Hi friends!
Alright, so threads like these are just a little self-indulgent, but I have been wowed by the Square Mile and all she has to offer! After a full week in London, Im now home in "sleepy hollow", craving the dynamism and verve of the The City.
I spent an entire day navigating the streets, sniffing out the niche and specialist perfume boutiques and visiting the in-store concessions and fragrance floors of the major department chains. Here are some of my experiences for those who dont mind an indulgent ramble. Starting off on foot from Victoria station... here's how the day panned out:
10am
Having sipped hot coffee at the café directly across the road from Les Senteurs in Belgravia whilst waiting for the doors to open - I found this store lived up to its reputation as being one of London's finest stockists of niche scents.
The staff member, Shelley was extremely friendly, engaging, informative and genuinely interested in what I had to say. Their portfolio of brands was impressive and included all those listed on their site, with the addition of the newly acquired Byredo Parfums. It was here that I fully explored the Malles, Lutens, Carons, and Etat Libre d'Orange portfolios.
Purchases made: Vetiver Extraordinaire / Musc Ravageur
Shelley also threw in 4 complementary samples for my wife (Isabey, Creed, & 2 Carons, as well as their current Les Senteurs catalogue).
11am
On foot from Belgravia we made our way to Sloane Square and visited the Jo Malone store on Sloane St. It was impressively decorated and the packaging/merchandising a sight to behold... but already moments after stepping through the door I couldn't help but feel like a lambchop being dangled in a pond full of piranhas!
Sampled Pommegranate Noir, 154, Vetyver, and Kohdo Wood. Unfortunately, though helpful, the SA insisted on spraying cards for me, and not surrendering the bottles for me to enjoy the tactile nature of their weight, feel and the whole spritz/sniff motion.
Purchases made: None
11.35am
Strolling up Sloane Street we were wowed by the designer stores and nipped in to Hermés. Here we headed straight for the Un Jardin après la Mousson. I opted for the card (as serious writst/hand/arm/neck real-estate had been reserved only for serious scent application), and enjoyed UJALM at face value. We also checked the Hermessence range whilst engaged in a very interesting conversation about JC Ellena with the SA. Before any mention of a purchase could be made, we were offered 4 x 4ml samples of our choice. We took the Ambre Narguile, Rose Ikebana, Poivre Samarcande, and Osmanthe Yunnan. We also decided we would try these before comitting to our purchases, so we left the store with these samples, plus a couple of Un Jardin après la Mousson.
Purchases made: None - yet!
12.15pm
Harvey Nichols was a welcome destination at the top of Sloane St in Knightsbridge. Beside the mainstream brands on offer, I was pleased to sample several Comme des Garcons, This Company, Maitre Parfumeur et Gantier, and Rancé 1795 scents, as well as the much anticipated Tom Ford Private Blends!
I swooned over Oud Wood, only to learn of its rarity (400 names on the waiting list - in that store alone!), and found qualities in Purple Patchouli and Moss Breches that I liked.
Finally, after much to-ing and fro-ing it was decided no TF purchase was on the cards... yet! The SA's were very friendly and not the least bit pushy.
Purchases made: Gianfranco Ferre: Bergamotto Marino
1.30pm
On to Harrods! The layout of this store was overwhelming, and pretty much as we had expected - lavish and inviting. The ground floor "apothecary-inspired" beauty hall was nice - stocking Floris, Trumpers, Penhaligon's, Diptyque as well as many mainstream brands. I sampled the fabulous Prada exclusives and fell in love with the Myrrh edp, but not the 140-pound price tag they were asking for a 30ml bottle.
Our only gripe: the crazed L'Occitane consultant who would NOT leave us alone, and ruthlessly tried to shake us down for a L'Occitane purchase, despite the fact we were wishing to try the Floris portfolio! This woman needed a swift kick in the tits. But I was feeling charitable.
An ABSOLUTE must-see is the Roja Dove Haute Parfumerie on the 5th floor. This is about as close to niche perfume heaven that one can expect from London. Coal black walls surround a dazzling array of gem-like baccarat crystal flacons, shimmering crystal decanters, and display cabinets holding bottles both antique and rare! Clive Christian, Lalique, Dior Couture, Guerlain, Jean Patou, Lanvin are only a few of the exquisite lines on offer. I was approached by a young chap who I found to be the most interesting and engaging consultant on the whole trip! He introduced me to the store, walking me through all the main displays and installations, and also the Roja Dove signature line of scents. His knowledge was flawless, and he fulfilled all my expectations of what a true consultant ought to be. When I left the store, he walked me to the door and bid me farewell.
Purchases made: None - I was still holding out!
3pm
A LONG walk up toward Picadilly saw us on the doorstep of Fortnum and Mason; an amazingly refurbished department store. Here I enjoyed strolling around the beauty hall upstairs and lavishing over their beautiful counters of crystal decanters crowned by shimmering crystal chandeliers. At this stage my nose was in need of a rest, so we sat and ate a killer strudel, and shopped for tea on the ground floor.
Purchases made: Nope!
4pm
Immediately around the corner we reached Jermyn Street - home of Czech & Speake. A small store it is, but when we entered we were met with the rousing perfume of scented candles and incense sticks! A warm and homely environment that saw us drop a few pennies, whilst chatting with Flavia, C&S' very dedicated SA.
Purchases made: Citrus Paradisi EDT, / Frankincense & Myrrh Scented Candle, Frankincense & Myrrh incense sticks.
4.40pm
Almost exactly opposite Fortnum and Mason, the old-world charm of Burlington Arcade houses the Penhaligon's boutique. Beautifully stocked and merchandised, we sampled scents from their boutique range, and fell in love with their exquisite silver perfume solids. After ABSOLUTE confirmation that my beloved LPNo9 for Men is dead and gone (and by poo-pooing the SA's cheeky suggestion that Malabah is the perfect replacement!), we decided to leave the store.
Purchases made: None!
5.10pm
After deciding that we would forego a visit to Ormonde Jayne in favour of 2 or 3 more department stores, we headed for Liberty's. I was very excited to visit the Le Labo installation. First however, we strolled around the small fragrance area under the eternally watchful eye of the female SA who paced to and fro nervously. We exited the hall and almost walked right past the Le Labo counter that was located next to the stationary department(!) I said hello to the LL SA and asked if I might try the Rose 31. He picked up a cup of blotters from under the desk and sat them in front of me and said "here you go". He then went back to pottering on his computer. I invited my wife to try some scents and said "this is lovely, and comes highly recommended... maybe you might like to try the Fleur d’Oranger?". The SA didn't even flinch and his eyes never left the computer screen. The Rose 31 and Le Labo Olfactionary were very possible purchases we had in mind when visiting this concession... but this treatment left us stone cold.
We left the store via the back door, disappointed with his blatant shrug-off. Not even the amazing Diptique concession near the exit could tempt me to stay a minute longer.
Purchases made: Not now, not ever!
6pm
Strolling up towards Oxford Circus we reached Debenhams who were holding a 10-25% off special on their beauty hall. Unfortunately there was nothing we "had" to have. My wife toyed with her Chloé 2008 EDP purchase here, but opted for skincare products instead.
Purchases made: None.
7pm
Selfridges was our final port of call for the day. We spent a great deal of time walking around their beauty halls, sampling the different scents on offer. The place was in a semi-crazed state as Paris Hilton had made an appearance earlier that day peddling her own lolly-water. I re-tested the Tom Ford Private Blends, and TF Extreme which left me thinking of the topnotes of Black Orchid. We also managed to find our Eau d'Orange Verte Massage Oil which had, until now, managed to elude us.
By around 8pm we were borderline anosmic to ANYTHING anymore... and the dogs were not only barking... they were also shitting on the carpet!
We collapsed into two chairs in the store restaurant and enjoyed a good stiff drink before making our way to the nearest tube station and making our way back to our friend's home.
Purchases made: Eau d'Orange Verte Massage Oil
All in all it was a day to remember. We had good intentions to return to Hermés to purchase bottles from the Hermessence range, but after a mock-pack we could soon see our in-flight liquid allowance was sky high.
We will return to London, and we will explore her streets and fragrant treasures again. But we won't be visiting Le Labo. Bitches!
Alright, so threads like these are just a little self-indulgent, but I have been wowed by the Square Mile and all she has to offer! After a full week in London, Im now home in "sleepy hollow", craving the dynamism and verve of the The City.
I spent an entire day navigating the streets, sniffing out the niche and specialist perfume boutiques and visiting the in-store concessions and fragrance floors of the major department chains. Here are some of my experiences for those who dont mind an indulgent ramble. Starting off on foot from Victoria station... here's how the day panned out:
10am
Having sipped hot coffee at the café directly across the road from Les Senteurs in Belgravia whilst waiting for the doors to open - I found this store lived up to its reputation as being one of London's finest stockists of niche scents.
The staff member, Shelley was extremely friendly, engaging, informative and genuinely interested in what I had to say. Their portfolio of brands was impressive and included all those listed on their site, with the addition of the newly acquired Byredo Parfums. It was here that I fully explored the Malles, Lutens, Carons, and Etat Libre d'Orange portfolios.
Purchases made: Vetiver Extraordinaire / Musc Ravageur
Shelley also threw in 4 complementary samples for my wife (Isabey, Creed, & 2 Carons, as well as their current Les Senteurs catalogue).
11am
On foot from Belgravia we made our way to Sloane Square and visited the Jo Malone store on Sloane St. It was impressively decorated and the packaging/merchandising a sight to behold... but already moments after stepping through the door I couldn't help but feel like a lambchop being dangled in a pond full of piranhas!
Sampled Pommegranate Noir, 154, Vetyver, and Kohdo Wood. Unfortunately, though helpful, the SA insisted on spraying cards for me, and not surrendering the bottles for me to enjoy the tactile nature of their weight, feel and the whole spritz/sniff motion.
Purchases made: None
11.35am
Strolling up Sloane Street we were wowed by the designer stores and nipped in to Hermés. Here we headed straight for the Un Jardin après la Mousson. I opted for the card (as serious writst/hand/arm/neck real-estate had been reserved only for serious scent application), and enjoyed UJALM at face value. We also checked the Hermessence range whilst engaged in a very interesting conversation about JC Ellena with the SA. Before any mention of a purchase could be made, we were offered 4 x 4ml samples of our choice. We took the Ambre Narguile, Rose Ikebana, Poivre Samarcande, and Osmanthe Yunnan. We also decided we would try these before comitting to our purchases, so we left the store with these samples, plus a couple of Un Jardin après la Mousson.
Purchases made: None - yet!
12.15pm
Harvey Nichols was a welcome destination at the top of Sloane St in Knightsbridge. Beside the mainstream brands on offer, I was pleased to sample several Comme des Garcons, This Company, Maitre Parfumeur et Gantier, and Rancé 1795 scents, as well as the much anticipated Tom Ford Private Blends!
I swooned over Oud Wood, only to learn of its rarity (400 names on the waiting list - in that store alone!), and found qualities in Purple Patchouli and Moss Breches that I liked.
Finally, after much to-ing and fro-ing it was decided no TF purchase was on the cards... yet! The SA's were very friendly and not the least bit pushy.
Purchases made: Gianfranco Ferre: Bergamotto Marino
1.30pm
On to Harrods! The layout of this store was overwhelming, and pretty much as we had expected - lavish and inviting. The ground floor "apothecary-inspired" beauty hall was nice - stocking Floris, Trumpers, Penhaligon's, Diptyque as well as many mainstream brands. I sampled the fabulous Prada exclusives and fell in love with the Myrrh edp, but not the 140-pound price tag they were asking for a 30ml bottle.
Our only gripe: the crazed L'Occitane consultant who would NOT leave us alone, and ruthlessly tried to shake us down for a L'Occitane purchase, despite the fact we were wishing to try the Floris portfolio! This woman needed a swift kick in the tits. But I was feeling charitable.
An ABSOLUTE must-see is the Roja Dove Haute Parfumerie on the 5th floor. This is about as close to niche perfume heaven that one can expect from London. Coal black walls surround a dazzling array of gem-like baccarat crystal flacons, shimmering crystal decanters, and display cabinets holding bottles both antique and rare! Clive Christian, Lalique, Dior Couture, Guerlain, Jean Patou, Lanvin are only a few of the exquisite lines on offer. I was approached by a young chap who I found to be the most interesting and engaging consultant on the whole trip! He introduced me to the store, walking me through all the main displays and installations, and also the Roja Dove signature line of scents. His knowledge was flawless, and he fulfilled all my expectations of what a true consultant ought to be. When I left the store, he walked me to the door and bid me farewell.
Purchases made: None - I was still holding out!
3pm
A LONG walk up toward Picadilly saw us on the doorstep of Fortnum and Mason; an amazingly refurbished department store. Here I enjoyed strolling around the beauty hall upstairs and lavishing over their beautiful counters of crystal decanters crowned by shimmering crystal chandeliers. At this stage my nose was in need of a rest, so we sat and ate a killer strudel, and shopped for tea on the ground floor.
Purchases made: Nope!
4pm
Immediately around the corner we reached Jermyn Street - home of Czech & Speake. A small store it is, but when we entered we were met with the rousing perfume of scented candles and incense sticks! A warm and homely environment that saw us drop a few pennies, whilst chatting with Flavia, C&S' very dedicated SA.
Purchases made: Citrus Paradisi EDT, / Frankincense & Myrrh Scented Candle, Frankincense & Myrrh incense sticks.
4.40pm
Almost exactly opposite Fortnum and Mason, the old-world charm of Burlington Arcade houses the Penhaligon's boutique. Beautifully stocked and merchandised, we sampled scents from their boutique range, and fell in love with their exquisite silver perfume solids. After ABSOLUTE confirmation that my beloved LPNo9 for Men is dead and gone (and by poo-pooing the SA's cheeky suggestion that Malabah is the perfect replacement!), we decided to leave the store.
Purchases made: None!
5.10pm
After deciding that we would forego a visit to Ormonde Jayne in favour of 2 or 3 more department stores, we headed for Liberty's. I was very excited to visit the Le Labo installation. First however, we strolled around the small fragrance area under the eternally watchful eye of the female SA who paced to and fro nervously. We exited the hall and almost walked right past the Le Labo counter that was located next to the stationary department(!) I said hello to the LL SA and asked if I might try the Rose 31. He picked up a cup of blotters from under the desk and sat them in front of me and said "here you go". He then went back to pottering on his computer. I invited my wife to try some scents and said "this is lovely, and comes highly recommended... maybe you might like to try the Fleur d’Oranger?". The SA didn't even flinch and his eyes never left the computer screen. The Rose 31 and Le Labo Olfactionary were very possible purchases we had in mind when visiting this concession... but this treatment left us stone cold.
We left the store via the back door, disappointed with his blatant shrug-off. Not even the amazing Diptique concession near the exit could tempt me to stay a minute longer.
Purchases made: Not now, not ever!
6pm
Strolling up towards Oxford Circus we reached Debenhams who were holding a 10-25% off special on their beauty hall. Unfortunately there was nothing we "had" to have. My wife toyed with her Chloé 2008 EDP purchase here, but opted for skincare products instead.
Purchases made: None.
7pm
Selfridges was our final port of call for the day. We spent a great deal of time walking around their beauty halls, sampling the different scents on offer. The place was in a semi-crazed state as Paris Hilton had made an appearance earlier that day peddling her own lolly-water. I re-tested the Tom Ford Private Blends, and TF Extreme which left me thinking of the topnotes of Black Orchid. We also managed to find our Eau d'Orange Verte Massage Oil which had, until now, managed to elude us.
By around 8pm we were borderline anosmic to ANYTHING anymore... and the dogs were not only barking... they were also shitting on the carpet!
We collapsed into two chairs in the store restaurant and enjoyed a good stiff drink before making our way to the nearest tube station and making our way back to our friend's home.
Purchases made: Eau d'Orange Verte Massage Oil
All in all it was a day to remember. We had good intentions to return to Hermés to purchase bottles from the Hermessence range, but after a mock-pack we could soon see our in-flight liquid allowance was sky high.
We will return to London, and we will explore her streets and fragrant treasures again. But we won't be visiting Le Labo. Bitches!
