Entry No. 46 — the Fort Collins file — filed under: hands-on
EsScentuals
A small, cozy Old Town fragrance shop that has been blending custom scents since 1990, lined with perfume oils, essential oils, and imported bath-and-body lines. Working with the staff at the counter, you can build a one-of-a-kind perfume, lotion, or body oil from their library of scents. It is a refreshingly analog, hands-on alternative to buying off a department-store shelf.
The story
While mass-market beauty counters rely on synthetic spray bottles and aggressive floor reps, EsScentuals has operated out of 142 South College Avenue since 1990 using a far more patient method: amber apothecary bottles, glass droppers, and raw fragrance oils. The shop bypasses corporate gloss in favor of a dense, low-lit space packed with imported soaps, bath elixirs, and row upon row of concentrated essential and perfume oils.
The core draw is the scent counter—a hands-on station where you craft a custom fragrance from scratch. You work one-on-one with staff, sniffing paper test strips dipped in individual notes ranging from crisp citrus and bright florals to resinous woods and heavy ambers. Once you hit the exact combination you want, they mix it live into perfume oil, body lotion, shower gel, or massage oil, and write down your recipe card so you can reorder your specific blend years down the line.
What it's like
Step off College Avenue into an air-heavy room smelling of cedar, sweet resin, and lavender. Because custom blending is a dedicated, one-on-one counter service, a busy weekend afternoon means waiting while the person ahead of you deliberates over twenty variations of patchouli and bergamot. Go on a quiet weekday afternoon for uninterrupted access to the droppers, take your time smelling between test strips, and ask the counter staff to tweak ratios if a base note starts overwhelming your mix.
The move: Sit at the scent counter and blend each other a custom signature perfume from their oils.
📍 Before you go Closed Mondays; custom-blending is a staff-guided counter service, so go when it is not slammed and consider calling ahead for the full blending experience.
- 📍 Old Town Fort Collins
- 💸 $$
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: 142 S College Ave, Fort Collins, CO 80524
Hours: Added 2026-06-23 — confirm current hours before you go.
⚠ Seasonal or scheduled — always check before you go.
Pair it with
- Social Underground Cocktail Bar — Follow up a custom fragrance counter session with craft drinks hidden in a basement behind a grandfather clock a block away.
- Pinball Jones — Contrast the quiet sensory work of nose-guided scent blending with the loud, tactile noise of 38 pinball machines down in an Old Town cellar.
- Wolverine Farm Letterpress & Publick House — Keep the analog craft afternoon going by walking four blocks north to browse local press prints over beer or coffee.
- burn. Candle Bar — Double down on custom scent work by heading a block over to pour your own fragrance-blended soy wax candle.
Good to know
How does custom scent blending work at EsScentuals?
You work directly with a staff member at the fragrance counter, testing individual essential and perfume oils on paper strips. Once you pick your ratios, they blend your formula into perfume oil, lotion, shower gel, or massage oil right in front of you.
Do I need to make an appointment to blend a scent?
No appointments are necessary, but blending is handled one-on-one. On busy weekend afternoons you may experience a wait, so visiting on a weekday or calling ahead is recommended.
Can I reorder my custom fragrance later?
Yes. The store keeps your custom scent formula on file, allowing you to reorder your specific blend in person or over the phone whenever you run out.
What days are they open?
EsScentuals is closed on Mondays, so plan your visit for Tuesday through Sunday.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: downtownfortcollins.com · scentsnob.com · Yelp · bbb.org
last checked: 2026-06-23