead and make the perfume, you know how much to add. Also don't add too many drops of strong scents like pepper or coconut. ONE drop should suffice. Step 3: Realize you f-ed up royally during Step 2 and that you underestimated how complicated this would be. Also acknowledge that you didn't have the patience to keep track of what you were doing and now you're digging a deeper hole mixing random scents together and it smells worse everytime you try to fix it. Face it, your perfume smells worse than old woman's perfume mixed with CK1. Step 4: Kindly admit to your failure and get a second chance and a shiny new bottle (if you're lucky which I was). Revert back to Step 1 and then CAREFULLY mix 3 or 4 scents together and remember what the heck you just did so you can then proceed to consistently fill your bottle. Final remarks: This isn't rocket science people, but it's definitely scientific. It's not a walk in the park, TAKE IT SERIOUSLY.. it's frustrating but pays off if done right. I got several compliments from random people after wearing my final product out in public. read more

Part 2 of 6 for $200 date day. After being pretty buzzed from Grapevine, we hopped back in the car and was on to our next destination. When we got to Opal'z, I was shocked. I mean, my hubby is supposed to be hard-core and gangster. Who would have thought he would pick "soap making" as part of his date day? :) It was such a cute sup rise though. I felt like we were on those Blind Date shows, where they do weird things on their dates. Coming in, the shop is filled with soaps, candles, and other hand made goodies. They even make their own deodorant and all natural bug repellent. The soap making experience itself would probably be better for younger kids. I would recommend doing birthday parties here for girls ages 5-8. Or just bringing your kids here for a mother/daughter session. You don't really make the soap from scratch. You kind of assemble soap chunks in a mold, add peppermint, salt, etc, and then you pour a liquid soap, that you added scents to into the mold to hold everything. After that, it takes 15 min for the soap to harden, and you're good to go. :) It was a neat experience, and really sweet for hubby to pick this, but I wouldn't come back. Kind of like paintballing....nice to say I've tried it once, but not something I would pay to come back to. To make your own soap it was $8/person for set up fee, and then $1/oz for the finished product. Total for our soap and experience was $28. read more

OMG this place is amazing. I love it here, a friend and I were suppose to go here, but it was closed early. However, opportunity came along one day and we decided to go here to make soap. The service is so friendly and excellent. I was intrigued by the creativity this place had to offer. All the scents that they have to offer are all wonderful. My favorite would have to be the jasmine and the tomato leaf (as weird as that might sound) ! Although this place may be hard to locate, its one place that everyone should definitely try. The soap my friend and I made is so cute ,and very unique. I must say this is a better place to take any girl on a date. ;) read more

I am always looking for a cool new skill to learn, so I jumped onto the perfume-making class at Opalz from groupon. The classes at Opalz are typically held on Saturday or Sunday mornings. It was a little hard to locate the place, but on the bright side there was a lot of parking space. Annie was very nice as she guided me and about 5 other ladies on how to make our own perfume. At first, we sniffed to a large number of essential and fragrance oils, then identified which ones we like, then finally combined the scents in different proportions. Nothing crazy, but perfectionists beware - it will not be easy for you! Some ladies definitely got VERY involved :) At the end of the class, you take a small bottle of your fragrance home. I also really wanted to learn soap-making, so I took the cold-process soap making class from Annie. Cold process means creating soap from scratch - from oils, lye, and other basic ingredients. Annie also offers melt-and-pour class which I believe involves melting already made soap and adding things to it. I really enjoyed the soap-making class too. We made our own soap in class (NOTE the soap you make will not be usable for about 3 weeks after you make it, so plan accordingly) and Annie gave us a couple of pieces she made to take home. The soap we made in class was the most basic simple kind, but now I believe I can try more complex soaps on my own. Finally, I know Annie offers candle-making classes too! So exciting :) read more

We went to Opal'z for a birthday party. It was a little tricky finding it, it's set back from the road, so we just parked and walked - was easier that way. There is plenty of parking behind the shop. Our party was upstairs in a cute loft area - the employee helping was super friendly and lots of help for the girls. They had trays and supplies laid out for each girl. They were able to chop up chunks of soap to make whatever design they wanted in the 4 molds, then they picked the scent and color of their soap and got to pour it in - it was fun to watch all the creativity come out in each girl. While the soaps hardened in the fridge we had pizza and cake, and once that was done, our soaps were ready and the party was over - it was perfect!! read more

Wow! what a great addition to the peninsula. I dropped by the day before thanksgiving to pick up stuff to make lotion and soap for family and friends as xmas presents. I had no idea what to do so I just went in with my recipe and hoped for the best! I walked out with more than half of my supplies which is fantastic (I got all the heavy ones so I can save on shipping). The owner was soooooo helpful and amazingly friendly. She gave me advice on what to do and helped me figure out exactly what I wanted. The retail area is cute and it seems like a great place to spend an afternoon or have a party at! Definitely worth a stop by!! read more

Brilliant place to learn soap making - amongst other things! Great staff. Gave my wife a gift certificate to the place and she is hooked on making soap - great gifts. And with Christmas too close maybe a good idea for others to give gift certificates. read more

I went here recently as a team building work function. Our group of 4 had so much fun. At first we thought this place was probably only for kids but NO, I was wrong. This is fun and interesting for all age groups. It's definitely a great place to have a kid's party as well as a team building event. Everyone should stop by and check it out! read more

Got the MyTownsDeal and went with 2 of my friends for a "girls day out Annie was very sweet as was her helper. The two of them took great care of us as we each made a soap, chapstick and bath salts. It was a perfect place to catch up with my friends and do something new and different. Now I just need my son to get a little older so that we can go have his birthday party there :) read more

I'd driven past this place and never thought much of it until I got a groupon for it... After realizing how expensive it was I figured why not try out the discount. I went in for a perfume making session and had SO much fun! They let you smell a bunch of different scents you'd never think of making perfume out of and mix and match to make your own. I absolutely loved it! Such a great experience! If it wasn't so much (I believe $60 a session, which isn't bad persay as you can mix and match about as long as it takes) I would go as much as possible! I'm also very interested to check out the other classes like makeup and lotion. This also seemed like a great place for a group of friends to get together and just have a fun time (Thinking bday or bridal party). read more

I had an unbelievably great time here! If you live in the Palo Alto area, this is something you owe it to yourself to do. Whether you are looking to throw a one of a kind party, or to make yourself or someone else a gift, this place is your opportunity to do so. The things you can do here run the gamut from making your own soaps to classes on how to apply makeup, making your own candles, bath salts, lotions, and on and on. The soaps made here are vegetable based, so they are very eco- and skin-friendly. Also, there are endless soap shapes, to which you can add a multitude of scents, dyes, and botanicals. The soap possibilities truly are endless! The attention given to the customer here is superb. My friend Lisa and I had the pleasure of being guided on our virgin soap making voyage by Annie. What a WONDERFUL lady! She was extremely helpful, coaxing out our inner soap muse, giving helpful hints/advice, and keeping us perfectly entertained with stories all at the same time. I cannot wait to go back for the company and the next round of creations. read more

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Went in with a Groupon for the Simply Elegant Perfume creation session. AMAZING experience. + Annie and Stacy were fabulous. Even when the upstairs room got quite overloaded with fragrance, they were both enthusiastic and attentive, recommending us to step out for some fresh air, and really helpful when we'd ask to borrow their noses to narrow down the perfect perfume blend. If you're working toward a complex scent, be prepared to spend about three hours fussing over your creation. :) Incredible and vast selection of essential and fragrance oils to choose from (heard afterward there were even more they didn't put out on the tables), and the bottles available are adorable as well. + The store is pretty neat, too. I was tempted to get a bunch of soaps (pumpkin spice and tahitian vanilla smelled so good), but settled on a handmade felted soap. I'd love to go back again for another session to make another fragrance, or maybe purchase an eyeshadow making kit. - The only thing I'd change was that I had selected a cute art deco bottle and a geometric bottle, so coconut oil was the base added to my fragrance for dabbing. Thinking of it now, I wish I'd asked for one of them to have perfumer's alcohol added instead so I could have decanted some into a spray bottle. I know the coconut oil isn't supposed to affect the fragrance, but the tomato leaf scent I used in mine gets totally lost in the dry down on my skin as opposed to when it hung around for longer on paper. So word to the wise: test on your skin for how it reacts with your body chemistry too -- like any fragrance, it could smell completely different from the bottle! read more

Unforgettable experience! I just had my son's 6th birthday and let me tell you, not only kids but adults had a great time too:) Annie ,the owner, and her team were just superb. The owner gave me hints on what we can do for my son to make this a great birthday. I am giving 5+ to this place. If you are looking for a place to celebrate your kids birthday - Look no more! Alina M read more

Great soap making classes. Annie was very thorough in explaining the steps and providing tips!

Annie is a gem! She is very knowledgeable, kind, encouraging and genuine! I had the best time in Make your own fragrance class. I am beyond excited and grateful for all Annie's help and time and generosity. I left with my own bottle of perfume and I can't wait to attend other classes. Thank you, Annie! You're one of a kind! read more

I was invited to a make-up party and my two 10 year old girls enjoyed actual soap making while the party went on with the help of the owner's daughter. The owner, Annie, is a professional make-up artist for film and was fantastic in helping everyone who wanted help with applying make-up, tips and even make-overs. I'm now completely hooked on the Opalz mineral make-up and the lip-gloss in a tube is my FAV! My daughters had a blast pouring and molding, embellishing and packaging their soaps for gifts. What a truly fun environment. I'm pretty sure they gift wrap and this would be my #1 stop on the way to a birthday party for a gift (if I lived in the area) as they have a full shop of bath and beauty items. There was also really beautiful hand made glass jewelry. I can't wait to return. I recommend this place for a kid's birthday party or for ladies looking to enjoy a wonderful evening with friends. It's a little tricky to find, but it shares a parking lot with Starbucks, then look for the signs. read more

Opal'z Soaps and Scents - Opalz - Cosmetics & Beauty Supply Near Me - Mountain View, California

I just got back from spending the afternoon at Opal'z with a friend. We did the Groupon; the perfume making course. I have to say, I am a huge perfume snob who spends, in all probability, too large a proportion of my disposable income, and some of my indisposable income too, on perfume. Given that, I went expecting to be, I don't know - underwhelmed in some way. My giddy aunt, but I was wrong. First of all we sat down with Annie and worked our way through about 50 oils and essences, taking notes, mming and ahing as we went. That was fun an and of itself. Then we starting making combinations - two, three, four, sixteen strips at a time together. You to know what Frankincense, Myrrh, Cedar, Sandalwood, and Peru Balsam smell together? (Really, really good, is the answer.) Want to add Raspberry essence to that? Well you can! (I would not advise it.) Like everyone in the service industry who is great and knows their stuff, Annie is the perfect (*perfect*) balance of helpful and handy and advising all on the one hand, and backing off, letting you do your own thing, letting you choose what flies for you. We may have spent... quite a long time there. Annie and her daughter may also have sat there with us late into the evening, insisting that they didn't mind even though they must have been starving and exhausted. What service. This is the real deal, yelpers. Go to Opal'z. Make that Pear and Raspberry Incense you've always dreamed about. You'll have a lot of fun. read more

We had our daughter's 10th birthday party at Opal'z today. The kids really enjoyed. It was very well organized.Everything was on time and pre-setup. The kids made Lip Balm, Lotion and Nail polish. It was all made from vegetable and natural ingredients. read more

A very very big thank you to Annie! The kids were very happy and had a lot of fun! Great place to a kids birthday party ! read more

Today, we had our daughter's birthday party here and it was a great experience. The owner, Annie, was wonderful and patient with all the kids. By the third mold, the kids were making all sorts of fun & creative soaps! ( Even the boys had a great time.) Having the bday party here made it easy and stress free for me. We ended the soap making with some snacks and cake. By the time we were finished, the soaps were all ready to be taken home. So much fun and reasonably priced. Maybe when my daughter is a little older we'll try making the lip balm making party. read more

We just had my daughters 14th birthday party at Opal'z. There were 11 guests and the girls made lip balm, lotion, and nail polish. The girls had a very relaxed atmosphere to talk together as they were making their make-up. The room smells great too. My kids had such a wonderful time that we are going soon for my other daughter's 8 year old birthday party to make soap at Opal'z. Annie, the owner, is very nice and does not require a minimum of guests for the party. My daughters love doing arts and crafts and this is a perfect spot to meet their needs. Thank you Opal'z for a doing a wonderful job for our party. read more

I had Opal'z host my daughter's birthday party, attended by kids aged 5-7, including a couple of boys. Her upstairs party room is nicely decorated, so while you can bring your own balloons and other decorations, it really isn't necessary. Annie is very flexible in working with the host as well as gauging the attention span of the kids and adapting to their needs. She has a soft disposition and speaks respectfully to the children. I was free to wander and chat with other parents and take pictures. Each child created 4-5 soaps then we ate cake and did a pull string pinata (which I brought) while the soaps cooled in the fridge. You may want to consider bringing another small activity or craft as we had an extra 10 minutes of time to wait for the soaps to be cool enough to remove from the molds. I arrived with cake, snacks, drinks, plates/cups/utensils, and a homemade pullstring pinata. Easy! Opal'z is great for a low-stress unique party for children! read more

Opal'z is a fun "dyi" soap bar tucked behind Starbucks in Midtown, Palo Alto. We have gone here several times. I have taken my kids (6 yo boy and 8 yo girl) on our own. Annie, the owner, is super friendly and patient. The kids spent about a hour making soap which includes: choosing colors both clear and opaque, adding soap chunks and little plastic toys, picking mold shapes and scents. They had a great time and made about 3 soaps each. You need to let the soap cool for about 20-30 minutes so we went to a nearby cafe to wait. My daughter loves Opalz so much and insisted in having her birthday party there. The parties are two hours long. There is a nice loft space above the shop where the parties are held. We had about 12 children attend (mostly girls), There were two assistants (high school age) that were fantastic and helped the kids step by step make the soap. They each made 5 bars of soap. This took most kids a little over an hour. While the soap is cooling, the kids mingled and ate lite snacks then we did the cake. This is a fantastic place to have a party as almost everything is done for you. The kids get beautiful natural soaps to take home. By eliminating the traditional "goody bags" it's environmentally friendly as well. We love it! read more

I can't stress enough how much I enjoyed Opal'z, Annie and Paul truly gave me a great feeling and great service, they have a great attitude and don't laugh at some of your not so nice creations. Their great with kids, very patient and encouraging my 6 & 8 year old enjoyed their experience here as much as I did. My 8 year old was so inspired by her creation that she wrote a song about her Peppermint Bunny soap. They were very proud of their work and were able to present their grandmother with a unique gift on mother's day. Oh and did I mention that they will be having some great workshop classes for the little ones this summer and that in itself is worth a visit as you can just drop off your little angels maybe get a massage and head back all nice and relaxed to pick them up, but then again you may not need that massage as with all the scents floating around in there it's like aromatherapy. A million yelp stars and thanks to you guys. read more

Great experience! Annie is super helpful. Perfume session was worth the money and I've received several compliments on my creation.

I needed to make personalized presents for 15 people (all on the same team) and thought candle-making might be a great way to have both variety and commonality between the gifts. Annie was extremely helpful from the start--she found a way to fit my limited budget and schedule, and during the candle-making process she was encouraging, friendly, and a touch sassy (she has a good sense of humor). The candles turned out wonderful--they had different colored waxes, different shapes, and different scents, and their recipients were touched by the thought put into their presents. Definitely a great choice to visit Opal'z! read more

It's a great place to do birthday parties for kids of all ages. We just had my daughter's 9th birthday party there and she had 19 guests. Everything was organized and went smoothly. My daughter's motive was to make soap--five each person--to give as christmas gifts to the grandparents. Then she found out they had lip balm and candles there and i guess the next party will be lip balm. the soaps turn out really pretty since you can make all sorts of different designs. And it is something that people will actually use! read more

The perfume-making course at Annie's that I took recently was fantastic. Most impressively of all, Annie has designed a session which is accessible and enjoyable to just about everyone, beginners and enthusiasts alike, and at the same time contains some really high-end materials for the aspiring perfumer to experiment with: a great range of oils to start with, and more than anyone could cover in a single session. All the more reason to go back again! Annie is kind, helpful, and expert, answering questions about the materials and the process, showing you how to put a perfume together, always able to shed light on whatever you need to ask her. She and her invaluable daughter both have excellent noses, so they'll always be able to suggest a good scent to add (or take away!) when you're scratching your head. And their generosity with all that expertise is a rare thing. Great service, great product, and a wonderful day out - and at a more reasonable price than just about anywhere else you'll find. Recommended in every way. read more

i had a soap making class with Annie today. It was fabulous!! She was very generous with her materials, time, and knowledge. I had a great time, learned a lot and came home with lots of soap I made. I loved the class and would recommend it if you are at all interested in soap. read more

Opalz is a gem not to be missed. The quality of the products are wonderful and the staff is nothing but the best. We had our daughter's 7th birthday party there. It was one of the best parties we had ever had and been to...a mother of 4 kids, we have hosted and attended a lot of parties. The staff was very helpful and Annie had a lot of help so that everyone was able to enjoy themselves and not feel frustrated. We will definetly be back for another party soon. read more