I am so tired!
In perfect, untypically bright and sunny weather my friend, who lives in London and I went about sniffing to our hearts content today.
We started out at Les Senteurs at Elizabeth Street in Belgravia. I knew the online store they run and in my imagination Les Sentuers was a huge place full of perfume. They have a lot of fragrances, but huge it is not by any standards. I also was rather surprised to see that they do not carry as many lines as Le Parfum in Vienna.
The SA’s are very friendly, relaxed and let us spray as much as we liked and willingly made samples to take home.
A lovely experience.
After lunch we went on to the Amouage flagship store in Lowndes Street. Such a beautiful venue, elegant and lavishly decorated, as befits the brands aesthetic. I sniffed the new Opus V, as well as Opus IV, which I had not tested before either. Sadly they were out of samples, so I hope to get some at Harrods tomorrow.
On we went to Ormonde Jayne. More about my lovely experience there with the friendly and knowledgeable store manager Natalie (including pictures) is upcoming in the next days.
Finally we went to Selfridges. I bought a bottle of Mitzah from an astounded French SA, who couldn’t believe I already knew the perfume and obtained a sample from somewhere else than Paris, the unholy US no less (his expression suggested that thought).
The beauty and fragrance hall is huge and a bit overwhelming. Also I find it a bit disconcerting to see Serge Lutens bottles standing next to Marc Jacobs Daisy Eau so Fresh. Apart from that sacrilege, there are certainly treasures to be found there. No Amouage Opus V sample though, sadly.
What looked great where the displays of Tom Ford Neroli Portofino in its new summer, turquoise dress with matching body products. I like the scent, but it is overpriced for something so straightforward. There are many Neroli scents far cheaper than this, even if it looks pretty, I am not seduced (this time).
Finally, with a headache as big as Mount Everest, I headed home for a hot bath, paracetamol and my iPad, which brings us up to the moment.
Tonight we are going to an exclusive, members only club, courtesy of my husbands best man, who obviously did well for himself in London.
SotE will be Frapin 1697.
See you tomorrow! 🙂
Olfactoria's Travels 
Love it! What a wonderful time you must be having, and I am so happy for you to have a bottle of Mitzah! I’m thinking that in the Fall, I may take the plunge and get a bottle of it too (we’ll see how long my remaining decant lasts).
Have a wonderful time at the club! Can’t wait to hear more about OJ…
My Mithzah bottle is so beautiful! It comes in a cylindrical, white box, so elegant.
You should have seen the enormous vats that are the 400ml bottles, who needs so much perfume??????
The club was perfect, 90ies revival, we felt 20 again! 😉
Big city shopping is hard work – no wonder you were beat when you got back to your hotel – I look forward to your post from Ormonde Jayne 🙂
It is hard work indeed! 😉
Wow, you really made the most of your first day! You covered a lot of scented ground so I can understand why you have a headache (though it sounds like it was worth it). Many congrats on the Mitzah, it must have been a real buzz to finally be allowed to break your embargo. As for the SA at Dior – honestly!
Sounds like the OJ experience lived up to expectations, looking forward to the full report.
Harrods tomorrow!!!
It really was a super-headache, only now it relents a little, but I am not complaining.;)
God, I feel like I was there with you. I can just imagine the fun you had and are probably having right this minute too. 🙂
I’m certain the Frapin is a perfect choice even though I still don’t know what it smells like.
I need to send you a little of the Frapin, it is so gorgeous!
I was even dancing at the club, it has been awhile! 😉
“Regular service will resume once I am back.”
I’d say we are getting a pretty good/regular service while you are away! I am not sure I could handle the cracking pace you are setting – one or two at most of your sniffing destinations and I would be pleasantly beat and needing to go and lie down …..and stay down, not get back up to go clubbing… : – ) But with having kids you are doubtless used to being on the go the whole time and packing a lot in in the cracks between childcare!
It only looks busy, believe me, I am a very sedate and lazy person, except when it comes to perfume, then I get going! 😉
But you are right it is probably the cracking pace my four-year old sets, that defines what is fast and what is slow, I always end up being too slow! 😉
Now you understand why I love to shop in London …?
Sure do!
You mentioned your class was postponed for Tuesday – is it something scent-related, or other (less important 😉 education ?
It was actually scent-related, more about that soon. 😉