I Crafted My Very Own Scent at Macy's Holiday Square, and I'm Obsessed

I've always loved the holidays because of the way it smells like cinnamon and pine needles.

That's why I was so excited to check out Macy's Holiday Square at the 34th St. Herald Square location, right in the heart of Manhattan. Tucked away on the lower level of the department store, Macy's Holiday Square features a curated selection of local vendors, customizable gifts, and pop-up shops - including The Editor's Outpost, a collaboration with Eater, The Cut, and yours truly, Popsugar, throughout December.

I was there on Dec. 18 to check out the Perfume Lab, a guided fragrance pop-up that felt like a hidden beauty experience waiting to be discovered. With the help of the Perfume Lab's associates, shoppers were invited to choose premium base and top notes to create a custom perfume, cologne, or room spray for themselves or as a thoughtful, personalized gift.

With the help of on-site assistants, each shopper received a fragrance card to track their selections. It included a selection between five base notes (the base notes were pre-filled and on display), as well as a choice of three top notes from a total of 15. After that, shoppers were able to hand over their cards to an associate who actually crafted their one-of-a-kind fragrances.

I opted for the Sophisticated Sensual base and chose three top notes - dubbed "peaceful," "confident," and "seductive" - and watched my fragrance come to life in real-time. As someone who loves perfume and has always wanted to take a perfume-making class, this felt like the perfect introduction. It was approachable, creative, and surprisingly intimate - and best of all, completely free. I got to walk away with a very cute, branded bottle of perfume that felt like a perfect encapsulation of me. It was a little gift for myself, and smelled just as sweet as the holidays.