Since I am in London this week, the Monday question is: Where do you want to shop for perfume?
What is the best city?
What is your dream destination when it comes to immersing yourself in as much perfume as possible?
My Answer:
It is NOT Copenhagen! 🙂 If Tarleisio is to be believed, and she is of course, Scandinavia is the worst place to go looking for perfume, it seems even New Mexico is better in that respect (that is home to the Posh Peasant after all!)
Paris seems to be the obvious answer, and I want to go there for sure, but despite Maison Guerlain, despite the Salons de Palais Royal Shiseido, despite the entire Champs Elysées, I prefer New York. You find everything in New York, the dollar means a bargain for Europeans (most of the time) and I speak the language. My school French is abysmal and I don’t feel my best if I can’t follow the conversation.
And what about London? I have been many times, and enjoyed it every time, it is only two hours flight away, but the reason it is not at the top spot is simply the exchange rate. The pound is not friendly and everything costs a lot.
I am looking forward to hear about your dream perfume cities!
I will be reporting “live” from my week in the UK, so stay tuned.
Have a great start into your week!
Olfactoria's Travels 
Good question. I think it would be either Paris or Rome. The first I guess makes enough sense, the latter has some very nice tiny boutiques such as Santa Maria Novella… it really carries that authentic Italian atmosphere. The store alone smells amazing. But I have to say that several large European cities are getting more and more niche perfume stores, so it’s not so bad living here.
Enjoy your stay in London! 😉
Rome is certainly interesting, I hope to go there soon. You are right, it is not so bad in many European cities to get interesting perfumes these days.
Completely agree with you! Even Copenhagen is getting better (however always been negative about this city for niche perfumes)! There is a unique parfumerie now called CRIME PASSIONNEL /www.facebook.com/crimepassionnel / that offers range of niche perfumes (Atelier Cologne, Amouage, Naomi Goodsir etc.). If previously we had to travel or buy online, now – its not much to complain about at all! A big step forward to Copenhagen 🙂
That is very good to hear! One more reason to visit this beautiful city soon! 🙂
I’m married to a Franchie and am lucky enough to have the occasional bussiness trip to Paris. As i.e. last week (spent an hour at Montale & sniffed the new Hermes, at the end). I had the first encounter with my beloved L’Artisan in Paris ages ago. My french is non-existent, but I noticed a big change during the recent 3-4 years : SAs in Paris speek English ! So yes, I enjoy Paris – and I have major respect for the tradition !
I was in New York once in my life, for few hours – I guess the town had not enough time to really get in touch wih me. But it made me want to come back and see more.
Germany is trying to catch up : Quartier 206 in Berlin, or the Kaufhaus in Munich – but it’s too “matter of fact”, I so miss the glamour…
I’ve never tried to buy parfum in Scandinavia, I rather go for Georg Jensen when I’m up there in North…
Strangely, I don’t even think of Parfum when I’m in the South – Italy, Spain, Portugal are for shoes and clothing. It might be a mistake though…
I love London. It was love for firs sight. And I especially love to buy cosmetics there – in spite of the exchange rate. Of course my LeLabo comes from there. Not to mention all that O.J. scents, candles, bath oils, etc. So yes, my vote goes for London.
Is that the Oberpollinger? That is very good, I agree, but quite formal as an environment.
Berlin is also very interesting I believe. But the atmosphere is certainly different to France or England.
I would love to shop for perfume in NY but until then, Paris is the place for me. I speak enough French that everyone is nice to me and for some reason most French people I wanted to speak French to, decided they wanted to practice their English on me (and my French isn’t that bad). 🙂
And there are always new perfume shops to be discovered in Paris, I didn’t have the time to visit half of those I wanted.
You are amazing that you speak perfect English and French too. Paris would probably overwhelm me a bit, like Dee says.
Well, you speak perfect English too! 🙂
But not French! 😉
I agree with FearlessBG, for me, it’s Rome. The Pantheon 70 perfumery (funnily enough) opposite the Pantheon was where my love for perfume accelerated just that little bit more. The very attentive Sales Assistant knew exactly what he was talking about and he wasn’t happy until I found the fragrance I was looking for – and not in a hassling kind of way. I’m not even familiar with half the fragrances I seen and smelled that day but I’m sure for anyone else it is an Aladin’s cave of sorts!
Hi, Liam!
Another vote for Rome, I really must visit this beautiful city again soon, with an eye on perfume this time. 😉
Ah do! I visited it when I wasn’t as knowledgeable about perfume however a bottle of Eau de Pierlot changed that-for the better 🙂
Oh, all the lost opportunities when I visited cities pre-perfumania…so I have to go back with a new objective! 😉
I does seem counter-intuitive not to pick Paris but it has to be New York for me too. I haven’t been to NY since perfume mania set in and I’d love to go to all those amazing department stores I hear so much about on the blogs like Bergdorf Goodman, Saks and Barney’s. It does seem to be the city where you can get just about everything (apart from Serge exclusives of course). London isn’t bad at all for perfume shopping though. I recommend going to Fortnum and Mason if you are at a loose end today as I hear they have some quite hard to find brands. Have fun in the sunshine while it lasts!
Yay, New York! 🙂
London is wonderful too, no doubt!
It is a toss up between London and Paris for me. The Guerlain HQ is something else and no concession comes close to the mother ship… But prices are better in London at the moment, plus it is closer! Would love more details of Berlin’s emporia, as I am headed that way shortly.
Vanessa, I would dearly love to visit the mother ship one day!
Sorry, I was too fast – one more : http://www.kadewe.de/en/home
http://www.departmentstore-quartier206.com/dsq206_content.html
Thank you so much for these links – if I get a chance when I am over, I will make a beeline for one or both. Am after a bottle of Piguet Calypso…you are not based in Germany yourself, by any chance?
Vanessa, no I’m based in Vienna (just like our lady in charge Birgit)
Alles klar! Sachertorte! : – )
The Guerlain mothership is a place I really want to visit.
Your job sounds great, so many travel opportunities!
I do feel fortunate, yes, also for the sniffing opportunities that come with that. The day my meetings all have to be conducted on Skype will be a sad one. : – (
I hope that day is far in the future for you!
I won’t be popular with this answer, but I got a little fed up with Paris this, Paris that all the time. NYC indeed has countless options available.
Yet, my dream destination would be someplace exotic where the scents to be explored are yet unchartered by niche brands and mega-producing companies, so the thrill of the discovery beats all other impulses; New Caledonia, Bali, Caucasus region, Prague antiqueries, small alleyways in Toledo with derelict litle shops…that sort of thing 😉
That is a great answer!
Exploring unfound treasures in exotic locales seems very romantic and adventurous.
I think if I had someone along to guide me, I would love New York (I’ve never been perfume shopping on my many previous visits) or Paris, but I think that I would probably just be overwhelmed! I was at Nordstrom yesterday in Portland, and they have hardly anything, yet I sniffed myself into a headache, and forgot to ask for samples of several things that I meant to get! I didn’t leave empty handed, but afterwards I kept thinking, “why didn’t I ask for this or that?”
Must be my sensitive nature 😉
We could guide each other in NYC. But I agree, one must do it slowly and in little chunks. I write this with a mega-headache after a perfume binge today.
We are both sensitive natures, I believe! 😉
Great question!
I haven’t had too much experience with shopping perfume overseas, so I will listen in, while making mental notes, “maybe my New York auntie is going to see some of me after all” 😉 — I live in the West Coast USA and hate traveling to the East Coast, but sounds like NY can be just the pace. Of course, I will have to try San Fran first!
I love San Francisco (aside from all that mountain climbing on every street), but I never explored it perfume-wise. Let us know if you find great stores.
In SF you can shop for perfumes not even within walking – crawling distance. Around the Union Square you can find four department stores (Macy’s for a mainstream selection), Saks, Neiman Marcus and Barney’s (for more HE and niche selection – especially the last one) as well as Chanel and Hermes boutiques, Diptyque store. There is Dior boutique as well but I don’t remember if it carries perfumes.
Five-seven minutes walk from there – Westfield shopping center with two more huge department stores – Nordstrom and Bloomingdale’s.
Oh yes, I remember buying an evening gown at Neiman Marcus on my first day in the US and then carrying it along for four weeks on the road, not a wise move! 😉 I would love to go again sometime…
For me Paris was the Holy Grail. I’ve always been a big Guerlain fan and had a wonderful time in the Champs Elysee store. I speak a little French, but Ines is right most SA’s speak fairly good English and switch to that after the formalities.
NYC intrigues me the most now. I’ve never been there and am so excited to attend Sniffapalooza in a few weeks! It will be a very quick trip and I know I’ll need to go again many times : )
Wow, Sniffapalooza, great for you! I am sure it will be wonderful! 🙂
I’d chose London. I speak the language, haven’t been there in ages, and there’s Penhaligon’s – along with all the other wonderful places you described in your other post today.
I went by Penhaligon’s twice yesterday, it is tiny, but wonderful, like a jewelery box.
you know I don’t think there is one- I might say London on one day because it has some of the edgy scents- but then Paris is Paris- and actually LA has Lucky Scent- but New York and Brooklyn especially have a lot to recommend them- I think the thing is to go to all these places as much as one can!! for one stop satisfaction I never fail to be interested in Liberty’s perfume room
You are right, it is certainly best to get the best of every city. Liberty’s is really great!