Perfume safari in Paris

I’m planning to go on safari in Paris for a weekend. Any suggestions for great fragrance stores?

I’d like to avoid niche-only shops with fragrances starting at 500€, but straying a bit from the mainstream discounters would be nice

You could start at Jovoy (they give out three samples for free btw) : niche but not starting at 500€.

https://www.jovoyparis.com/en/

There is also Nose (never have been)

https://noseparis.com/en/

Dover Street, whet I plan to buy Broken Theories at some point:

http://www.doverstreetparfumsm...

or simply have a walk rue Saint Honoré, where a lot of (expensive) houses have their own brick&mortar shop. Or avenue Montaigne.

I am planning next time to go to one of the Memo Paris shops (there is one rue Cambon, next to Jovoy).

( And I don't know why i am thinking of Fragonard is an affordable house that does have some interesting things, many shops in town. Next to one of them is a Artisan Parfumeur shop, in the 6th district I guess. Well and Dyptique, but I found them frightening). There is simply... much of them

Enjoy your trip!

Oohhh nice thanks? Jovoy has certainly got some stuff I want to try and also Memo Paris. This is going to be fun

On my list for perfume shopping in Paris are: Jovoy Perfumes, Fragonard, Nose Perfume Store, L'Artisan Parfumeur, Officine Universelle Buly 1803, Annick Goutal, any City Pharma (for cheaper pharmacy brands), Olfactivity (make your own perfume), Printemps Maison Beauté in Rue de Caumartin (big selection of everything), Spiritum and Granado !

I hope this helps! Enjoy your trip! 

(I have some neat food recs as well if you like)

Definitely recommend the Pierre Guillaume Shop in Paris as they give wonderful customer experience and it’s the only place you can try and find their creations ! 

I would add a stop at Serge Lutens, the shop at Palais Royal is incredible.

So envious! You're tempting me to go there, hopefully this summer. I second all those suggestions, especially Goutal and L'Artisan Parfumeur. Try Alexander J as well. 

NICOLAÏ PARFUMEUR-CREATEUR A inspired perfumer. She is the great-granddaughter of Pierre Guerlain. My sister brought me back

L'Eau à la Folie lovely and unique. There are over 8 shops in Paris, check out the website. Have a wonderful trip.

As mentioned, Jovoy is worth a stop. It is a niche shop, but that have fragrances at many price points. You may enjoy Fragonard. They have many price points on their fragrances. Of course it is fun going to the boutiques of the individual houses. Nicolai, which Luxie mentioned, has 30ml bottles that will allow you to take home something wonderful without spending 500 Euros.

Given that you do not want niche only boutiques, maybe consider the Department Stores. Galeries de Lafayette and Printemps, both located on Haussmann have large selections. Printemps is broken up into several buildings and you'll find fragrances on both the ground floor and another floor (you'll want to go up for the perfumery). Lafayette has fragrances on the first and second floors. I was there during the holiday season so it was a madhouse. Printemps was a much more enjoyable shopping experience.

Etat Libre d'Orange is worth a visit!
I also read in a fragrantica review that the Van Cleef store in the (main?) Paris train station is the only place where they sell reissues of Tsar and Pour Homme, so that's worth a visit too if you're looking for classic scents.

Hi,

just a field report!

I was in Paris for work (I am officially employed there, which sounds great, but well I work 99% online from Belgium for this stint). I left the office just in time to rush to the first district (or "1er arrondissement") before 7 pm when the stores close. I strolled in the Rue Saint Honoré... and they are all here : Initio, Ex Nihilo, Parfum de Marly, Byredo, Guerlain, Artisan Parfumeur, Fragonard, bfk, Christian Dior... I lost track. But I was overwhelmed and frankly, deterred. I was tired after a day's work, pulling my heavy trolley bag, knowing my €uros are low these days. I was not in the mood stepping into an ultra-poch empty store with three bored sale-assistants, not willing to go on an impulse buy just to be polite. If anything, the afternoon was already dark and the spirits were low.

But my true destination was Jovoy. When I stepped in, I feel relieved. It is slightly bigger, I could leave my trolley bag to the care of the security guy.The sales assistants were busy with other clients and not pushing. It was by no means an empty store, nor a crowded place. I found solace in admiring all the beauties there. Names you heard, names you didn't know the mere existence of. I could wander and wonder.

I sprayed Mr. Vetiver , Divine Vanille , 1472 , Ambra Aurea , Au Coeur du Désert on the large paper strips, and decided my nose can't afford more (Amouage and Clive Christian are also there btw, London Extrait de Parfum tester bottle was empty). Then I sheepishly asked "Can I have some samples pleazze" in my most astute French manners. Last time I was answered "you can have up to three" (I chose Incident Diplomatique , Private Label and Idole de Lubin Eau de Parfum and to be honest, I am a bit disappointed). I already made my top three ( Cherry Punk Extrait de Parfum , I love the Edp, Ambra Aurea or 1472 and Au Coeur du Désert . It's actually four, but don't blame a tired brain).

But this time I got a very polite "I can make you ONE sample-on-demand" (don't doubt my manners, I guess it is just a change of policy, or the wrong sale assistant, which looked like someone in charge there and have no time for petty demands. Tip: don't ask the lady in white, go for the younger guys and gals in a black shirt ). My heart and nose screamed before my brain: "Then by all means Au Coeur du Désert! ".

After this show of my best self, I had only 10 minutes before the Memo Paris store in Rue Cambon close. Trolley bag, crowded street and all, I actually ran. I entered the store at 6:55pm. It is also an expensive empty store. But I like the atmosphere there. I don't feel like I am fresh meat for a juicy sale or what. I had the time to prepare my line: "I am sorry, well I was here last time and a dude made a passionate case for... is it Italian Leather Eau de Parfum or Sicilian Leather . I can't remember 😭" "Do you want to test them, sir?" "No, I just want (FREE) samples 😭". The girl gave me the two samples, her boss closed the door, lest an other silly customer on the brisk of a fragrance-meltdown went in just before their long workday finished. A tiny bit relieved with my samples, I went all chatty about which travels prays and 30 ml they do have. The young woman explained they have some from their leathers line and florals "wich are mainly floral-gourmand" (Florals are ok for me, but I am not a gourmand guy for sure). "Except:Marfa Eau de Parfum ", which she sprayed on a strip. And I swear, next time i'll ask a Marfa sample.

Tomorrow, my sweetheart join me for a lovers' weekend in Paris, a city we both well know and love. I save my few €uros for my gentleman duties (and I will do my best not to drag her in the occasional perfume store, nor will try to enroll her into the dubious activity of getting double more samples for me).

And I swear to God almighty, should He lend me more €uros, besides donations to the good causes, I'll spend some to actually buy something in Jovoy and the nice Memo store. For me. Or for my lady.

Hi @LouBe thanks for sharing your story! I’m looking so much forward to it! Especially the Jovoy store. Have fun yourself too!

Hi @Ceesie, thanks! Yes Jovoy is accessible and with bunch of really good stuff. It was really the experience I "needed". In Dutch, I would say "gezellig"! (This untranslatable word conveying a feeling of something warm, cosy, enjoyable)

Now it's time for a romantic week-end, and yes it will be fun! I might reach a store of two. Maybe  Fragonard on Montmartre, or something in the tiny streets of the Marais. We'll see where the wind pushes us... Don't want to plan on this!

HI,

following the hint of @Ebichuunee, and against my good resolutions I persuaded my sweetheart that we (or I have to go to the shop of Jardins d'écrivains ("Writer's garden")/Gri Gri/ Chapelle Factory /Les cocottes de Paris. (It is one house in four "brands" I guess). It's near the Bastille place.

It was an amazing experience. The shop is "inhabited" by the husband of the perfumer. It is really the soul of the shop. He is passionate about the work of his wife, and one can guess of his wife herself. For a small house, they have a really great range of perfumes and struggle for affordable niche offerings. It's fascinating.

I entered wanting only to buy some of their 5ml testers. But the guy said that in this shop, testers are for free (5 ml !!). But then I thought :"Ok I 'll see my sister next, it would be great to have a gift for her". We tested many things, which he systematically sprayed on two blotters, one for each. I checked many times if my lady was not bored. But the man was so enthusiastic that she was also enthralled and went on to test what she wanted.

We narrowed down our choice to Tara Mantra (but in Cologne concentration, the Edp was no available) for my sis. It's inspired by the Indian tradition of tattoo. First we thought it would please her. And then she got tatooed in South Asia years ago. So finger crossed...

We were both quite convinced by the huge case the uxorious owner made for their Eau de Cologne ( 300ml, with a sprayer that would kill a prehistoric dragonfly) . L'Eau de Blixen was great, and my sweetheart liked another one , I think L'Eau de Tagore .

A shy young man next to us bought L'Eau de Kakuzô, a clean floral. The owner was very supportive to this young lad, telling him that he can wear it for himself, but if he is bolder in his spraying, girls will just pounce on him. (I asked my darling some feminine wisdom about it. She imparted that no perfume would turn an uninterested lady into a pouncing panther. But a good perfume may help with an already slightly interested woman.)

In the end we left with a 250 ml cologne for my sis (gotta press this sprayer girl). And with a haul of 5ml testers : L'Eau de Blixen , which i plan to buy for my sweetie, the EdP I was no sure which one I like most : my ranking for instance 1) Orlando 2) George 3) Alcools. The owner insisted that I take also L'Eau de Louÿs because I have to love it. I discovered that with the cologne was also a"try me first" tester for my sis! Which surely I will "borrow" her.

All in all, a great experience.

****

After this wonderful experience, I reached a temporary satiety. But today, while going to a museum we passed by a Nicolaï shop.

"Won't you go there, honey ?" said my girl

- No, no, I like this house.... but no, I'll behave. Let's ho to this museum". But when coming back, I said I wanted one our two samples.

The male sales assistant was very unfriendly. I couldn't take a blotter while he was busy with another guy (ok...). He sneered when I wanted to see the notes.

"You said you smelled lavender because you read it!" He said

- "ugh sorry, I felt it and read it afterwards!"

My lady saved me. She was waiting outside and made an impatient face. I said to the guy, "Sorry I have to go! But can i have a sample of Angelys Pear ". He grudgingly handed me one.

"I was curious how you would handle an unfriendly sale assistant! He had such a straight face!" said my sweetheart, knowing how impressed I can be...

- Well you actually saved me with your "can we go already " role-playing ".

- At least you got your sample. Now let's eat!"

(This was the shop "rue des archives". For a better Nicolaï experience, I would advice the shop in 80, rue de Grenelle, 75007 Paris, is a looot nicer!)

Now I will meet my sister (with her samples from the Us...)

@LouBe great post. Highlights the difference with salespeople. Some are enthusiastic about their product and others get angry when you want service (what else are they there for!). 

Thank you @LouBe for yet again a great insight in your days. Must have been a great weekend and your sweetheart really sounds like a sweetheart.

They’re really generous with handing out samples in Paris I noticed! Joy!

Look for Mauboussin store. They are great quality and inexpensive. Affordable niche is Estat d'Orange libre. Try to find their store they always have certain fragrances at retail..(I think the oldies or their initial launches are always cheaper than their newer lainches.

I am extremely jealous of your journey into the heartland of perfumery.  I hope to be like you one day

@Tzapan I’ve heard great things about the store of Etat Libre d’Orange but ever since I smelled Sécrétions Magnifiques …….. man I don’t think we’re ever going to be friends anymore.

@DrDre10 wait you have a collection of 300+ perfumes and you are the one that’s jealous?

@Ceesie  I wouldn't write them off without trying more. I admit, haven't tried any of theirs yet, but want to. They have a collection of orange fragrances. The US store has a filter for their more masculine fragrances. SM isn't one of them.  😊  (Not in their feminine fragrances either.)

@Ceesie but to be in the midst of all the different shops and boutiques is a different experience 

Oh, and if you can swing over to Grasse, there`s a perfume museum that sounds really comprehensive. Musée International de la Parfumerie (MIP). They have like a hall of fame for the world`s best perfumes. 

I would LOVE to see Grasse someday but that’s like twice as far away for me than Paris. I’m only going for a weekend 😁 So I’ll have to plan a different trip some other time. But thanks for the tip!

Hi all,

sorry, busy with my sister and nieces after Paris (my youngest niece had opened and rummaged in the discovery set of the devil scent project my sister brought me, but I guess it was to be really sure it was good stuff her mother was offering me ).

Thanks for your comments! A few remarks:

For the samples, with a bit of confidence (which I sometimes lack) you can get a few for free. I agree with @Smirky they are a few grumpy sales assistants, which for the well-being of everyone including themselves should maybe look for another job (and agreed, it's not an easy job if you don't like it), and the majority who are at least neutral and professional (Jovoy), friendly (Memo, some Nicolaï shops), or real show-stopppers (the guy for Jardin d'Ecrivain).

@Tzapan and @Ceesie , I heard good things of Mauboussin, wil try it. And some Etat Libre d'Orange are fun (I have to retry Une Amourette - Roland Mouret, Noël au Balcon is ... christmassy, the white florals of Yes I Do, Don't Get Me Wrong Baby, the green rose in You Or Someone Like You .

@DrDre10 yes it is quite overwhelming. You feel everything is here... But then as @Raluko111 I thought, well the beating heart of French perfumery might actually just be in Grasse. I didn't know about the museum! The enthusiastic owner of Jardins d'Ecrivain, struggling with his wife to make affordable niche fragrances told me: "Niche prices are going absurd. At the end of the day, all is done in Grasse in the same factories... The differences in prices are too huge to be honest" (I guess some raw materials are more expensive than other though.)

I think the trick for this week-end was that we were care-free, with no kids, no schedule, and a tacit no-meeting-friends-or-family policy. The weather was also good on Saturday and Sunday. My sweetheart was ok to stroll in a perfume store and she had a bit of fun here too (in the Jardins d'Ecrivain store). At an unexpected time, wandering in Montmartre on Saturday she vented: "well I guess Paris is really the city of lovers". But it was also because we had time to be so...

Well I’m back from the trip and I’d like to share my story about what it was like in Paris.

First of all.. what a city! I’ve already been there a couple of times but always went for the standard highlights. This time I’ve seen an other side and I am in love. It’s huge, it’s beautiful, it’s stylish, it’s alive!

I had a lot of places that I wanted to visit thanks to all of the above posts! But time was tight so I visited the following places:

- Printemps: a huge warehouse (do you call it that?) with tiny boutiques of a LOT of brands displaying their work. Designer stuff like Dior, YSL, Chanel but also Creed, PdM, MFK, Penhaligons, you name it. All very nice folks, handing out samples, only Kilian was a bit tight-arsed. We still managed to get a sample of the new Angels' Share Paradis though, which is sublime.

- Jovoy: we’ve been there two times. It’s such a great shop with a HUGE selection. You have to get some fresh air in between though. We wanted to go a third time even, but there was a huge line waiting to get in. I still haven’t seen and smelled everything they had. Have to go back some time!

- Nose: wonderful shop but a bit tight and crowded. I went there last because I had seen a perfume on their website that I wanted to buy. I’m talking about "Tony Iommi Monkey Special | XerJoff" which was €40 cheaper than retail. But in the end it was a mistake on the website they told me. A lot of sorries but I wanted to walk away disappointed. In the end they could offer me a discovery set of Xerjoff, an offer I couldn’t refuse 😁 Also received a gigantic load of samples in larger sizes. Lots of stuff from Ex Nihilo which I knew nothing about but they’re pretty good!

- Nicolaï: what a sweet perfume house. Not afraid to tell about their heritage. Some amazing scents. Wanted to go back for some amazing oud in Incense Oud but we couldn’t make it. So lady from the shop if you read this: I’m sorry.

- PdM: Tiny. Awkward with the large mirror. I already know everything they have to offer, I hoped to see some discontinued stuff though. Darley was missing so that might be a bad sign for one of my favorites.

- Serge Lutens: what a beautiful store with its round stairs! All fragrances were already laid out on paper strips so no spraying there. I didn’t really dig their vibe so we were gone fast. Good to finally have smelled Chergui Eau de Parfum and Ambre sultan Eau de Parfum though. I didn’t like them so I’m glad I never blindbought them. Écrin de fumée was pretty good.

- Fragonard was stuffed so we skipped that one. Looks fun enough to go back for some time.

- Le Labo: what a great dude working there! And I love their fragrances. Smelled a couple which went straight on top of my wishlist (the Amsterdam one Mousse de Chêne 30 I believe, the Miami one Tabac 28 and Eucalyptus 20 was pretty awesome too).

- Guerlain: they have dozens of shops so I’m not sure which one I visited but I got to smell some of their more expensive stuff. Really good, but what I smelled was too feminine leaning to really get excited about. Tobacco Honey , Oud Khôl and probably a couple more that I smelled.

I’m sure I missed naming some more shops. But my people… what a great time it was. Highly recommended to visit and if you do: be sure to check out the rooftop of Printemps. I had an awesome view over the city.