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Browsing by author: Guest Shopper

Santa Maria Novella ~ shopping for perfume in London

Posted by Guest Shopper on 9 January 2009 — 0 Comments — Comments are closed

Santa Maria Novella boutique in LondonSanta Maria Novella believes in discretion. Tucked away in a (plush) back street that’s off-off the Fulham Road, the sight of me and my notepad has the sales assistants squirming.

“We don’t advertise,” says the chief assistant, slightly scandalised.

A steady stream of customers suggested that they probably don’t have to. The wealthy residents of Kensington know all about Santa Maria Novella. It’s essentially their local Bath & Body Works.

Santa Maria Novella — the mother shop — is the famous Officina Profumo-Farmaceutica in Florence, Italy, one of the world’s oldest pharmacies and the creator of colognes and unguents whose recipes have been handed down for hundreds of years…

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Patyka ~ shopping for perfume in New York City

Posted by Guest Shopper on 28 December 2008 — 0 Comments — Comments are closed

Patyka boutique in New York CitySometimes it seems as though high-end beauty-product companies have been competing in the “green” arena for ages. In fact, Patyka is one of the more venerable natural and organic boutique lines, having recently reached the ripe age of four years. Its only freestanding store in the United States is located in New York’s West Village, where it presents an unassuming façade amidst other neighborhood shops.

Patyka’s small, sun-washed space is neatly organized and welcoming in an understated way. Artfully distressed shelving displays Patyka’s three Ecocert-approved product collections: the classic Patyka range, including four all-natural fragrances; Biokaliftin specialized skincare; and the new Family line of organic body and face products in brightly colored plastic bottles. The products themselves are set off against the room’s subtle textures and details: a brick-wall painted creamy white, mirrors of different vintages, hand-written price tags dangling from tester bottles, a frosted-glass doorknob…

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Reminiscence ~ shopping for perfume in London

Posted by Guest Shopper on 14 December 2008 — 0 Comments — Comments are closed

Reminiscence boutique in LondonFrench jewellery and perfume house Réminiscence have few shops outside France — a couple in Belgium, one in Kuwait and another in Saudi Arabia. It’s therefore a treat to find the Réminiscence shop in the heart of the King’s Road, London.

The interior of the shop is vivid aqua green, with counters on each side sparkling with silver and costume jewellery, and crystal chandeliers overhead. It’s a little like walking into an undersea treasure cave. Réminiscence is all about fantasy and playfulness, a theme that’s carried through to the fragrances and their presentation. Pastel colours abound, especially in the new Les Notes Gourmandes set of four scents…

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Anna Sui ~ shopping for perfume in New York City

Posted by Guest Shopper on 30 November 2008 — 0 Comments — Comments are closed

Anna Sui perfumes display

Visitors of a certain taste and temperament will want to move into Anna Sui’s SoHo boutique as soon as they experience its urban-bohemian decor. The designer’s style is evident in every aspect of the shop. Her playful, gothic-romantic frocks are displayed in black-painted, antique wardrobes. Costume jewelry glitters in the light from Tiffany-style lamps, the purple walls are hung with vintage rock posters and Aubrey Beardsley prints, and early Cure albums play over the stereo.

Anna Sui’s line of perfumes is arrayed on a low table near the front of the store, where shoppers can easily spritz and test the winsomely packaged scents. The shop’s young, enthusiastic sales associates (all Sui-clad from head to toe) are ready to demonstrate the fragrances and their matching body products…

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Esteban ~ shopping for perfume in Paris

Posted by Guest Shopper on 23 November 2008 — 0 Comments — Comments are closed

Esteban is one of those strange, elusive lines. You hear about new releases but rarely manage to lay your hands on them. Vendors carry a couple of their scents or bathroom products, but never the latest or the one you’re interested in.

It’s therefore a bit of a shock to come across this beautiful double-fronted store in the heart of the Marais. In a quiet but elegant street, the Esteban shop is filled to the ceiling with products and lines you never even knew existed. It’s exquisitely presented in a bright, clean style, and the products themselves are so delightfully packaged, it’s all you can do to leave the shop without your credit card needing a seat and a glass of water…

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