I'm so glad I stumbled upon this store!! It's the cutest shop with a wide variety of scents. They have a focus on non-alcoholic and organic smells, which isn't a priority for me, but it's nice. I absolutely love the gardenia scent and am hoping it holds! The prices here are not too crazy. A lot of these essential oil/soap stores will overcharge, but I thought this place was reasonable. You can get a small bundle of items for $28, a potent diffuser with 15 mL of essential oil for $18, and the soap bars are around $5. They also have a happy hour sale! Very worth it for local, small batch scents, which I usually see going for more. The two women working there today were super welcoming and sweet as well. I will definitely be coming back :) read more

I had the most enriching fragrance-blending class experience at Scents By the Bay! The moment I walk-in, Tarah and Kiki made me feel at home. They were super friendly, highly knowledgable, & answered all my questions. Their passion & positive vibes were contagious. Being a fragrance lover who blends scents at home, I appreciated the clear, beautifully crafted guidance. The class balanced simplicity for beginners with deep educational insights. On top of that, their fragrance selection was unbelievable--literally a library of scents! They had over 700 options, from designer oils to pure essential and aromatherapy scents. As someone who's taken other classes with fairly small options, having such an eclectic, rare selection to choose from was next level. This was a perfect act of self-care after a busy weekend, and I left with new knowledge, a beautiful custom fragrance, and immense joy. This truly was a one-of-a-kind experience. Highly recommend! I love supporting local businesses and see myself being a frequent customer--probably will pop-in once or twice a month! I am excited to bring friends here for birthdays and special occasions. Already, planning to bring my husband for a date--so we can create a fragrance together! I'm just thrilled that something like this exists right here in the East Bay. This experience was a gem, and I can't wait to return again and again! read more

Such great teaching from Kiki! We had a fun experience blending our own perfumes and are definitely looking forward to coming back! read more

Scents by the Bay - Candle Stores Near Me - Berkeley, California

I love that you can blend your own scent. The staff are helpful guiding you through the process. If you've never done it before, plan some time to experiment. read more

If you are trying to decide to choose this place or not, Just do it! My friends and I were looking for an activity to do and I found this place. They have an amazing perfume making class! From the moment I emailed and inquiry to see if they would have another class soon I received a response within 24 hours from Shelia squeezing is in. I definitely suggest calling or emailing if you don't see a class or time that works for you. There were so many amazing oils to choose from to purchase by inspired scents as well as an overwhelming amount oils to choose from to create your signature scent. Tara the owner was an amazing teacher and will definitely help you create the right blends. I will definitely recommend this place to friends. read more

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This place is amazing! The owner is nice and very patient. She knows her scents and her store is very calming. We did this as a family get together and we will return. She also has online shop as well. read more

We took the Introduction to Perfumery class and had the best time. There were about 16 of us, and Tarah was amazing. She was super detailed, patient, and made everything easy to understand. We learned all about base, middle, and top notes, how the fragrance wheel works, and how scents come together to make something totally new. It was so fun to see how different everyone's sense of smell was. One person's favorite scent had someone else cringing, and it just made the whole class that much more entertaining. Tarah and her team let us wander around and mix at our own pace, which made it super chill and enjoyable. Also, who knew there were so many kinds of sandalwoods and musks? By the end, the nose blindness was real, so we definitely need to come back on a fresh day to smell everything again. We know they also sell candles, lotions, and other goodies, so that's another reason to return and explore. We're so excited to wear the perfumes we made to work tomorrow and already planning our next visit. Highly recommend if you want to do something creative, relaxing, and just plain fun! read more

Scents by the Bay - So many smells, so little time - Candle Stores Near Me - Berkeley, California

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We had an amazing time here at scents by the bay. We had a private perfume making class and it was so fun and everyone was very knowledgeable and explained to us the background of perfume and the basics on how to make a perfume. This is the perfect girls day activity. We got to make our very own custom perfumes and got to name them. They also have lots of stuff to purchase from including crystals, candles, oils and sprays. read more

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My sister hosted a bridesmaids event here and we had a blast learning about and making custom perfume. The store is cozy and clean with plenty of room for the 7 of us. The store can be closed for events which is really nice to keep it more intimate. Jamie spent her time explaining the shop and shop owner's backgrounds, her path to perfumes, scent-making and all of the layers and nuances. I love perfumes and didn't know how complex they were! She was very patient with us and a great host! There were so so so many scents to choose from and we took our time forming the perfect combination for our custom perfume. The finished product came in a beautiful glass bottle with beads or crystals and a rollerball. They also save your named scent so you can order it later or in another form like lotion or a candle. The store also sells crystals, soap, candles that melt into a body oil, lotion, and a lot more..... that you'll need to stop by and check out! Seriously, give Scents by the Bay a visit. You'll be sure to leave smelling amazing! read more

Had one of the best experiences creating our personal scent! Kiki was a great teacher, very detailed, fun, and welcoming! Would definitely recommend having a girls day here. read more

What a cute place to visit. My friend and I are making candles for the first time and we came to the right place. The staff was super chill, knowledgeable, and cute. My only recommendation is to take your time smelling around, perhaps step outside for a bit, and let your senses adjust because it's easy to her carried away. read more

Scents by the Bay - Tried mixing a few things - Candle Stores Near Me - Berkeley, California

i had such a wonderful experience!! working together with Kiki we made a gorgeous scent! I couldn't be happier!

Love that we have this opportunity to make perfumes right here in the East Bay! I gifted my mom a perfume making class for Christmas. We originally booked way earlier in the year but had to cancel last minute. Luckily, the Scents by the Bay team was really understanding and they kept our credit in their system for MONTHS until we were able to rebook. I really appreciated that! We attended a wine and perfume making class on a Friday evening. Loved seeing all the different celebrations and reasons that brought folks to the class. Our group had about 12-15 people and we were spread out over 2 tables. After an educational session by the owner, Tarah, we were able to go around smelling all the different scents they had to begin building our own combination. The pamphlet they provided was super helpful. I really liked that they had some popular brand perfumes listed along with the smelling notes within them in case we wanted to make our own dupe. They even had some premade if you wanted to just use one of those as your base! There are sooooo many scents though and I'm not going to lie - decision fatigue was real. I would recommend going in with a specific type of scent that you'd like to create in mind. Otherwise, there are truly endless possibilities and you could get stuck just trying to make the right combo. At the end of the class, you'll get a small perfume roll on to take home of your scent. I heard you can even make them into other body care items like lotions, etc. Prices are super reasonable as well. Highly recommend this fun activity for date night, girls night out, celebrations, etc! read more

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Myself and my group of 3 others came in for a scheduled perfume blending class as a Galentine's Day activity. We all have varying degrees of interest in perfumes--from niche fragrance lovers to beginners. That said we all had something we wanted to takeaway from the class, which was to have fun playing with blending scents and making custom scent creations! We got all that, and more. Our scent teacher was very informative and did a great job breaking down key perfume making concepts, from scent families to the difference between a base, middle and top note and some common blending techniques to get us started. After the short lesson on perfume blending, we were off to the races. We had access to every single perfume note and blend in the store to start creating and experimenting. If any of us got stuck or wanted some expert advice on how to bring our custom blend closer to our ideal scent profile or simply wanted to make something more "interesting" our teacher was promptly available to support! After about an hour of play time with all of the DIY scent blending, we each finalized our custom scents and had them bottles, named and labeled. This was such a fun activity and highly recommended for anyone whose interested in learning something about perfume blending but mostly to have fun and participate in something hands on and fragrant. read more

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If you're looking for a sensory escape with a splash of luxury, Scents by the Bay delivers. I recently attended one of their fragrance-making experiences and created my very own custom scent: "Husband Ready"--a sultry blend of sandalwood and Blackberry Midnight that's equal parts bold, mysterious, and unapologetically me. One spritz and suddenly I'm the main character. The vibe? Elevated and intimate. Think charcuterie cups, crisp white wine, and a room full of people trying to bottle their essence. Marz, our host, was a gem--warm, knowledgeable, and ready to help you turn your scent dreams into reality. She made the whole process feel like a celebration of self. The studio itself is cozy and chic, with soft lighting and shelves lined with dreamy oils and botanicals that practically beg you to mix, swirl, and sniff your way to perfection. It's the kind of space that makes you feel like you've stepped into a boutique apothecary curated by someone who understands both luxury and soul. Every detail--from the glassware to the playlist--was curated to make you feel pampered and inspired. This is a perfect date night, birthday treat, or anniversary splurge--especially if you want something hands-on, creative, and just bougie enough to make you feel fancy. That said, the price tag? Whew. A bit steep for my blood, so I'm calling it a "once every five years" kind of indulgence. Loved the experience, but when it comes to everyday wear, I'll be reaching for Gucci Bloom and keeping my coins. Still, if you're in the mood to feel like a perfumer with a glass of wine in hand and a scent that screams "I understood the assignment," Scents by the Bay is your spot. Just make sure your wallet is as ready as your nose. read more

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Took a perfume making class here yesterday for a friend's birthday. Tarah and her staff were very welcoming and managed the large group well. I was impressed with the selection of scents available for everyone to use. During the class you make a custom scent. You get to take home a bottle & they keep the recipe on file and will re make it for you whenever you want. Tarah will help you so you don't go buck wild & make something nasty. Here's a romantic idea; take a perfume class with the object of your affection, and make custom scents for each other. Great idea, right? Don't forget to invite me to the wedding! I'll be back to buy one of the designer dupes and the Baja blast scent. Yeah you read that right. Baja blast. Very cool to support an independent business like this, especially right now. I won't be buying scents anywhere else if I can help it. The less we buy from big box retailers the better. Buy local everyone! read more

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We had the most amazing time with Tara, Ella and Poppy ! We signed up for scent making and the candle making class both classes are a must try! Plus lunch at 5 tacos &beer while we waited for our candles to set; and still finished in enough time to catch kickoff of the Super Bowl. The perfume and candle smells were amazing I felt like we both achieved our signature scent!!! Looking forward to burning Citrus Sparkle, Relaxing Vibes and wearing Carmel Dulce Tara is very knowledgeable and patient Looking forward to the El Cerrito opening coming soon. Would definitely do this again read more

Scents by the Bay - Candle Stores Near Me - Berkeley, California

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Trinity was the one that helped us. Look for her to Custom blend you a scent. The quality is wonderful. Enjoy the whole process with Trinity. read more

Scents by the Bay - Front if the shop - Candle Stores Near Me - Berkeley, California

Amazing experience for a quick stop! I swung by on my lunch break for a few minutes to find some new scents for my apartment. I met the owner, manager, and their adorable Frenchie, and they all helped make a very pleasant experience for me, taking extra time to explain what they do and how they do it. They're clearly passionate about aromas all around, and they've got an abundance of wonderful items with extremely reasonable prices. I ended up getting a few things, but most notably, the "Sonoma Spa Blossom" oil for my reed diffusers. I am absolutely OBSESSED with the scent and find myself taking the heaviest whiffs of it every time I walk past my diffusers. I'll definitely be back for one of the fragrance making classes and to re-up on some oils once I'm out! PS - they even hooked me up with a local merchant discount even though my job is slightly out of the Elmwood range. Fantastic shop with a wonderful crew -- thank you Scents by the Bay! read more

Scents by the Bay - Sonoma Spa Blossom oil - Candle Stores Near Me - Berkeley, California

We came here to celebrate our anniversary with a private perfume-blending session, and it was pure magic from start to finish. Marz was our guide, and she truly made the day unforgettable. It was our first time blending fragrances, and she was not only patient, but also incredibly passionate and knowledgeable. She walked us through the entire process with such care and excitement. With her help, we created a few custom scents that felt so personal to us, and yes, we got to name them ourselves! Having our own signature perfumes bottled felt luxurious and meaningful, and we left with something we'll cherish forever. The shop itself is a sensory paradise, gorgeous candles, body oils, and even lovely pieces of jewelry. Every corner of the space feels thoughtfully curated. If you're in Berkeley and want to do something intimate, creative, and memorable, this is the place. Thank you, Marz, for making our anniversary so special. We'll absolutely be back! read more

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I LOVE this store. I mean really love it. I also love all of the staff. I've been here 4 times now, after stumbling upon it with some friends in 2023. Here's why you should go: 1. PERFUME MAKING IS SO FUN. They have an amazing collection of scents to mix and match as well as a huge selection of duplicate designer fragrances if you want to skip the mixing and pick something already formulated. You can also make your fragrance into other home and body products from room mist to deodorant, shampoo to laundry detergent. So versatile! 2. GREAT PRICES AND FUN FOR EVERYONE. Regardless if you're a huge perfume fan or crafting your first scent, this is just a great activity. Last year in September I organized a private birthday perfume class with like 15 of my friends and Tarahs daughter facilitated. Everyone had a great time and the price of the class was very reasonable for everyone to leave with a custom made scent. I haven't seen a comparably priced alternative yet. 3. SUPPORT A GREAT WOMEN OWNED AND RUN SMALL BUSINESS. The owner Tarah is so kind and welcoming, her daughter is following closely in her footsteps as a great perfume mixer. Mars is also really talented and so helpful. My friends are a hilarious and rowdy creative bunch and the team did not flinch at any of our strange ideas, and jumped straight into the task. They are so cool, genuinely. Vibes are great. 4. GREAT GIFTS. If you're not into making a scent, I've bought other great gifts here also. Massage candles, warming stuffies, jewelry. There's a little something for everyone. I could go on and on but I'm just a huge fan of this team and the business. I hope they stay around a long time. Every time I go I have a great and memorable time and now it's my friends' and I favorite activity. Not to mention all the complements we get for our perfumes. Please go and try it yourself! I LOVE this store. I mean really love it. I also love all of the staff. I've been here 4 times now, after stumbling upon it with some friends in 2023. Here's why you should go: 1. PERFUME MAKING IS SO FUN. They have an amazing collection of scents to mix and match as well as a huge selection of duplicate designer fragrances if you want to skip the mixing and pick something already formulated. You can also make your fragrance into other home and body products from room mist to deodorant, shampoo to laundry detergent. So versatile! 2. GREAT PRICES AND FUN FOR EVERYONE. Regardless if you're a huge perfume fan or crafting your first scent, this is just a great activity. Last year in September I organized a private birthday perfume class with like 15 of my friends and Tarahs daughter facilitated. Everyone had a great time and the price of the class was very reasonable for everyone to leave with a custom made scent. I haven't seen a comparably priced alternative yet. 3. SUPPORT A GREAT WOMEN OWNED AND RUN SMALL BUSINESS. The owner Tarah is so kind and welcoming, her daughter is following closely in her footsteps as a great perfume mixer. Mars is also really talented and so helpful. My friends are a hilarious and rowdy creative bunch and the team did not flinch at any of our strange ideas, and jumped straight into the task. They are so cool, genuinely. Vibes are great. 4. GREAT GIFTS. If you're not into making a scent, I've bought other great gifts here also. Massage candles, warming stuffies, jewelry. There's a little something for everyone. I could go on and on but I'm just a huge fan of this team and the business. I hope they stay around a long time. Every time I go I have a great and memorable time and now it's my friends' and I favorite activity. Not to mention all the complements we get for our perfumes. Please go and try it yourself! read more

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First time ever today Sunday 04- 26 for Alexis bridal gathering . Had an amazing time. They have lots and lots of different smells to choose from . It's different but nice I chose China Rain I didnt have to mix mine it was already done . If I had the chance I would do it again. Thank you SCENTS BY THE BAY FOR HAVING US . LAVERNE read more

What a gem , we were eating next door and ran across this place. The cashier did an amazing job on explaining everything and how it works. I will be returning. read more

I am a mail-order customer of Scents by the Bay. I was misled by online reviews of the Antonia's Flowers dupe, which I bought so excitedly because I wore the original for many years and thought that heaven must smell of freesias as the perfume did. The product arrived and quickly too-no issues there. However, there is no freesia scent. Instead it smells strongly of candle fragrance And a little soapy. There is no, none, similarity to Antonia's Flowers. I am so, so disappointed because the little bottle is expensive. So if looking for Antonia's Flowers, don't go here. read more

Recently took a class to make my own perfume with my friends and it was very fun and informative the teacher Tara was amazing and it was a great experience I would definitely go back! read more

Scents by the Bay - Candle Stores Near Me - Berkeley, California

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One of my favorite shops in Berkeley! I had some custom soaps made for a baby shower and they came out absolutely perfect. 1000/10 recommend! read more

Scents by the Bay - Custom soap bars - Candle Stores Near Me - Berkeley, California

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I just had an amazing time making my own perfume. I ran to Yelp to let you all know. The staff was amazing and so sweet. The owner was so knowledgeable. They were very helpful when I became overwhelmed. The vast knowledge and techniques made making Nd my perfume so amazing. I highly highly recommend! read more

Scents by the Bay - Wine tasting before perfume making! - Candle Stores Near Me - Berkeley, California

Yummy toppings and nice staff!! I thought the choices they had were plentiful. Fresh and yummy. I ordered the tuna for my protein. read more

They are really nice and instructive! My girlfriend and I had Trinity as our host and Tarah, the owner, give us a private class! We loved the experience. Highly recommend. read more

I ordered a custom designer roll on perfume and i absolutely love it! Smells exactly like maybe Baby by benefit which is discontinued, so thank you for the nostalgia rewind sBTB read more

My partner had sent me out on a little self care day and this stop was destined to be apart of it. Sheila patiently helped me mix my own blend together and was so kind and enjoyable to work with! She's super knowledgable and was so good about helping me understand the different notes and pairing scents together. Sheila also helped me understand the difference between alcohol based perfumes vs these oil blends (for some time I've been wanting to switch anyway) I had a ton of fun with this experience. Will definitely be back when this tub runs out! read more

Tarah is amazing. I recently became the proud parent of a 16 year old. I couldn't think of what to do but his love of cologne drove me to Scents by the Bay. Prior to our arrival, I have had a phone conversation with another member of staff and several emails with the owner. I was well informed before the date of our class but nothing prepared me for the massive amount of scents the shop held. The shop is beautiful and the staff is well educated. One visit is not enough. We really enjoyed our time. I look forward to booking another class soon. read more

Scents by the Bay - Candle Stores Near Me - Berkeley, California

So much fun. Great scents, good prices, friendly staff. We will be back. They have closeouts, group deals, shelves of awesome scents and custom lotions read more

Scents by the Bay - Us - Candle Stores Near Me - Berkeley, California

Love this spot! Went for a Galentine's introductory perfume blending class and had such a wonderful experience. The owner, Tarah, was very informative and helpful as was her staff. Created a unique scent for myself which I love! Will absolutely be back! read more

We had such a great time! We did the introduction to scents for my mother in law's birthday. Owner is wonderful. Recommend!

honestly, i wish i came here ever since it opened! i was waiting for the right time to come take a class with my daughter, but i would have loved just checking everything out. Tarah, Maddie, and the entire staff are AMAZING! Tarah is a goddess with her knowledge and thoughtful guidance, it was a treat to learn and create a scent with her! the entire shop was magical, from the apothecary style shelves of magical scented oils (including a rolling ladder!) to the warm lights that filter into the store to light up the crystals to the creative ways to integrate oils into your self care. thank you for the experience and we can't wait to come back! read more

Scents by the Bay - personal perfume! - Candle Stores Near Me - Berkeley, California

Let me tell you I absolutely LOVE Scents by the Bay. I have been buying their products for a few years now and I have never been disappointed! The massage oil candles are to die for and the perfume oils are so beautiful. While the products may seem expensive at first glance, the quality is 100% worth it. I bought 2 of the designer oils a little over 2 years ago from their first location and it is the only perfume I ever use. Yes, it's that good and yes, there's still product to this day. They're so good that I went back about 8 months ago to stock up on more! A major bonus is since all of the products are natural ingredients my sensitive skin has NEVER been irritated. I will never switch back to big name brand products ever again. If you want quality products hand made with love this is the spot! read more

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The BEST experience all the way around! I learned so much about perfume and the reasons I like certain scents. I went to the Perfume & Mimosa's event& it did not disappoint. read more

We had a great time at our private, perfume making class. I brought my two adult children as a gift and we all came away with scents we love. The high quality of their oils is very apparent and I'm really glad they're here in Berkeley. The booking process was seamless and they responded so quickly by email, I'm really pleased we were able to get in before Christmas day. Tarah was so knowledgeable, patient, kind, and helpful during our time there. We enjoyed the friendly, festive, and beautiful environment as well. I have been interested in and have loved natural essential oils for decades but I've mostly only had oils that were from brands stocked in health food stores. I've been blending a few scents at home but was wanting more. Now I'm looking forward to going back for a public class to build upon the foundation that Tarah gave us this week. It's fun learning about scent families and trying out different mixes. The vast array of choices had me awe inspired and I can't wait to further my learning in creating balanced blended scents. Meanwhile I am totally loving the mix I chose which contains one of their house blends, Musky Rose, and Amber Liquid Superior. Thanks again for a wonderful time. read more

Scents by the Bay - Candle Stores Near Me - Berkeley, California

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My friend and I came into Scents By The Bay thinking we'd spend maybe 30 minutes creating our own perfumes. We ended up spending two hours smelling the scents, making our own perfume scents, and also made a custom lotion! There were so many amazing smells and we were having too much fun to leave. The ladies helping us were so helpful and patient while we smelled everything. They should have kicked us out for how long we stayed LOL. They have perfumes that are already made if you don't feel like creating your own but that was the funnest part for us. You can put whatever scent you like into a lotion, bubble bath, beard oil, massage oil, hand sanitizer, and a few other fun things. They have a $4 sample vial of whatever scents you want which is SUPER helpful for someone like me who can be picky about sm There are tons of neat gifts too! Crystals, jewelry, candles, body stuff. The prices were all really fair, not super pricey but the quality is great. I found my new favorite thing to do in Berkeley . read more

Scents by the Bay - Custom scented lotion, some sample vials, and a scent for my diffuser! - Candle Stores Near Me - Berkeley, California