Posted on GoogleTrustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. We came as a couple for Maryam’s perfume workshop and had such an amazing experience! Maryam is incredibly knowledgeable and knows everything about perfumes, scents, and the process of creating them. She explains everything so clearly and makes the whole experience fun, interesting, and personal. The lab itself is beautiful and impressive, and we loved getting to experiment with different scents and create our own perfume. The final perfume came out amazing and feels very high quality something we’ll actually be excited to wear! Highly recommend this experience, especially for couples looking for something unique and memorable to do. Thank you, MaryamPosted on GoogleTrustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. It was truly a pleasure attending the class with Maryam! She made the entire experience fun and engaging, the time flew by and it was the highlight of my day. There are so many options for workshops, also the quality of the product is fantastic. Definitely a great idea to go with a group of friends!Posted on GoogleTrustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. I found this business online because I wanted to do something special for my birthday, and it went way past my expectations. The experience was so personalized and felt so special. I got to be hands-on for every step of making my lip balm, and I got to make my own special color as well. Since it was also in a lab, I felt like I was a scientist. I am pretty sure there are no other places in the Bay Area that offer such an intimate and personalized experience for making a lip balm, so this is definitely the place to go. Perfect gift for a girlfriend or significant other who loves beauty products! You can also make skincare and select makeup products!Posted on GoogleTrustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. We went to Stirbar lab for a friends birthday and it was something everyone enjoyed including the boyfriends in our group! It was so fun to see how everything gets built from scratch and it was also a relief to know all the ingredients were sourced naturally. Maryam was a really a great teacher and we learned a lot. The products we ended up with were exactly what we wanted and they wear well! We’ll be back to make other products since each product has a different experience!Posted on GoogleTrustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Maryam is so talented and such a great educator.Thank you, Maryam, for inspiring all of us and sharing your deep knowledge of science and botanicals. It was truly a joy spending the afternoon creating a custom scent with my daughters at your workshop.Posted on GoogleTrustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. I had the most amazing experience at Stirbar lab today! My best friend treated me to a beauty workshop here for my birthday, and it was truly the perfect gift. I got to make custom, natural tints from scratch using organic ingredients. The owner, Maryam, is absolutely wonderful. She is so patient and knowledgeable, guiding us through every step of the process. I loved being able to fully customize my own shade and scent, and the end product is perfect. Any other lip products I use makes my lips so dry but this tint is different! It makes my lips hydrated and feels very light. It is amazing to create clean makeup that you actually love to use. I highly recommend this workshop for a unique birthday gift, a fun day out with friends, or anyone looking to switch to high quality, organic cosmetics.Posted on GoogleTrustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. What an incredible experience! My friend and I attended the lipstick workshop at Stirbar Lab and had an absolute blast. Creating our own custom lipstick colors from scratch was so much more fun! Learning the entire process from selecting natural pigments to blending ingredients and creating the final product was such a unique hands on experience. It felt like stepping into the world of cosmetic formulation for a day. Maryam was amazing. She is incredibly knowledgeable, engaging, and genuinely fun to learn from. She made the science approachable and the creative process exciting while giving us the freedom to create shades that felt uniquely ours. I loved learning about every ingredient and how each decision impacted the final lipstick. We even distilled our own lavender rose oil. I have done a lot of workshops over the years and this was easily one of the most unique and memorable. Everything was all natural, and seeing the journey from pigment to finished lipstick gave me a whole new appreciation for what goes into creating beauty products. I left with a lipstick I absolutely love, wonderful memories with a friend, and a much deeper understanding of the art and science behind formulation. If you’re looking for a creative, educational, and truly one of a kind experience, I highly recommend Stirbar Lab.Posted on GoogleTrustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Finally, a truly unique and original place! I had such an amazing time here! I decided to join a workshop by myself, and it turned out to be one of the best experiences I've had in a long time. Maryam was absolutely wonderful, knowledgeable, patient, and passionate about what she does. She explained every step of the process in detail and shared so much information about the natural ingredients we were using. I loved being able to create my own product from start to finish and customize it exactly the way I wanted. Even though I went alone, I immediately felt welcomed and comfortable. The atmosphere was warm, fun, and inspiring, and the whole experience was both educational and relaxing. I left with a product I truly love and use everyday! I would highly recommend any of Maryam' s workshops to anyone looking for a unique, hands-on experience. Hey Maryam, I'll be back soon! I need another product... this time, makeup! 😉Posted on GoogleTrustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. My daughter and her friend attended a lip balm-making session at Stir Lab in San Jose. I highly recommend this place and hope it continues to grow and expand. Stir Lab does an amazing job of making science fun, creative, and applicable for young girls. It was exciting to watch the girls engage in hands-on science and see their confidence grow as they created something themselves. They loved being able to customize their own lip balms and take home a product they were proud of. The entire experience was enjoyable for both the girls and the moms. Programs like this provide the kind of inspiration and encouragement that young girls need to see themselves as future scientists, creators, and innovators. We can't wait to come back!Posted on GoogleTrustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. This was amazing! All the ingredients are real and safe, and you even get to grind jojoba beans and extract the oil. I made a cheek and lip tint in under an hour, and the color is PERFECT! She has several samples to test the color as a starting point, and you can customize from there. Ie: I want it a little more brown (add iron oxide brown) maybe a little more red (add iron oxide red) more opaque (add...) and test it on your hand until you love it. Perfect to take a friend or gift. I won't be buying makeup at the store anymore, because these ingredients are better and the color is EXACTLY what you want it to be (assuming that color can be attained without dyes)
Posted on YelpVerified We went to Stirbar lab for a friends birthday and it was something everyone enjoyed including the boyfriends in our group! It was so fun to see how everything gets built from scratch and it was also a relief to know all the ingredients were sourced naturally. Maryam was a really a great teacher and we learned a lot. The products we ended up with were exactly what we wanted and they wear well!Posted on YelpVerified We had an excellent time here!!! My friends and I came here to make lip balms on my birthday and we all had an incredible experience! Maryam is a wonderful instructor and explained thoroughly about all the ingredients that were going into the lip balms. All ingredients were natural, and we got to extract them ourselves! It was fun customizing the lip balms from start to finish (even the colors were made by us). I'm still using my lip balm today and it is incredibly moisturizing! Hoping to come back again with a bigger group in the future to make fragrance bars. Would highly recommend coming here for any of the workshops!Posted on YelpVerified I went to Stirbar Lab in Mountain View with a friend and honestly didn't know what to expect--which ended up making the experience even better. This isn't one of those "mix a few pre-made scents and call it custom" workshops. You're in an actual lab environment, wearing a lab coat, and really diving into the science of ingredients, texture, and pigment. The space itself is super clean, bright, and modern, which immediately makes you feel like a pro. We made a lip and cheek tint, and the whole process felt so thoughtful and surprisingly empowering. The founder, Maryam Mardkhe, guided us through everything and made the chemistry feel accessible and exciting--you can tell this place is built on real expertise, not just marketing fluff. What I loved most is that you don't just leave with a product; you leave actually understanding why it works and what's in it. It feels personal in a way that beauty retail almost never does. If you're into clean beauty or just want an experience that feels intentional and well-designed, Stirbar Lab is something special. Highly recommend!Posted on YelpVerified So fun. I highly recommend going with girlfriends or daughters. We got to make lip/cheek color and body bar. We extracted scents and oils, mixed oils and colors. It was super interesting and fun. The end products are amazing.Posted on YelpVerified I visited Stirbar to make my own lip balm and lotion. The process was so much fun and educational. I saw exactly what was going to be used in my product and I went home with it the same day. You also get to choose your own natural plant based ingredients and customize your product, including the color using natural color powders. The aroma was amazing and lasting, it still smells great after months of using it. The customer service was wonderful as well , very friendly staff and overall great experience. Next time I am going to make more and different products so I can use them for longer.Posted on YelpVerified Stirbar Lab was a fun, memorable and unique experience with my friends. We learned so much from a scientific perspective while enjoying every moment as a bonding activity. Our natural ingredient lipstick results were beautiful, personalized, and felt very nourishing on our lips. Highly recommend that everyone try this innovative experience with your friends or family! Amazing!!Posted on YelpVerified I had the absolute best time at Stirbar Lab with my daughter creating our very own personalized lip balms! This hands-on experience was the perfect Mother's Day gift -- thoughtful, creative, and so much fun from start to finish. From the moment we stepped into the lab, everything was organized and engaging. We worked with high-quality, organic ingredients, and the process was equal parts educational and exciting. With so many young teens interested in makeup these days, it was refreshing to introduce my daughter to the science behind the beauty -- and to show her how you can craft amazing products using ingredients that could come straight from your own backyard! It's such a meaningful way to bond, learn, and leave with something you've made together. I can't recommend this experience enough -- and I definitely can't wait to go back!Posted on YelpVerified We had such a great time at Stirbar Labs! My sister and I brought her 12- and 14-year-old daughters and got to make our own custom lotions and lip balms (highly recommend the lip balm--especially since you can personalize the scent and color!). What really made this experience special was learning the science behind the ingredients and using professional lab equipment--it felt like a real STEM workshop meets spa day. The girls got to distill their own essential oils, understand the purpose of each ingredient, and walk away with products they were genuinely proud of making. Maryam Mardkhe, the founder, is amazing--so knowledgeable, patient, and great at explaining complex chemistry in a fun, hands-on way. Her background as a PhD formulation scientist really shows, and she clearly cares about both sustainability and the science behind beauty. This would be perfect for any girls interested in STEM, but honestly, I'd recommend it for everyone--from a fun date night or mother-daughter outing to birthday parties or even a unique bridal party experience. Such a thoughtful and empowering place--we'll definitely be back!Posted on YelpVerified This was an amazing experience, creating make up with natural ingredients with the aroma that I pick. Loved it. I would go back and take my friends.Posted on YelpVerified Stirbar Lab is a one-of-a-kind business combining the joy of DIY cosmetics with an educational dive into how products are made from scratch using all natural and sustainably sourced ingredients! I made a custom lipstick from scratch and sincerely enjoyed learning about the composition of a high-quality natural lip color that is also environmentally friendly. The product itself is amazing, and the owner was extremely friendly, knowledgeable and encouraging. Once you try Stirbar, it will be hard to go back to commercial products! I highly recommend this experience for anyone craving a unique and informative experience. I would recommend this company for parties, gift making, and everyday use! 10/10 experience that you cannot get anywhere else.
This experience is truly unique and time well spent. I watched and performed the actual extraction of the ingredients, all natural, to use in my own products. I was even able to choose the color and watch it all come to life like magic. The end result was a product that smelled so wonderful and felt so amazing on my skin. So much better than the chemical products we buy not knowing what’s inside them even if they say they are organic. The products last a long time as well. The lip stain can be used for cheek stain too, and I love it.
- Leila, Santa Clara
This was such a fun experience! It reminded me of college chemistry lab but was even better because we were making cosmetics. I love that I got to take my creation home too. 10/10 would recommend this to anyone who loves science and natural makeup!
- Kelly, Sunnyvale
There’s something magical about creating your own skincare with fresh, organic plants at Stirbar Lab. I got to cut the plant and extract the ingredients myself. Knowing my products are as natural as they come makes this experience priceless.
- MJ, Martinez
Truly unique experience! I created my own skincare products using natural ingredients. The hands-on process is like being a chef for your skin! Knowing that every product is free of harmful chemicals and made with locally sourced, organic materials gives me complete peace of mind.
- Ali, San Jose