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post #1 of 74
3/4/06 at 8:24am
Thread Starter 
Scent Bar
7405 Beverly Blvd (at Martel)
Los Angeles CA 90036
323 782 8300 \t \t
Hours Mon-Sat 11-7 Sun 12-5
Bring quarters for the meters and read the parking signs carefully!

Barneys Beverly Hills
9570 Wilshire Boulevard
Beverly Hills, CA 90212 (at Camden Drive)
310-276-4400 See Anthony or Angela at the perfume counter there and stop by the Saks that is practically next door. There's a NM really close too. Free 2hr parking in the back

Beverly Hills Perfumery
264 North Beverly Drive
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
Phone 310.888.8807 If Alan is there, mention you are a member of Basenotes and MUA ~ he’ll take excellent care of you.

Christian Dior
309 N Rodeo Dr
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
(310) 859-4700

Dior Homme
315 N Rodeo Dr
Beverly Hills, CA
(310) 247-8003

Prada
343 North Rodeo Drive
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
(310) 278-8661


Fred Segal
500 Broadway
Santa Monica , CA
310 458-8100
http://www.studiobeautymix.com/Catal...Code=0^Catalog
or
Fred Segal
Apothia
8118 Melrose, LA
323 655 3734
www.apothia.com/
These two Fred Segal stores are each quite different and warrant a visit to both. Actually Fred Segal is like a giant indoor swap meet for people who like high end goodies. Studio Beautymix and Apothia are stores inside Fred Segal that sell fragrances, cosmetics, candles, etc. There are tons of other stores in there too if you want to get clothes, hats, glasses, jewelry, purses or whatever.

Strange Invisible Perfume
1138 Abbot Kinney Road
Venice, CA 90291
800 919-7472
http://www.siperfumes.com/
There's several stores that have niche scents along Abbott Kinney.

LUSH
1404 Third Street Promenade
Santa Monica, CA
(310) 255-003

Sage Machado
7377 ½ Beverly Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90036 877 698 SAGE
http://www.sagejewelry.com/
This is upstairs and they are open by appointment only. Sage Machado makes jewelry, fragrances and candles and also sells clothing and shoes. Her store is near Scent Bar.

Santa Maria Novella
8411 Melrose Place
Los Angeles, CA 90069
(323) 651-3754
http://www.lafcony.com/

Le Labo
1138 1/2 Abbot Kinney
Venice, CA 90291
(this is the second Le Labo boutique to open in LA - and it's right next to Strange Invisible Perfumes)

Le Labo
8385 W 3rd St
Los Angeles, CA 90048
(323) 782-0411
www.lelabofragrances.com


Planet Blue
23410 Civic Center Way #E6
Malibu CA 90265
310.317.8566

Planet Blue – Venice
2940 Main Street
Santa Monica, CA 90405
310.396.110

Beauty Bar
158 South Beverly Drive
Beverly Hills, CA 90212

Kitson LA
115 South Robertson
Los Angeles, CA 90048

Kitson Santa Monica
395 Santa Monica Place Suite #120
Santa Monica, CA 90401
310-260-9170

KitsonMalibu
3939 Cross Creek Road C-110
Malibu, CA
310-317-1421

Beauty Collection Apothecary
110 S. Fairfax Ave., LA 90036
323.930.0300

Madison
8646 Melrose Avenue
Los Angeles, CA
across the street from Fred Segal


Palmetto Los Angeles
8321 West 3rd Street
Los Angeles, CA 90048
(323) 653-2470

Beauty Habit
2991 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd.
Thousand Oaks, CA
805.496.1011
http://www.beautyhabit.com/

Free City Superstore
3868 Cross Creek Road
Malibu, CA
310.456.5651
This is mostly a clothing store but they have a very interesting fragrance line there by a local perfumer named Haley called L'Oeil du Vert. The price is a bit steep but if you're in the neighborhood, check them out. The fragrance oils didn't last very long, possibly because it's all organic, but the body oils last all day. The scents are called Ume, Xochil, Ray and Sparrow.

Blunda Aromatics
304 So. Edinburgh Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90048
(323) 658-7507
http://blundalosangeles.com/

Perfumes West
2099 Westwood Blvd.
Los Angeles , CA 90025
310-470-8556

Parfums Raffy
15053 Ventura Blvd. Suite 103
Sherman Oaks, CA 91403

Larchmont Beauty Center
208 N. Larchmont Blvd.
Los Angeles CA 90004
323.461.0162
http://larchmontbeauty.com/

Perfume Corner
Burbank Town Center
201 East Magnolia
Burbank, California 91502

Perfume Station
9 W. Main St
Alhambra, CA
Creeds, hard-to-find stuff
(626) 576-1240

Perfumes West
2099 Westwood Blvd.
Los Angeles , CA 90025
310-470-8556

Melange Apothecary
13632 Ventura Boulevard
Sherman Oaks Ca
Phone- (818) 385-0495
http://www.melangeapothecary.com/

Temptress
El Segundo Plaza
730-D Allied Way
El Segundo, California
(310) 647-3467

The Gendarmerie
9069 Nemo St
West Hollywood, CA 90069
(310) 858-9009
http://www.thegendarmerie.com/

Elise Perfume
121 W Wilson Ave
Glendale, CA 91203
(818) 502-5070

Perfumes of France
218 E Broadway
Glendale, CA 91205
(818) 956-5575

Arsenio Perfume
1105 S Glendale Ave Ste A
Glendale, CA 91205
(818) 241-2818

Le Pink
3820 W Sunset Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90026
(323) 661-7465
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post #2 of 74
3/6/06 at 6:50pm
Scent Bar
8327 Beverly Blvd (just East of Flores)
Los Angeles CA 90048
323 782 8300

This is the brick-and-mortar store for luckyscent.com. Very nice people, very into what they do. (no, I don't work for them)
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post #3 of 74
4/4/06 at 2:43am
Great list, Â*socalwoman!

One addition: Santee Alley! Â*The place is a madhouse; a kind of 'Tijuana West' on Downtown LA, Â*but worth it for finding discontinued frags. Scored Havana and Nicole Miller for Men. Â* Check it out at Â*

http://fashiondistrict.org/page.aspx?id=134

and under 'product' select perfume/ colognes. Â*I'ts only a partial list.

Also, Â*if ever you find yourself in Alhambra:

Perfume Station
9 W. Main St
(626) 576-1240

Call first, as it's a mom and pop store and they don't update their website often. Â* Took them 3 months to list Creed's Tubereuse Indiana s a female, Â*rather than male frag. (Actually they have it as both now)
Bonus: Great Cuban-Nouvelle resturant Â*two blocks across the street.


Quote:
Originally Posted by tmp

Scent Bar
8327 Beverly Blvd (just East of Flores)
Los Angeles CA 90048
323 782 8300

This is the brick-and-mortar store for luckyscent.com. Â*Very nice people, very into what they do. Â*(no, I don't work for them)

Nor do I, Â*but last time I went they were out of a frag they said they had, and, by way of compensation gave me about 20 Â*free samples. Â* This was at the La Brea location, Â*listed by socalwoman, Â*not Beverly Blvd.
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post #4 of 74
7/2/06 at 8:45pm
i believe that Santa Maria Novello is on Melrose Place, not Melrose Avenue. Melrose Place branches north off from Melrose Ave just west of Orlando and runs to LaCienega.
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post #5 of 74
7/3/06 at 6:42am
Quote:
Originally Posted by tmp00

i believe that Santa Maria Novello is on Melrose Place, not Melrose Avenue. Melrose Place branches north off from Melrose Ave just west of Orlando and runs to LaCienega.

You are correct. It's where they have the "Farmer's" Market on Sunday mornings.
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post #6 of 74
8/4/06 at 1:25am
I'm towards the end of my stay here in LA. Wanted to post about my visits so far. I was very disappointed in the fashion district. I would estimate that over 90% of the prices there were more expensive than the online discount sites. I did find a 1.7 Oz bottle of Havana for $45, but I really don't believe it is authentic. Came in a generic box. I only found it in stock at one place in Santee Alley. They also had a few CDG, but each for at or near retail.

I visited the Scent Bar, and found the sales girl very nice, and she told me the La Brea location is just an office, no fragrances there. I wanted to buy CDG Tar, but she said the synthetic series is available online only.

I was also at Perfumes West in Westwood anxious to look for the $20 Cuiron that someone posted about a few weeks ago, but it was now listed as $30.

I went to SMN on Melrose Place, and the sales girl was also very nice. Got a bottle of Nostalgia. No discount here but I really wasn't looking for one at this place.

All in all, I was really looking for some better deals, especially at the fashion district. I had a list of about 15 that I was counting on buying if they were at or a little less than discount online prices, but didn't find more than 2 from the list that fit the description. Also, in the fashion district 100% of the owners or workers had a pretty bad attitude, not a demeanor I would expect to sell fragrances with. I also inspected a few bottles of Creed just because of all the recent talk of fake Creeds lately. I am not an expert but if my life depended on it, I would say these were either not authentic, or very very old. They were pretty much all 85-105 for the 4 Oz bottles, and again, I have seen and bought them for less online. I'm not trying to make anyone who has posted about the fashion district look bad or not truthful. It is very possible that they have jacked up all the prices for the summer, who knows? But I was not impressed at all with what I found. And they were also not open to negotiation as I tried to get the owner of the place that I was already spending over $100 to drop the price of GIT from 85 to 70. What he did then was pull out a sheet showing the Neiman Marcus price for GIT at 170. He seemed to have it very ready when I asked about the price, so I'm guessing he shows that to everyone.
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post #7 of 74
8/4/06 at 9:55am
Quote:
Originally Posted by markc

All in all, I was really looking for some better deals, especially at the fashion district. I had a list of about 15 that I was counting on buying if they were at or a little less than discount online prices, but didn't find more than 2 from the list that fit the description. Also, in the fashion district 100% of the owners or workers had a pretty bad attitude, not a demeanor I would expect to sell fragrances with. I also inspected a few bottles of Creed just because of all the recent talk of fake Creeds lately. I am not an expert but if my life depended on it, I would say these were either not authentic, or very very old. They were pretty much all 85-105 for the 4 Oz bottles, and again, I have seen and bought them for less online. I'm not trying to make anyone who has posted about the fashion district look bad or not truthful. It is very possible that they have jacked up all the prices for the summer, who knows? But I was not impressed at all with what I found. And they were also not open to negotiation as I tried to get the owner of the place that I was already spending over $100 to drop the price of GIT from 85 to 70. What he did then was pull out a sheet showing the Neiman Marcus price for GIT at 170. He seemed to have it very ready when I asked about the price, so I'm guessing he shows that to everyone.

In defense of the Garment District:

It all depends on where you go in the Garment District. ("Garment District" is the old term for "Fashion District," before the City Council et al decided to clean the name up for tourists.) If you went to, say, Perfumes Bonita in Santee Alley, no, there's no haggling. It's the price they quote, and that's that. If you like the price, great. If not, keep walking. But there are dozens of shops, so feel free to comparison shop. One should almost never take the first price one gets. There are two kinds of shops in the Garment District. One is the kind that does the bulk of its business is retail; this sounds like the shop you visited. The other, which is harder to find and virtually indistinguishable on first glance from the purely retail operations, do the bulk of their sales from wholesale. These stores will almost always give one a better deal. A general rule of thumb: These stores will accept cash only, and they won't charge you tax. These are the stores that will start to haggle if they see a sale slipping away - but they may only do so if you are a repeat customer (like me).

Yes, prices have gone up in recent years. But the deals can still be incredible if you know where and how to look. Just a couple of weeks ago, for example, I scored a brand new, in-box, 125 mL Mugler Cologne for $32. But navigating the Garment District takes patience and experience. And while I have never bought Creed down there, I can attest that everything I and my friends have gotten in the Garment District - brands including Mugler, Lang, Dior, YSL, Rochas, Hermès, even Etro - has been 100% authentic.

As for the attitudes, I have a regular seller who knows me by name and gives me a great deal. The volume of people coming in is tremendous. This isn't Rodeo Drive; the sales staff is low-paid and deals with hundreds, sometimes thousands of people and does work on commission. But the staff in certain stores know me by name and are always very friendly to me and give me great deals.

I'm sorry your excursion went poorly, but, like a lot of the grottier L.A. experiences, perfume shopping in the Garment District really is best done with a seasoned Alley veteran on hand. Even my fellow Angelenos never go down there for the first time without having me lead them in.

For me, perfume shopping in L.A.'s Garment District is one of the true treasures of my home city.
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post #8 of 74
8/4/06 at 6:22pm
I think it would be helpful to mention specific stores in the downtown area.

BTW, I visited both Fred Segal locations. They are completely different stores. Fred Segal sold the Hollywood store some time ago. It retains the name and the logo, but completely different ownership and management. And when it comes to fragrances, the Apothia at Fred Segal Hollywood is very different from the fragrance department at Fred Segal Santa Monica.
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post #9 of 74
8/4/06 at 8:02pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Andrew_B.

I think it would be helpful to mention specific stores in the downtown area.

Well, not really. The names are hard to find on the stores, and, even if you do see them, they're all pretty generic. "Perfumes Bonita." "Perfume Outlet." "Scent-sation." (Or is it "Scent-station"? I never remember.) And there are scads more. I remember them more by sight and special attribute ("the one with the giant factices and high prices," "the very clean one that has Comme des Garçons," "the little corner one past 12th that has Cuiron") than actual name. No one really knows these Garment District stores by name. Except for Michael Levine, the giant fabric store.

Quote:
BTW, I visited both Fred Segal locations. They are completely different stores. Fred Segal sold the Hollywood store some time ago.

I read in a recent article that it didn't have anything to do with a sale. (**cough** Expensive L.A. divorce. **cough**)
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post #10 of 74
8/7/06 at 7:32pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Serpent

I read in a recent article that it didn't have anything to do with a sale. (**cough** Expensive L.A. divorce. **cough**)

Ah. Okay, thanks for the clarification. This actually fits the results better than the other version.

BTW, I happened to bump into the West Coast rep for l'Artisan Parfumeur. He told me l'Artisan Parfumeur is planning to open a store in Los Angeles this year. When I asked why they would do this in light of other stores already selling their products, he said that having their own store will assure that the complete line is available. And now they better open that store, or I will look bad.
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post #11 of 74
8/7/06 at 10:00pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Andrew_B.

BTW, I happened to bump into the West Coast rep for l'Artisan Parfumeur. He told me l'Artisan Parfumeur is planning to open a store in Los Angeles this year.

Uh huh. Seeing as how my affection for L'Artisan lies somewhere between cancer and car crashes, this may be the one thing to precipitate that move from L.A. my family keeps advising me to make. More likely is it's one more piece of local real estate I'll avoid like the plague, much like Compton. Or Kitson.

Of course, that boutique Frédéric Malle is rumored to open in L.A. will wipe away fragrant sins L'Artisan will impinge upon the Southland...
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post #12 of 74
8/8/06 at 9:43pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Serpent

Uh huh. Seeing as how my affection for L'Artisan lies somewhere between cancer and car crashes, this may be the one thing to precipitate that move from L.A. my family keeps advising me to make. More likely is it's one more piece of local real estate I'll avoid like the plague, much like Compton. Or Kitson.

Of course, that boutique Frédéric Malle is rumored to open in L.A. will wipe away fragrant sins L'Artisan will impinge upon the Southland...

The way Barney's New York here in Beverly Hills is marketing Frederic Malle, he should open one. It's a far cry from any of his Paris boutiques. It's sad when I saw Frederic Malle is in a corner hidden from the main fragrance counters. Horrible feng shui.
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post #13 of 74
12/5/06 at 2:05pm
Larchmont Beauty Center
208 N. Larchmont Blvd.
Los Angeles CA 90004
323.461.0162
http://larchmontbeauty.com/
Larchmont Beauty Center carries fragrances that are not generally found elsewhere. IOW, not the designer brands found in department stores, and not the brands found in places like Barneys/Fred Segal/etc. Whether their fragrances are good is for you to decide. I am not familiar with any of the brands there, except Demeter.

Perfume Corner
Burbank Town Center
201 East Magnolia
Burbank, California 91502
Perfume Corner carries a lot of minis.
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post #14 of 74
12/23/06 at 11:48am
Quote:
Originally Posted by aubrgene

The way Barney's New York here in Beverly Hills is marketing Frederic Malle, he should open one. It's a far cry from any of his Paris boutiques. It's sad when I saw Frederic Malle is in a corner hidden from the main fragrance counters. Horrible feng shui.

FYI, for some time now the Barneys in Bev Hills has had a special FM section right up front at the entrance to the perfume dept, including two of those "pods" you're supposed to stick your head in (never seen anyone actually use them) and a large stainless-steel refrigerator keeping their frags nice and cool.
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post #15 of 74
12/23/06 at 12:06pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by jakelosangeles

FYI, for some time now the Barneys in Bev Hills has had a special FM section right up front at the entrance to the perfume dept, including two of those "pods" you're supposed to stick your head in (never seen anyone actually use them) and a large stainless-steel refrigerator keeping their frags nice and cool.

Really? I was at the Barney's in Beverly Hills a couple of weeks ago and didn't see the "pods". That would have been cool to check out. The Frederic Malle counter was right next to the L'Artisan counter. I should have looked around a little more instead of going right to the Serge Lutens!
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post #16 of 74
1/21/07 at 2:05pm
santa monica place...(whats left of it)

Perfumeria International
237 Santa Monica Place

877.778.7728
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post #17 of 74
1/25/07 at 10:29pm
the retail store connected with perfumesraffy.com is in sherman oaks and it's really a great little "duty free" style dive with great deals and lots of stuff and the only amouage dealer in la and the prices for amouage are lower than they are at perfumesraffy.com the woman who runs it is great too. a well worth it trip off the beaten path! also they sell lots of samples for $1 each. I quite enjoyed my visit and while I Was there to sample Amouage, I left with one of those cuba paris cigar $5 deals and a fistful of samples like Helmut Lang EDT.
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post #18 of 74
4/20/07 at 2:00pm
Is there nothing in the San Gabriel Valley or northern OC? I live near Whittier. [Other than Sephora & Nordstrom at Brea Mall.]
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post #19 of 74
8/8/07 at 2:09pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by supermarky View Post

the retail store connected with perfumesraffy.com is in sherman oaks and it's really a great little "duty free" style dive with great deals and lots of stuff and the only amouage dealer in la and the prices for amouage are lower than they are at perfumesraffy.com the woman who runs it is great too. a well worth it trip off the beaten path! also they sell lots of samples for $1 each. I quite enjoyed my visit and while I Was there to sample Amouage, I left with one of those cuba paris cigar $5 deals and a fistful of samples like Helmut Lang EDT.

The store is located at:

Parfums Raffy
15053 Ventura Blvd. Suite 103
Sherman Oaks, CA 91403
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post #20 of 74
12/31/07 at 1:38pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sassenach View Post

Is there nothing in the San Gabriel Valley or northern OC? I live near Whittier. [Other than Sephora & Nordstrom at Brea Mall.]

i dont thinks so...
i live in diamond bar..
brea is the closest for me...
i say jsut go to south coast...everything is there
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post #21 of 74
3/12/08 at 2:39pm
there is a le labo store in LA now
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post #22 of 74
6/7/08 at 11:37am
Blunda Aromatics
304 So. Edinburgh Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90048
(323) 658-7507
http://blundalosangeles.com/
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post #23 of 74
7/2/08 at 4:25pm
Perfumes West
2099 Westwood Blvd.
Los Angeles , CA 90025
310-470-8556

Just a few blocks from Nordstrom. It has been there forever, so they must be doing something right. Prices looked OK. Service was not deeply knowledgeable (about men's fragrances anyway) but helpful, friendly and didn't push anything.
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post #24 of 74
7/6/08 at 10:18pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by linnea View Post

Really? I was at the Barney's in Beverly Hills a couple of weeks ago and didn't see the "pods". That would have been cool to check out. The Frederic Malle counter was right next to the L'Artisan counter. I should have looked around a little more instead of going right to the Serge Lutens!

I was just there this afternoon, buying some Noir Épices at the Frédéric Malle counter in the middle of the display. To the left is a very complete L'Artisan Parfumeur display, and Serge Lutens is to the right. There is also some Annick Goutal behind the counter against the wall. There is now a little seating area with photos of the Frédéric Malle noses, next to the Frédéric Malle 60 degF refrigerator and three of the red, body-sized pods.

Walking to the back of the store leads you to the candles, soap, and Diptyque fragrances and room sprays.

Service is generally pretty good. The main person who worked with me was an attractive dark-haired woman named Rebecca who is a sales associate for Frédéric Malle. She was very patient with me, and not pushy at all, even though I made my purchase about 5 minutes before they closed, and after I tested over 20 fragrances. They were also very generous with samples.
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post #25 of 74
7/6/08 at 10:32pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by tmp View Post

Scent Bar
8327 Beverly Blvd (just East of Flores)
Los Angeles CA 90048
323 782 8300

This is the brick-and-mortar store for luckyscent.com. Very nice people, very into what they do. (no, I don't work for them)

This place is great. You sit yourself on a stool at the bar, and just start sampling. There is a very wide range of hard-to-find fragrances. Lots of Profumum, Montale (my first exposure to Black Aoud ), Il Profumo, Comme des Garçons, etc. This is where living in a city like Los Angeles really pays off.

Parking is only metered street parking, unfortunately, but the neighborhood is pretty good. You'll probably run into a couple of BNers there too.
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post #26 of 74
7/12/08 at 6:53pm
I just made a field trip to the following shop a little bit South of UCLA in Westwood:

Perfumes West
2099 Westwood Blvd
Los Angeles CA 90025
Ph: 310.470.8556

It's a very nice shop, run by a father-and-son team, with a wide selection of hard-to-find items. I only looked at the men's section, but I'm assuming the women's section is well-stocked too. Prices are fairly low. I paid less than $40 for 50ml of Gucci Pour Homme, a size for which I had been looking for a while. I was tempted to buy a bunch of other items too, but I thought I would exercise some uncharacteristic restraint.

This is a good place to pick up staple fragrances in a wide selection of sizes. Size availability is noticeably better than at department stores and Sephora. For example, this is the first place I have ever seen Bvlgari Black in 40ml bottle size. They had lots of it, and the stock seemed fairly fresh too, because the Black hockey-puck-bottles were not the horribly fragile twist-on-off kind (a test I occasionally use to determine a store's stock age).

They carried a few surprises too. I saw six types of Creed available in 4.0oz bottles (e.g. Green Irish Tweed, Millésime Impérial, Erolfa, Vintage Tabaróme, Néroli Sauvage and one other whose name I cannot remember). I think the price on the Erolfa was about $120, which matches Scented Monkey's price.

They only seem to be missing niche and most luxury fragrances. Almost everything else is there, and inexpensive. There are lots of gift sets for sale too. Service is good, except that many items do not have testers available and I don't think they willingly crack open a fresh box to do this. For example, I asked if I could test Erolfa, and the guy behind the counter just smiled at me.

This is a good place to go if you know what you want, but it's also worth the trip to just browse too. You'll almost certainly see things you haven't seen before.
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post #27 of 74
1/4/09 at 8:29pm
http://www.melangeapothecary.com/
13632 Ventura Boulevard, Sherman Oaks Ca
Phone- (818) 385-0495

Hello Socal Women:

This is one of my favorite stores. I think every woman on the planet has to visit this boutique at least once in her lifetime. Its located in the (Valley) Los Angeles area.

Melange does custom blend. I love to go into her store, and create my own personal perfumes I get so many compliments from men and women every time I wear her stuff.
Good Luck,

Lovingly
Liz
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post #28 of 74
3/21/09 at 7:49pm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1oXKmo6EMbU

523 S Broadway, Los Angeles, CA 90013. tel 213-688-9600.

Unbelievable deals, but parking in downtown LA is $$$

They also have a store at the Delamo Fashion Center in Torrance and South Bay Galleria in Rendondo Beach
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post #29 of 74
3/21/09 at 11:56pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by linnea View Post

Really? I was at the Barney's in Beverly Hills a couple of weeks ago and didn't see the "pods". That would have been cool to check out. The Frederic Malle counter was right next to the L'Artisan counter. I should have looked around a little more instead of going right to the Serge Lutens!



Here's the pods. They're right in front of the FM counter.
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post #30 of 74
4/27/09 at 1:55am
I like Santa Maria Novella, The Apothecary at Fred Segal, Barneys and Scent Bar.

But the best kept secret in LA is in the south bay. I get many of my colognes and mens grooming products from this store.


In the El Segundo Plaza mall there is a store called "Temptress " , its in the back behind the Anthropologie, BCBG and BEBE...I know the owner, a very nice lady ,and she used to have her store next to the Saks in the Palos Verdes Mall

She is from Europe and flies back to Turkey, Greece, Paris, Rome, Milan and India and buys rare perfumes, candles and apothecary from around the world.

Most of the stuff at Temptress you won't find at Sephora, its much more high end. Even Saks and Neimans doesn't carry many of the stuff she carries..

She carries Santa Maria Novella, Eau D' Italie, Bond 9, Tokyomilk, and skin care by Sisley, Kiehls, ILONA, Sonya Dakkar and legendary French Company- DARPHIN. The only other Darphin retailer is Neiman Marcus in Beverly Hills.

She has oils from India, Rare from Italy, Soaps from Turkey. Diptique , Elton John & Oscar De La Renta Candles, its such an amazing store. I drive from Orange county to buy my skin care and cologne. You should add it to your list of places to shop!

Its pricey like the other stores, but you get what you pay for! I drive all the way from Orange county and trust me fellow basenoters, this place is definitely worth checking out!!


Temptress
El Segundo Plaza
(310) 647-3467

Ask for the owner Nili or the manager Charity, and tell them Yaseen referred you! Temptress is truly a hidden gem
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post #31 of 74
5/24/09 at 5:12pm
Just a shout out to fellow BNers in that area. It's on the little strip off of Melrose called "Melrose Place", a block east of La Cienega. Amazing selection of Italian colognes. Nice and patient SA.
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post #32 of 74
6/17/09 at 3:25pm
Annotated a Google map to point out the major fragrance shopping spots in the just south of West Hollywood section of LA. This is the area between The Beverly Center and The Grove/Farmer's Market. If you're fit, they're all within walking distance of each other. The Gendarmerie is also close by.

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post #33 of 74
6/17/09 at 9:42pm
Hi Adonis. There used to be (and maybe still is) a perfume place across the North parking lot from Farmer Market.
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post #34 of 74
6/18/09 at 3:06am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Andrew_B. View Post

Hi Adonis. There used to be (and maybe still is) a perfume place across the North parking lot from Farmer Market.

Yes! I just couldn't recall the name of it. They've got Bond No 9, Clean, ADP...

Edit: Beauty Collection, just across the parking lot from Farmer's Market

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post #35 of 74
7/14/09 at 10:02am
My friend is coming back to Thailand in September and he is more than willing to bring some bottles for me. I wonder if there's anything special in Los Angeles. Any shops selling niche at a good price?

I don't want mainstream scents for this opportunity.

You can suggest any special deals at a place like Sephora. I don't know much about fragrance or fashion department stores in the U.S. so please feel free to suggest. Thanks in advance
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post #36 of 74
7/14/09 at 10:03am
Isn't Lucky Scent based in Los Angeles?

I found this on their Web site. It looks like they have a retail store:

Scent Bar
8327 Beverly Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90048

I think they charge retail, though.
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post #37 of 74
7/14/09 at 10:09am
Sorry everyone, I've got to move this to the city shopping guides section. My apologies.
--Chris
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post #38 of 74
7/15/09 at 3:01pm
Hi KiatBkk,

I'm not the best person to answer your question, but I'll try to help. Someone already mentioned Scent Bar and their website at luckyscent.com. If you read this whole thread, you will see mention of Santa Maria Novella, which carries their own brand. (8411 Melrose Place, Los Angeles, CA 90069 (323) 651-3754). As for Sephora, they only carry the mainstream designer brands. I've never seen anything unusual there.

As for other stores with unique brands that are not available all over the Internet, I see some mentioned here, but I've never been to them. Maybe you could also ask in the Los Angeles Social Group here. Click on "Community" on the top menu.
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post #39 of 74
7/15/09 at 5:05pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by KiatBkk View Post

My friend is coming back to Thailand in September and he is more than willing to bring some bottles for me. I wonder if there's anything special in Los Angeles. Any shops selling niche at a good price?

I don't want mainstream scents for this opportunity.

You can suggest any special deals at a place like Sephora. I don't know much about fragrance or fashion department stores in the U.S. so please feel free to suggest. Thanks in advance

Lots of great places for niche perfumes in LA (see map http://community.basenotes.net/showp...0&postcount=32 ). And they're all located very close to one another. Prices for niche scents are almost always high ($80-$250). Some suggestions:

The least expensive niche scent is Mojo by Gendarme http://www.basenotes.net/ID26121112.html - only $24, although I like Gendarme EDP the best. Have your friend go to the Gendarmerie in West Hollywood to buy a bottle and they'll give him a bunch of samples of the other Gendarme products for you. They're very nice people there: http://www.thegendarmerie.com/ and I'm sure the creator of Gendarme will sign the bottle for you if you want.

Santa Maria Novella is nearby. Some beautiful Italian EDCs in 100ml bottles.

The Scent Bar - Unbelievable. So many different niche scents. One of the few Nasomatto retailers in the US. Not low prices, but they might have more niche scents than anywhere else in the US. http://www.luckyscent.com/

Le Labo - Their fragrances are really beautiful. I like Rose 31, but there are many more. Check Le Labo's website for prices and products. http://www.lelabofragrances.com/
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post #40 of 74
9/3/09 at 3:17pm
The Nordstrom at Westfield Santa Anita (near the racetrack) now stocks Creed, Jo Malone, Sisley, Laura Mercier, and Estee Lauder Private Collection. Major upgrade!

I believe they will also have a "Fragrance Festival" in November, where reps will ply you with wine and cheese snacks in order to buy their gift sets.
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post #41 of 74
9/4/09 at 2:35am
Quote:
Originally Posted by adonis View Post

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1oXKmo6EMbU

523 S Broadway, Los Angeles, CA 90013. tel 213-688-9600.

Unbelievable deals, but parking in downtown LA is $$$

They also have a store at the Delamo Fashion Center in Torrance and South Bay Galleria in Rendondo Beach

I'm confused... do I have to order their catalog and buy in bulk wholesale (minimum is $500) or can I go down there and pick out about 3 frags to buy?
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post #42 of 74
9/4/09 at 6:13am
I have been to the Galleria Mall Luxury Perfumes shop--you can buy just one there. Their prices for rare, high quality fragrances (such as some Guerlains, for example, if they even have them) are not as deeply discounted. The one time I was there, I decided against purchasing, and they tried to offer me a lower price. It makes me wonder if there is a little bit of markup in the mall locations.
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post #43 of 74
9/4/09 at 9:07am
darn... so I can only choose 1 out of the 3 frags that I wanted? Azzaro PH, Guerlain Vetiver, or Habit Rogue.... hmmmm

edit: went to 3 malls that says its there store front... seems like all the LuxuryPerfume stores are now all Perfumania... still I was hoping to see some LuxuryPerfume stock in there but none...

Guess I'll just order from their website.
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post #44 of 74
9/5/09 at 8:53am
No, you can buy as few as one if you want, at the retail store--sorry if that was not clear!
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post #45 of 74
9/8/09 at 5:25pm
Any stores near the San Fernando Valley? :/

Most of them are at beverly hills >.> darn
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post #46 of 74
9/8/09 at 9:39pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Azul View Post

Any stores near the San Fernando Valley? :/

There are two listed in the first message for Sherman Oaks.

Also, there's a store in Studio City that is on Ventura Place (not Ventura Blvd.). Ventura Place is only a block long, so if you are that way you could look for a fragrance store. They make custom fragrances. I haven't bought there, so I don't know the quality.
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post #47 of 74
9/8/09 at 11:43pm
@andrew
I apologize, its because im 16 and transportation for me is restricted. Just looking for something a little nearer than the ones listed aha. Thank you for the additional information
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post #48 of 74
9/23/09 at 5:05pm
Just wondering: where can I go in LA county that has a lot of the Annick Goutals in-store, not just the usual Eau d'Hadrien/Petite Cherie/Songes...?
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post #49 of 74
1/29/10 at 6:01pm
Fragrance Hut, inside the Beverly Center. Saw the popular Creeds, Kouros, Body Kouros, Live Jazz, Gendarme, many others.
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post #50 of 74
4/26/10 at 2:29pm
There are a number of places to score perfume in the Valley and environs.

Elise Perfume
121 W Wilson Ave
Glendale, CA 91203
(818) 502-5070

If Rose is there, she's great. You'll find a mix of new/designer frags and quite a few classics -- Balmains, various Guerlains, Molinard. Their prices are spotty, but there are some real deals to be had here. They're also generous with the carded samples or will even sometimes throw in a mini when you purchase something.

Just a few blocks away are

Perfumes of France
218 E Broadway
Glendale, CA 91205
(818) 956-5575

And

Arsenio Perfume
1105 S Glendale Ave Ste A
Glendale, CA 91205
(818) 241-2818

I haven't shopped either of these.

Inside the Glendale Galleria is Fragranza, which has tons of minis and good pricing. Make sure you sniff before you buy, though -- they tend to open bottles as testers then put them back in the box, and some of the things I've tried there have been handled so badly that they have no scent left to speak of.

There's also Le Pink and Co. in Silverlake.

Le Pink
3820 W Sunset Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90026
(323) 661-7465

Not bargain priced, but they carry some goodies like Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab oils, L'Artisan Parfumeur, Roger & Gallet and so forth. I haven't been but they get terrific reviews on Yelp for friendly, knowledgeable service.
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post #51 of 74
5/19/10 at 11:53pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by adonis View Post

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1oXKmo6EMbU

523 S Broadway, Los Angeles, CA 90013. tel 213-688-9600.

Unbelievable deals, but parking in downtown LA is $$$

They also have a store at the Delamo Fashion Center in Torrance and South Bay Galleria in Rendondo Beach

Are those authentic?? I always see tons of perfume shops in downtown LA - but somehow I'm afraid to buy, they look suspicious... Can anyone recommend a store downtown LA with good deals which you know for sure is 100% authentic please?
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post #52 of 74
5/20/10 at 2:41am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Persephone88 View Post

Are those authentic?? I always see tons of perfume shops in downtown LA - but somehow I'm afraid to buy, they look suspicious... Can anyone recommend a store downtown LA with good deals which you know for sure is 100% authentic please?

They're legit, but their restocking fee is 20% so avoid blind buys.
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post #53 of 74
6/7/10 at 9:30am
Is the Luxury Perfumes Wholesale on-line price list what you'd pay in the store for individual bottles, or is that only for wholesale orders, do you know?
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post #54 of 74
6/7/10 at 4:33pm
Thread Starter 
This is the price list for people with a minimum order of something like $500: http://www.luxuryperfumewholesale.co...ST06152009.pdf

A few years ago a group of us went in on a group purchase there in order to get the wholesale price. If there's enough interest, I'll organize another group purchase later in the summer.
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post #55 of 74
6/7/10 at 4:58pm
Oh, if you do, please let me know! I would certainly go in on $50 or so toward the $500.
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post #56 of 74
9/17/10 at 10:00pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by socalwoman View Post

Beverly Hills Perfumery
9555 Wilshire Blvd
Beverly Hills, CA 90212
(310) 888-8807
This is right across the street from Barneys and has many hard to find and/or discontinued classics. If Alan is there, mention you are a member of Basenotes and MUA ~ he’ll take excellent care of you.

Pretty impressive selection of hard to find colognes. As socalwoman mentioned, tell Alan you're a BNer. Nice no pressure place and they know their stuff. Their Saturday hours vary - call them first if you go on the weekend.
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post #57 of 74
11/22/10 at 2:20pm
Definitely recommend Scent Bar (Lucky Scent) in West Hollywood. It's fragrance nirvana. The boutique stocks an incredible selection, the staff are knowledgeable & friendly, and you get samples of anything you're interested in.

Beautyhabit in Westlake Village is also great. Although it's a warehouse, and not a bricks & mortar, they have a counter set up in the warehouse to test a full range of their niche brands. Really knowledgeable & friendly staff, too.

Unfortunately, I don't recommend Parfums Raffy (Duty Free Cosmetics) in Sherman Oaks. After a two-month saga and a loss of $350 to the Dolbakians, I'd recommend the alternatives.
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post #58 of 74
1/27/11 at 8:14pm
No pressure but how strange that they have signs posted 10% off, 15% off but no actual prices on the fragrances! (Therefore the "discounts" are phoney) I inquired about a 1oz Guerlain Vetiver EDC spray in what looks like older, maybe early 90's packaging. The sales girl had to go ask an unshaven guy in gym shorts what the price was. I felt like I was getting high-rolled at 50.00+10% off so I passed. Purchased same package of Habit Rouge EDC for $31.00 elsewhere about a month ago.

Martin


Quote:
Originally Posted by adonis View Post

Pretty impressive selection of hard to find colognes. As socalwoman mentioned, tell Alan you're a BNer. Nice no pressure place and they know their stuff. Their Saturday hours vary - call them first if you go on the weekend.
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post #59 of 74
10/3/11 at 12:17am
Where would you go to find niche fragrances? Where would you go generally?
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post #60 of 74
10/3/11 at 5:01am
If I lived in Beverly Hills, I wouldn't have to go anywhere. They would probably be brought to me. LOL!
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