Perfumeries on Rue St Honore

Pe Rue St. Honoré nu gasiti numai faimosul concept store Colette si magazinele de prêt-a-porter de luxe. Cei in cautare de un altfel de parfum, existent pe piata nu gratie marketarii uriase, pot gasi pe aceeasi strada patru locatii speciale, ale unor marci de parfumuri ce astazi ar putea fi caracterizate ca parfumuri de nisa si care pot oferi celor mai traditionali sau celor mai moderni o multitudine de raspunsuri olfactive in cautarea de ceva deosebit….de altceva. Partea foarte pozitiva este ca in astfel de magazine, intime, apartinand de obicei numai unei singure marci, primesti informatii de calitate, de la persoane care nu sunt preocupate numai sa-ti vanda un parfum, ci si sa-ti ofere informatii mai complexe si care trec mai departe de a-ti enumera familia olfactiva din care face parte parfumul.

Prima locatie este Fragonard insa trec repede peste ea deoarece v-am vorbit intr-un alt post despre muzeul acestei marci, aflat pe o straduta langa Opera Garnier.

Penhaligon’s : stiu suntem in plina vara si bineinteles ca, daca sunteti in plimbare pe strada respectiva va invit sa intrati…...insa sfatul meu ar fi sa o faceti si in preajma sarbatorilor de iarna. Nu o sa vreti decat sa cumparati toate cadourile pentru cei dragi de aici, atat de frumos si de atragator este decorat.

Magazinul mentine un design in concordanta cu originile sale vechi : marca englezeasca de parfumuri, ce ia nastere in 1872 prin crearea de catre William Penhaligon a primului parfum inspirat din mirosul aburului de haman ce venea de langa baia turceasca vecina cu atelierul sau de barbierit : Hammam Bouquet. Parfum ce exista si astazi. Marele succes este insa Blenheim Bouquet, ce a devenit parfumul lui Churchill. Este un parfum pe care il recomand si fetelor care nu se cramponeaza de limita impusa de marketing privitoare la sexul caruia ii este destinat un parfum. Este un parfum in care se intalnesc note de citrice si de pin si care, la vremea la care a fost compus (1902), a reprezentat ceva foarte special prin nota tonica.

Ce m-a suprins la Penhaligon cand l-am descoperit prima data, a fost oferta mare de altfel de produse, toate din sfera ingrijirii si a frumusetii sau a interiorului : gasesti aici flacoane de parfumuri din cristal sau argint, cutii de bijuterii realizate manual de artizani italieni…scumpeeee !!! si frumoase, mici obiecte de argint precum o cutiuta in care sa fie pastrat primul dinte cazut al copilului, pijamale moi, moi din casmir in care degetele se afunda si refuza sa se mai retraga, mangaiate de materialul fin.

Este un univers intim care se creaza si care iti aduce aminte ca in viteza vremurilor in care traim, la un moment dat in istoria omenirii se acorda mai mult timp tuturor lucrurilor care tineau de toaleta intima si de timpul petrecut in casa. Astazi suntem la epoca dusurilor rapide si a « splash-ului ».
Pret : aprox 110 € pt 100 ml eau de toilette
Bonus : baietii chipesi care asigura vanzarea in magazin :)

Peste drum, la cativa pasi mai sus, pe aceeasi strada, cum mergi catre Madeleine, o noua locatie tot « made in England » : Jo Malone. Trebuie sa recunosc ca intram aici numai pentru a privi modul in care arata magazinul in interior. Vase mari de flori proaspete si cutii perfecte de cadouri orneaza magazinul in care pluteste o atmosfera aproape zen : flacoanele de diverse marimi sunt frumos asezate pe rafturi de o parte si de alta a incaperii, vopsita in crem. In fata o consola este pregatita cu esantioane si blotere. In spate, mobilierul dupa care se ascunde casa de marcat si pe care se impacheteaza cadourile. La Jo Malone modul de impachetare este foarte important si chestia asta este atat de bine facuta, ca iti vine sa cumperi ceva numai pentru a avea parte de o sesiune de impachetare, realizata de vanzatoare. Apoi, ce mi-a fermecat simturile a fost barul special amenajat pentru un masaj de maini.

Ca un client vrajit de lucruri care te imbata numai pentru a pune mana pe portofel si a cumpara, am fost insensibila la produsele lor. Ce mai conta ..…designe-ul era cel care ma atragea si cutiile….Totusi parfumurile pentru interior sunt minunate! Si din oferta mare de parfumuri nu stiu ce sa va recomand, ca au de toate si cu nume care descriu ingredientele…iasomie alba si menta, ambra si levantica, grepfruit, etc..

Dupa ce traversati intersectia cu Rue de Castiglione, la parterul hotelului Costes se afla magazinul parfumurilor IUNX . Daca cele 3 locatii apartin unor marci de parfumuri care au traversat deceniile, ceea ce veti gasi la IUNX este oarecum nou. Pentru cei care sunt interesati si de cine este creat parfumul pe care il poarta, va spun ca este o marca ce apartine unuia dintre cei mai apreciati si talentati parfumeuri moderni : Olivia Giacobetti. Aici ambianta magazinului este total diferita de ce v-am descris pana acum cu celelalte doua locatii. Aici va primesc un mobilier modern, pereti de culoare rosie ca focul si un vanzator care va va vorbi intr-o franceza cu un superb accent irlandez. Si parca totul este altfel aici deoarece flacoanele de parfumuri sunt niste imensi cilindri de 150 ml, iar difuzoarele de parfum sunt niste masinarii parca coborate dintr-un film SF dar care te ajuta atat de bine sa inspiri parfumul fiecarei creatii IUNX.
M-a fermecat Splash Fort un parfum cu o aroma lemnoasa, tare si perfect pentru zilele de iarna. Oferta nu este foarte mare - si asta imi place - 4 Eau de Toilette si 1 Eau de Parfume, + lumanari.
Pret : 150 ml EdT = 103 €
150 ml EdP = 130 €

Sper ca v-am convins sa faceti o plimbare olfactiva si chiar daca nu aveti bugetul pentru un parfum de nisa, intrati si incercati. Veti vedea ca uneori in afara lumii Sephora exista o alta, mai ascunsa insa mai creativa parca si mai putin grabita.

On Rue St. Honoré one can find more than the famous concept store Colette and the luxury prêt-à-porter shops. Those looking for a special kind of perfume, sold not due to a huge marketing, can find on this street four special locations of some perfume brands that can be described as niche perfumes. These perfumes can offer to the most traditional buyers, as well as to the most modern ones, a multitude of olfactory answers in their search for something special... for something else. The pozitive side of this is that in such shops, with a cosy atmosphere and usually belonging to a single brand, one can find quality information from a personnel whose concern is not only to sell a perfume, but to provide more complex imformation that goes beyond simply mentioning the olfactory family to which a perfume belongs.

The first adress is Fragonard, but I will skip this one since I have already talked about it in a previous post, dedicated to the Fragonard Museum, located on a street close to Opera Garnier.

Penhaligon's: we are in the middle of summer now and if by any chance you are walking close by, I invite you to enter and have a look.... but my advice for you is to go there especially during the period of the winter holidays. This shop is so beautiful and nicely decorated, I bet your only wish will be to buy all the gifts for those you love from here.
The design of the shop is in line with the old origins of the brand: an English perfume brand born in 1872 when William Penhaligon created the first perfume inspired by the scent of steam emitted by the Turkish Baths next door to his barber shop: Hammam Bouquet. This perfume exists still nowadays. However, the big success is Blenheim Bouquet which has become Churchill's perfume. I recommend it to women as well, if you do not care for the gender-related limits imposed by the marketing industry.
This perfume combines citrus and pine scents and, when it was created (1902) it represented something very special by its tonic fragrance.
What surprised me at Penhaligon's when I first discovered it, was the large offer of other kinds of goods, all of them for body care&beauty or, for home. One can find here cristal or silver perfume bottles, hand-made jewelry boxes by Italian designers... very expensive!!! and beautiful, small silver items, as for example a small box for keeping inside the child' first fallen tooth, pyjamas made of cashmere, so soft that your fingers refuse to let go.
It is a very cosy universe, created to remind you of bygone times, different from our speedy present life, times when people would pay more attention to grooming themselves and would spend more time at home. Nowadays, we live in the epoch of the quick showers and of the « splash »
Price: approx. 110 € for 100 ml eau de toilette
Bonus: handsome shop assistants :)

Across the same street, a few steps away in the direction of Madeleine, there is another « made in England » shop: Jo Malone. I must admit we entered this shop only to have a look at the interior design. Big vases with fresh flowers and perfect boxes are decorating this shop which is floating in an almost zen atmosphere: bottles of various sizes are elaborately displayed on shelves on both sides of the interior, walls painted in cream. Just in front, there is a stand with perfume samples and blotters. And behind, there is the furniture which conceals the cash desk and which serves for packaging. At Jo Malone packaging is very important and they do it so well that you want to buy something just for having a session of packaging performed by a shop assistant in front of you. In addition, there is a beauty bar for a hands massage – something that enchanted my senses.

Their products however did not touch me.... the design and the elaborate boxes were the things that impressed me most of all... I must admit that their home fragrances are wonderful! As for the very large offer of perfumes, I don't know which one to recommend. You can find almost everything and their names describe the ingredients... white jasmin and mint, amber and lavender, grapefruit, etc.

After crossing the intersection with Rue Castiglione, you can find the IUNX fragrance shop at the ground floor of the Costes hotel. Unlike the 3 previous brands, that have a long tradition, this one is relatively new. For those who are interested to know the name of the person who created a certain perfume, I can tell you that this brand belongs to one of the most appreciated and talented modern perfume creators: Olivia Giacobetti. The atmosphere in this shop is totally different from the locations described above. Here you can find modern furniture, walls painted in a bright red colour and a shop assistant who will talk to you in French with a superb Irish accent. And everything seems to be different here, the perfume bottles are some big cylinders of 150 ml, with atomizers looking like some SF machinery but, which make you feel the fragrance of each IUNX creation.
I was charmed by Splash Fort, a perfume with a woody fragrance, quite strong and perfect for winter days.
The offer is not very large, a fact that I like... 4 Eau de Toilette and 1 Eau de Perfume, +candles.
Price : 150 ml EdT = 103 €
150 ml EdP = 130 €

I hope having convinced you to take an olfactory walk and, even if you might not have the budget for a niche perfume, just enter and try. You will discover a universe totally different from what you can find at Sephora. You will discover a world that is more hidden, but also somehow more creative and less speedy.