Voyage à Paris

By Asali

Being slow to start writing about our recent trip to Paris, has meant that it’s now a bit difficult not to just be repeating what you already know... But wait, there was a wish from Tara, and maybe a little bit of this and that that I can add along the way, and not just feel like an imitator, but hopefully add something new to the mix as well.

Starting on this very blog only 6 months ago was a conversation to follow the last trip to Paris that Ines and I went on, individually, but none the less to meet up. I copied the exchange because it was what ignited it all; it went like this:

Suzanne; Oh boy, that could be a problem -- or do they let saucy little redheads run wild and loose in Paris these days? ;)
Love you, Ines, you lucky duck!

Ines; Suzanne, of course they let redheads roam the streets of Paris.
Paris actually makes them feel quite welcome. :D
I should get a picture of this redhead roaming the streets - one just for you (as proof of course). ;)

Suzanne; I like your response, Ines! And I would love to have a picture of you roaming the streets (especially with Asali in tow - I've enjoyed reading her guest posts here).

Me; <3Thanks Suzanne <3, I'll make sure that Ines makes no mischief- without me that is ;-) About the not so lucky ducks, I plan for us to eat their livers and wash it down with champagne :-D

Suzanne; LOL! That's a very good plan, Asali. If I'm ever in Paris, I think I'll call you up to see if you might be available to meet me there as a tour guide. (Or at least to point the way to a good foie gras.) <3

You can imagine that with this conversation, we had to go... And there we were 6 months later, Suzanne, Ines and I, plus a special guest star Mark, Suzanne’s husband, meeting up in the city of lights at a small but (as Suzanne aptly named it) ‘serviceable’ hotel in the old and lively Marais quarter of Paris.

Meeting Ines again was lovely, it was just like a further conversation of our mails and letters, and although this was only the second time we met, it already felt so familiar, catching on where we last left. I love meeting new people, and through our e-mails and her authoritative and deeply personal style at her perfume journal, I never doubted that I would like Suzanne very much, but I think I could never have anticipated what a magnificent time we would spend together, the four of us.  We spent almost all wake time in each other’s company, only to part shortly before passing out in our beds from sensory overload. Like Ines, I kept thinking ‘have we talked too much perfume now?’ Or a bit guilty every time we passed (on) Louvre to go and sniff perfumes.

'Popsicle trees at Champs Elyssees for Suzanne'

It’s true that with Suzanne’s fragrant writing and sniffing skills and her generous and wise spirit I did imagine her taller, but she’s in fact rather delicate but with these strong eyes that make you at once seen and seen through, in that friendly way which makes you feel that you don’t have to explain everything, because she already knows. She had brought along her husband Mark, who not only patiently came with us to every perfume shop, but enthusiastically threw himself into full perfumista mode, with a playful and open mind, and ready to jump any fences or provide extra skin space where needed, he was a bonus to the already wonderful company. 

Also, I feel obliged to report that we did get to eat quite a few of those unlucky ducks’ livers and wash them down with a kir royale or two. One place the Kir royale was particularly interesting and was served with fig liquor instead of cassis, very memorable stuff. And since I was so lucky as to be gifted by Ines with a Croatian fig liquor I am now in the fortunate position of being able to recreate this little bit of Paris in Copenhagen.

Yes, I praised Jovoy before, and I cannot say it enough times; if you go to just one place- go there! For all the reasons already mentioned by Ines and Suzanne (and me last year), and because I’m sure afterwards you’ll have your very own Jovoy story to tell, it’s that kind of a magical space. Time stops, new spaces are created and the rest is perfume...

But perhaps you did want to hear a bit more than that? Since I last wrote about Jovoy, they got the opportunity of opening a second shop in a superb location, between the Tuillerie Gardens and the Place Vendome, a prominent position, neighbour to the most expensive hotels in Paris. This was where we went. It’s a much larger shop than the first in Rue de Danielle Casanova, with an even bigger selection, yet the shop is made to seem inviting and cosier through its crimson walls, the sofas at the back of the shop, and not least because of the very warm and welcoming spirit of M. Hénin which embraces the space. Yes, he’s a grand host; he makes everyone seem special and always has time to spare and a perfumed story to tell.

 (This one’s with Tara in mind)
It was a must to go visit Maison Guerlain at the Champs Élysées. First catching my eye, were all the gorgeous extraits. I had a serious struggle to not just pour Vol de Nuit all over me, and forget all about saving skin space, or concern for other peoples perfume space tolerance or lack of same, but since even Mark’s knees had been spoken for that day, much to a concerned bar owner, with newly reupholstered chairs‘s dismay, I restrained. The restraining exercise was due to the new and much talked about release of orientals; Les Déserts d’Orient.
As it turned out, they had only just got them in the day we arrived, which was great luck; I would have been guttered to miss them. They are really so deep and interesting, and as a literally red thread though all three runs one of my most beloved perfume notes; saffron. Merci, M. Wasser.
An incense in name ‘Encens Mythique’ is something as unusual as an aldehydic oriental, or the beautifully deep and dark rose oud; Rose Nacrée. My main attention was instantly focused on the woody dry Songe d’un Bois d’Éte though, and it was sprayed for a test drive. After Suzanne and Mark had left (to go looking for an obscure perfume wish from Undina) I had Ines ask for some help at the Guerlain make-up counter, since she seemed very interested, but equally because I had high hopes that I could rest on some very inviting sofas in the meantime. For Ines the make-up artist chose a gorgeous copper colour to match her hair, and did a pretty wonderful make up on her.

So a lot of words to get to my Guerlain point; On my last day in Paris, Ines had left the night before and Suzanne and Mark had left early that morning, so I was on my own and the weather had once again turned; it was now cold and rainy and it was sad to be alone after the days spent in such loving company. In that way I suppose the weather quite mirrored my state of mind, which is sometimes better than feeling mocked by bright sunshine on an introvert day. A lot of thought had already gone into deciding and thinking about what perfumes to potentially buy - I had suffered severe perfume stress - and I had narrowed it down, through as extensive a wearing as you can do when you go perfume sniffing. I’m just not very good at deciding which ones are truly mine, it’s like the perfumes take a bit of time to reveal their true self to me, or maybe that’s just me not asking the right questions?
Anyway, I decided to see if they would have the orientals at the Place Vendôme Guerlain shop. And not only did they have them, I also met the wonderful SA Patricia, who turned out to be exceptionally knowledgeable and helpful, chatting IFRA and lamenting discontinuations. She just knew it all, and - hold your breath - she even admitted to reading perfume blogs when she had the time!
Mostly we met truly dedicated and wonderful SAs. However, I think some were a cut above the rest. I’m happy to say that between us we must have mentioned them all. And Patricia should get on that list too. So Guerlainistas, now you know your next G-stop in Paris when it sizzles.

I’ll end with the text of G. Apollinaire, which Poulenc sat into music.

Voyage à Paris

Ah! la charmante chose
Quitter un pays morose
Pour Paris
Paris joli
Qu'un jour dût créer l'Amour.

Translates approximately into:

Going to Paris
Ah, how delightful it is

to leave a dismal place

and head for Paris!

Beautiful Paris,

which one day Love had to create!

Sharing the wor(l)d

Like I said many times before, I'm slow, but I get there in the end (can be applied to my running as well). ;)

So, I finally have a page up with Undina's great informational post on perfume shopping around the world.

I sincerely hope it comes useful to many a perfumista traveling the world and visiting these places.

Happy sniffing!

Paris perfume highlights

Even though we managed to visit and sniff our way through many perfume shops (Serge Lutens, Costes/Iunx, Colette, Rosine, Guerlain, JAR, several stands at Printemps) there are two places that stand out in my mind as the highlights of the trip.

I knew Asali was disappointed we didn't get to visit Jovoy together in December and we decided this time around, it was one of the non-negotiable stops.
And I now understand completely why someone who's been there would be disappointed if another perfumista in Paris skipped the store and the experience.

I don't think my words will do justice to the whole experience. I believe we spent over 2 hours there, taking some time to rest on the couch and sofas located in the back for just that purpose.
Even the espresso we all received upon arrival couldn't keep us on our feet after the sniff-a-thon we had there.

As Asali is already known there, she was the one discussing perfumes with Monsieur Hénin the most while we slowly worked our way through the store, coming together to check who tried what and sniff each other's arms and then went on our own again to discover new fragrant wonders.

At some point we all converged on the oud range by Xerjoff and had a lively discussion with Monsieur Hénin there over oud while smelling the Oud Stars. And when I say lively, I mean we all had fun and laughed a lot as Monsieur Hénin is this charming, smiling, elegant man with a slightly wicked sense of humor which he wields as part of his charm. And he even burned oud chips for us. :)

If I remember correctly, the whole Xerjoff oud series is very good - there is something to be found for every taste (possibly not wallet). ;)

I will let the girls tell you their side of the story - I just know I'd go to Paris just so I could go and have fun at Jovoy again.
The bottles  I came out with were Mona di Orio Vetyver (which I knew I would finally buy in Paris) and Brecourt's Haram - another oriental for my ever growing collection.
(I should also mention a bag full of samples of everything I wanted to get to know better)

Mark's photo of the three of us outside Jovoy

The other place that stands out in my mind as a great smelling experience was a stand at Printemps which holds several collections, among others: Nez a Nez, SoOud, Boadicea and Nasomatto.
Asali is also known there, and she recommended the place as there is a great SA working there who, lucky for us, was there when we arrived.
His name is Alexi(s) (we didn't get to hear it right) and he also remembered Asali (like Suzanne said, men love her).
So he proceeded to familiarize us with the ranges and we smelled our way through many of the perfumes on display there. At the end of the session I fell madly in love with Nez a Nez Bal Musqué and promptly took the bottle home with me.


In the end, an honorable mention goes to the nice man at the JAR boutique who was very generous with his time since we entered the boutique after its closing time (the doors weren't locked) and we asked if it would be ok to smell the perfumes even though it was after closing time, and he was very nice and said we had enough time for a quick tour (only it didn't seem quite that quick and he was displaying the perfumes for the four of us rather elegantly, without any hurry).
The one I fell for is the Bolt of Lightning. It is THE perfume I imagined in my post here. It has that metallic smell of lightning in the warm air and the smell of wet asphalt is in the mix. The fact that all this is possible through white flowers never ceases to amaze me. (I knew the price would amaze me too, so I didn't even ask) ;)


The pic of all of us in front of Jovoy is Mark's and Suzanne's.

Perfume shopping in Zagreb - Parfumerija Lana

I admit it freely - I cannot stick to my resolutions. There, it's out. Now on to more interesting subjects.

It's been awhile since I had a new perfume shopping destination to tell you about.

This perfumery has been around for quite some time (I believe around 20 years or so) and over the years I've been hearing good things about its cosmetics department. Only recently (in the last 6 months) have I heard that it is also the place to go if you are interested in shopping for some "niche" perfumes.

So today I went to check. :) And buy a mascara. That was it. The problem was, I wasn't expecting to get blind-sided by Ananas Fizz. There is so litlle left in my bottle, and now it's discontinued, I had to buy it. Which reminds me, there are 3 more bottles left although not exactly cheap I must say (you know, if someone is a hoarder like me).
Anyway, I got to smell some things I didn't expect to and I foresee my visits there continuing with me bringing paper strips of my own to take away with me when I leave, so I have some remembrance of everything I smelled (it felt stupid to ask to take with me the lovely cloth strips they have, and I didn't know what was on them anymore).

Everyone was nice and very generous so my experience was completely positive.
So, without further ado, if you're looking for the following brands in Zagreb, they can be found in perfumery Lana (Bartola Kašića 8):

Tom Ford (the regulars and the exclusives, and the new exclusives)

Serge Lutens

Creed

Juliette Has a Gun

Hermes (although not the Hermessences and Elixirs)

L'Artisan Parfumeur

Van Cleef and Arpels (Collection Extraordinaire)

Annick Goutal

CdG (some)

Balmain

Acqua di Parma

Balenciaga

The Different Company

Etro
Montale (some)


I probably forgot some but I'll update the list with those once I visit again.

And if you're wondering if I bought any other bottle of perfume, the answer is - Hiris. :) I wanted that one for ages.

Pic taken from their facebook page.

Sniffing Paris (sans Ines )

By Asali

While Ines is still very preoccupied with her thesis, I’ll sneak in my Paris part two.  

Experience had taught me that deciding one perfume-buy from home, might me a good idea, as to not get perfume- purchase - stress –syndrome, or serious snuffusion, if I wouldn’t be able to choose from the spoils once there.

 My trip to the Mothership (as baptized by Tara) at 68 Champs Elyssées, was therefore obligatory since my home choice was going to be bought here. It was Cuir Beluga, which stems from the Guerlain L’Art et la Matiere line, and is the fragrant equivalent of wrapping up in a decadent finely woven cashmere shawl. While at the store many other things had to be tested, and had I not been a bit stingy with my available skin space, I’d probably have poured Vol de Nuit Extrait all over myself, as it was, I put some on the right wrist, the right hand being most likely to waft the most fragrance.  Give me a moment to gush to myself... Anyway, apart from Vol de Nuit, I enjoyed sniffing the Les Voyages Olfactifs and had thought that the Christmassy Paris- New York would win me over, but in fact Paris- London was the one that really got me with its grassy and rhubarb notes and a soft woody, vetiver, vanilla dry down (full impressions read here ).

It is a great fragrance when spring lurks, and you try hastening its arrival with an uplifting and delightful perfume.  (I read in the tea leaves of my 5 o’clock cuppa a bottle in the future...) In the end, I was surprised when I reached out to try Le Cologne du Parfumeur, not expecting anything, and loved it from the first sniff.  My non-perfumista friend exclaimed “it radiates”, which is true, it does, a mellow wonderful shine. And even though I normally have problems with discreet transparent fragrances, this one has great longevity and projection for an EdC, and a comforting resinous dry down.

Some nose rest included amongst other things the incredibly beautiful Sante Chapelle.

I have found that of the department stores, I prefer Printemps for perfume shopping; the selection is huge, and the staff overall friendly and knowledgeable. I went there to see if I could get to test the new Lubin EdP version of Idole. I love the original Idole spice fest, and thought what I really wanted was a less fleeting more fixated Idole, but now I am not so sure, maybe the charm of Idole is partly in its volatility. It remains to be sniffed, my sample is still waiting to be tried, I did see that the EdP version has already received rave reviews  here  and here .

The stand which has the Nez a Nez and So Oud amongst others has to be singled out for it’s wonderful SAs. I have on both occasions been helped by a young man (that just made me sound ancient:-/) who, apart from being very pleasant, is also very knowledgeable and clearly loves perfume, and not just the ones from his own brands, the kind of person that makes you feel that you’re his new best friend. He has great ideas for trying new stuff, and so I got away with Marron Chic, which I had not given much thought when I first tried it some time ago, but which now seems like the Christmas/winter party scent. It’s sensuous yet discreet, and yummy without being overly gourmand, all in all just very festive. (It has been on a test drive to the opera with some success, I should add as an afterthought) Definitely my winter hit-hot fragrance.

(Seen at the local Super Market and I simply had to shared it, since a certain fragrance of the same name, now sadly DC, is among my most beloved)

At the Armani Prive stand I was surprised to see a new addition to the Arabian Night line; Cuir Noir.  I hadn’t heard of the release yet, so was of course very excited by this find. Especially since I do find some of these perfumes to be quite extraordinary, I love Bois D’Encens for example. It turned out it was an exclusive release for Printemps at this stage, which will reach broader release in the next month or so.

Unfortunately, there was only the back of my left hand free to spray and there were no samples available, however, what I sniffed I simply adored. Apparently the noir is as in vanilla pods and tobacco, from what I could smell from under the olfactory overload I had suffered; I should say that the cuir was more a soft suede leather as in Cuir Beluga, rather than the spiky Marlboro Man type. Apparently it contained oud too, but I am happy that this particular note really didn’t stick out much on my skin, but was seamlessly blended into the very cozy fragrance. I liked Cuir Noir very much, on the downside is the price of 250€ on the plus is that they will actually carry it at the department store here, so I shall be able to sniff it again as soon as it comes on general release.

I am nearly at the end with talking of my sniffing escapades, but I have still to mention Jovoy- I am very sad that I didn’t get to take Ines there, since this really is a most wonderful boutique, that comes with the highest recommendations possible. The staff as well as the owner are super friendly and welcoming, helpful if you need it, but also happy to let you just sniff on your own for ages, and their selection beautifully picked with a broad palette of classic and more contemporary as well as labels from several countries are at display.

Normally, they will do you samples of the fragrances you want to test, but they had just run out of vials when I visited, this did not lessen the joy of being there. Especially since the owner François Hénin ended up endowing my friend with Parfum D’Empire samples. Personally, I discovered a, to me unfamiliar line called Romea D’Ameor (the perfumer behind those is none other than Pierre Bourdon ) , got to sniff the 3 new HdP, learned that I really like the Rance and the Atelier Flou lines and I got to revisit old suspects like Amouage, MDCI and Vero Profumo. Also, I should give mention to their own range of Jovoy perfumes with several new additions amongst other a very special incense-fragrance in La Liturgie des Heures. But since I kept ah-ing at all the decidedly male fragrances I was aware my nose was probably no longer to be completely trusted, and since this was my last day in Paris I had to leave without buying. I do have a pretty good idea of what needs my further attention though, and they do ship too. If you are visiting Paris, Jovoy is a must, until then, their homepage is the place to go.

http://www.jovoyparis.com/

Thanks for reading  and au revoir !

Paris part 1 – seen through green eyes

By Asali

I enjoyed Ines’ Paris diary post so much, I had second thoughts about writing anything myself, although I had already promised to do so. I am not a diary person, and find it much easier to concentrate on a single subject; however, I found that once I got started I had a lot to share, in fact so much so, this ended up in a two parter as well. J

Firstly: Ines is indeed every bit as red haired as you would imagine and every bit as lovely, and spotting a bright red winter coat, she lit up the Paris December landscape. Although I might have talked somewhat AT her at times, she did not seem to mind too much, our rather long e-mail correspondences prepared us, and meeting in person was just an extension of our cyber friendship.

My trip with Ines started out at L’Artisan Parfumeur, where we headed straight for the exclusive Mon Numero collection.  I really liked Mon Numero 10, which is basically a very wearable, soft incense fragrance, and I could imagine it would get at lot of wear if I owned it, but all in all, from this line it is still a bottle of Olivia Giacobetti’s Safran Troublant which has my number - in the future at least.

From there on we decided to go to Sens Unique in the Marais. I discovered to my great pleasure and surprise, Sens Unique is situated right opposite my Paris hairdresser in this hip part of town, so I actually had a pre-sniff in there the day before meeting up with Ines. At this first visit I (re-)discovered the perfume line Evody which does hold quite a few gems.  I tested the gorgeous Bois Secret which is just that; lovely secretive wood. As Ines mentioned I also came very close to getting myself a PROPER green fragrance, Parfumerie Generale’s Papyrus de Ciane.  It was definitely green, and yet it had enough vetiver, incense and spice for me to feel on safe and friendly ground. The only reason that it didn’t get to come straight home with me was, that it didn’t feel at all wintery to me, and considering I might have another 4 months of winter to come, I would rather wait a little. Buying a perfume, and then not to wear it for several months, just doesn’t seem quite right. Am I alone feeling that way? Une Crime Exotique was beautiful and very Chrismassy, and I can absolutely see why Ines went home with a bottle. And another vote goes to the lovely Svetlana, who was a wonderful host, and let us sniff to our hearts contend. Our time in the small but very well stocked perfume boutique flew by so fast, that I was very happy that we already had an appointment for the next day meeting up with Denyse to go to Palais Royal. 

What can I say, Palais Royale is wonderful, and I could go home with half the shop, but at this moment I restrained myself.  Denyse next took us to Costes, which are the single distributor of Iunx, Olivia Giacobetti’s brand. At Iunx I fell for the stunning creation L’Ether. Here again it was an resiny Incense scent, one in true Giacobetti style swirling and radiating above and around you, playing hard to get. It is truly ethereal, and a perfume I keep going back to in my mind, thinking this will too find its way into my perfume cupboard.

Denyse I found to be a truly vibrant, passionate and warm woman, and she shared generously of her vast knowledge and time. Spending time with her and Ines was a great pleasure, and I felt grateful yet again over the joys and friendships that this scented community has brought me. 

While we had spent all this lovely time together on a scented tour of Paris, it had gone dark around us, and after having left Denyse at Rue Rivoli, Ines and I walked through the Tuileries Gardens and said our goodbyes by the Pont Royal.  A very worthy place to do so, I find.

Having fun in Paris II

I don't know if I mentioned this before, but upon hearing I'm going alone to Paris, my mother said she'd like to come as well (she was never there).

I am so glad she decided to come, even though the 3 days aren't even close enough for someone who is there for the first time to see anything. But she had fun.

So, I spent the Saturday morning walking around (and getting a bit lost) with my mother, then headed to meet with Asali at 3, before we went together to meet Denyse for coffee.
We were meeting at a bistro at Palais Royale, the most easiest to find if you remember correctly the instructions from the email (which I didn't). But we found it (and a nice French guy even googled the location to help us). :)

And let me tell you, time spent with Denyse flies by. She wasn't as I imagined her from her blog writings, she is very gregarious, smiling, vivacious and interesting to talk to (or just listen to). I feel Asali and I were lucky as she brought with herself, two of the creations she tried at the IFF Speed-smelling lunch she talked about on her blog.
I was much more impressed with Citizen K than with Yamazaki Idylle, which I wouldn't mind drinking but well, the Idylle from the name is one of the Guerlains I'm not in love with. Citizen K on the other hand, I seriously hope will become widely available (if we're lucky).


After coffee, of course we proceeded to Serge Lutens.
I was there only once 3 years ago and I was the only one there. This time around, there were a lot of people inside and people kept coming and going. It was a bit crowded.

I wasn't interested in buying a bottle (except the Christmas present for my boyfriend) because as my company is located in Slovenia (the EU), SLs are always available for ordering.

I smelled many, learned I really like El Attarine and was careful not to get too close to Un Bois Vanille so it wouldn't follow me home. :)


Denyse suggested one more stop after Serge Lutens, so she took us to the Iunx shop. She and Asali kept talking about the name and I kept thinking, how come I've never heard of this line before?!
Well, that happens when all you ever do with names is read them somewhere and don't pronounce them. :)
Once we were in front of the shop and I saw the name in writing, everything fell into place.
(from now on, I'm pronouncing brand names loudly - except possibly for Xerjoff)

The shop only carries two lines - Iunx and Costes.

The Iunx perfumes are located in these strange tubes which release scent when you put your nose close to them. It's actually a great way for getting a good smell. Too great as I learned I really enjoy the tubes containing Eau Frappee, Eau Baptiste and Splash Forte.
The very good-looking girl SA told me that my choices range all over (which they do) but each of them is unique and interesting and now I need to get myself samples so I can get to know them better.

In the end I walked out with Costes 1. :) The winner of the day (and quite economical when compared to other perfumes I liked that weekend).

We said our good-byes to denyse and hopefully, there will be another chance in the future to visit perfume shops in Paris with her explaining all the details and background.

Having fun in Paris

I was there for only 3 days (not even 3 full days at that) but I still think time flies when you're in Paris.  It went by in a flurry of visits and walks.

On Friday afternoon I met Asali for the first time and we thought we'd visit several perfume shops that afternoon.

Our first stop was L'Artisan's boutique just opposite the Louvre with the Numeros.
Ok, so we didn't smell them all on skin properly, but first from the bowls, and then on strips and only numbers 1, 3, 4 and 10 (those were the only ones they had).

I really liked number 3 for Germany and Asali prefered number 10 but overall, I can't say I think they are that special. And the number 3 (with lavender, iris and vetiver) seemed very familiar to me while I was smelling it on me.  I still didn't remember what exactly it is reminding me of.

Next, we  managed a quick visit to Sephora where I wanted to try the new Aromatics Elixir (and didn't, because the tester was empty) but we sniffed some of the Guerlains on offer.
And here we are: Asali

And I:

I am not very happy to be falling a bit for Tonka Imperiale, I can tell you that. (170 euros not happy)

Also, I wouldn't mind having some Cologne du Parfumeur as it smells like an extremely classy and elegant cologne.

The really surprising thing was that I seriously like La Petite Robe Noire. :) It's frivolously easy to like.

Btw, we were lucky to even get these 2 photos as an SA arrived and said it was forbidden to take pictures.
Our next stop was Sens Unique and that also turned out to be our last stop for the day. :)

The lovely shop owner Svetlana spent almost 2 hours with us explaining everything and discussing perfumes.

Asali was convinced (by Svetlana) that there might actually be a green perfume out there she might enjoy wearing.

I, on the other hand, asked directly if she knew of a Christmasy perfume. And she did.

Imagine my surprise when it turned out to be Une Crime Exotique by Parfumerie Generale. :)

The other one by Parfumerie Generale that caught my attention was Cedre Sandaraque  - a really strange concoction - starting too sharply on me but then turning into something dangerously intriguing.

I will have to give it more time  and then possibly decide if I need to buy it - if I'll be able to wear it often enough.

I walked out with Une Crime Exotique of course. :)

 

Afterwards we sat down for a glass of Kir - I never tried that before, dry white wine and a bit of blackcurrant syrup - yummy.

(I stand corrected - Laurinha explained that the cassis syrup isn't a syrup but Creme de cassis, also liquor - see comments below)

Asali is even nicer in real life than through emails and we just started talking from where we left off previously.

And she has lovely green eyes - if you're wondering why I'm saying that, it's because I've always wanted to have green eyes. :)

Next to come - what happened on Saturday. :)

Les Exclusifs de Chanel in Zagreb!

Honestly, I thought at first that someone made a mistake in publishing a little article in one newspaper I accidentally got hold of.
Then I googled it and amid all the wrong hits, I found again a little article saying that Limoni opened a Chanel perfume boutique  on Novemeber 15.

So, yesterday I went to check. :)
And sure thing, it's there! And the Exclusifs are there too! :)
They only have perfumes and for the first time, a boutique here actually has them all in pure parfum strengths as well.

The address is Mesnička 1 - here is the map.

And the SAs seem nice - the one I talked to was helpful, smiling and perfectly enthusiastic (just the right amount).

Perfume shopping in Zagreb - Institut Parfumeur Flores

I think I shoud stop for a while with this feature. :) You know, let my credit cards recover. Thankfully, there aren't that many niche perfumeries in Zagreb. I do have to say though that Flores easily tops the list. The address is Dežmanov prolaz 2.

Yesterday when there, I felt like a kid in a candy shop. Later I reflected back and thought that the SA must have thought so herself, I didn't know where to start and what to try and had a serious problem concentrating on perfumes she was handing me to smell. I tell you, kid in a candy shop. :)

There are soo many different brands on such large shelves that go up to the ceiling that you get lost just trying to figure out what they have. Then I made a mistake asking the SA to tell me what brands they carry (I already had some I knew of before written down) but in the end, I didn't manage to write them all down and I felt bad asking her to repeat. It would even be a bit embarassing for me because I've never heard of some of them.

Since the last time I was there, they have enlarged their offer with, for example, By Kilian. And they have Back to Black (no Pure Oud yet). And Carol, if you're reading this, I didn't have enough time and wrist space to try it properly there, but I got a sample for home. I am so looking forward to trying it since hearing so many wonderful things about it (mostly by Carol). :)

Ok, on to the list of (almost) every brand of perfume Flores carries:

- By Kilian

- Parfum d'Empire

- Santa Maria Novella

- Amouage

- L'Artisan Parfumeur

- The Different Company

- Washington Tremlett

- Mona di Orio

- Mark Buxton

- Bond no. 9

- Frapin

- Villoresi

- Profumum Roma

- Clive Christian

- Nobile 1942.

- Miller Harris

- Les Parfums de Rosine

- Teo Cabanel

- Juliette has a gun

- Nasomatto

- Sud Pacifique

- Demeter

- Robert Piguet

- Carthusia

- Morgane le Fay

- Truefitt and Hill

- Comptoir Sud Pacifique

- Ortigia

- Czech and Speake

- Profumi del Forte

- Jovoy Paris

- Eau d'Italie

These are all I managed to gather, I probably missed some. It's just wonderful in there and you'll excuse me for getting a bit lost.

Although I did get lost among all these wonders, in the end I managed to come out with Clove Absolute (again something that qualifies as a more masculine scent) and Wazamba. I know. I have no control over my spending. :)

But that wasn't the end. They also have a little part of their space dedicated to delicacies - I concentrated on tea this time (olive oil, cakes and jams didn't interest me). I still haven't tried the tea I bought by Mariage Freres but will soon. I bought Pharaon because I fell in love with the way it smells.

Btw, they also have a small coffee (more like tea) shop where you can enjoy most of the delicacies they sell.

Going to Flores might be a bit problematic for the credit card but it's a world of pleasure for the nose and the palate.

Picture by: www.flores-group.com

Perfume shopping in Zagreb - Viktor Koncept

My hometown might not be Paris, London or New York but we do have our share of niche perfumeries. :) Thank God for that.

I don't how many people will visit Zagreb and decide to to go niche perfume shopping, but in case some get the urge, I decided to do a series of posts after visiting each of the stores. Those visits might prove a bit hard on my credit card account but will certainly make me happy, like the one yesterday to Viktor Koncept proved to be.

All the shops I plan to visit are located in the centre of the city but since that is a relatively large area, I am attaching a map to the address, Kralja Držislava 10.

Viktor Koncept is not only a niche perfumery but as the name might indicate, also a concept store. I wasn't interested yesterday in perusing the rest of the store that contains clothes, shoes and accesories for men and women, and some cute house accesories as well (I checked those the last time I was there).

I have to admit, I wasn't there for quite a while, so I got terribly upset with myself after entering and discovering that they have significantly improved their offer with new lines. I mean, I know why I didn't go (trying not to spend money) but I still should have. At least there is still time to change that and try everything I find interesting, or the SA finds interesting. I didn't achieve a rapport with the lady there but she was still nice and at some point in time, seeing my obvious interest, presented some of the Comme des Garcons fragrances I might find interesting (I was mostly focused on them yesterday).

My most pressing concern in going there yesterday was trying the L'Artisan's Vanillas since I know Viktor holds the line. They still didn't have the Havana Vanille on offer but had one bottle left of Vanilia. So I tried the Vanilia and while I was discussing my wish to compare it to Havana, another SA came and said that they just got yesterday the sample and if I wanted, they could spray it for me to try. I mean, what they had was a 10 ml decant bottle, not the actual sample bottle. Not only Havana Vanille, but they also had a small bottle of Al Oudh as well. :) And of course I tried that one as well. What can I say - I've learned to appreciate and respect ouds but I still have a problem wearing them. I had no more space on my wrists so I only tried a strip of this one, but that was enough. I not only find it wearable, I find it sexy of all things (I'm not sure if that was the intended idea). It's obviously an oud fragrance but it is so much more (it takes you to faraway places that speak to your soul and seduce you).

This oud is going to find it's way to me sooner than later. :)

Actually, this was not the point I was trying to make, I got sidetracked by oud.

After spraying Havana Vanille on a strip and smelling it, it was obvious straight away that this was not the vanilla I was going to take home. I got hit by sweet vanilla, rum and dried fruit and had to remove it from my nose straight away. I am planning to give it space on my wrist in the future but I'm not holding my hopes up for it. I do understand now why people are upset that Vanilia is going out of production. But my bottle is safe now. :)

This is turning into a long post. :) So, to get to the point. If you are interested in tracking down the following lines in Zagreb, Viktor Koncept is where you can find them:

- I already mentioned L'Artisan and CdG

- Parfums de Nicolai (including home fragrances and lovely bottles for holding them)

- Etat Libre d'Orange (no Fat Electrician yet)

- Penhaligon's

- Byredo (and candles)

- Villoresi

- Carthusia

- Juliette has a gun

- Escentric Molecules

- Boudicca

- Parfum D'Empire

- Maitre Parfumeur et Gantier (can't wait to try them)

- Parfumerie Generale

- Parfum d'Orsay

- and lastly, they have Cire Trudon candles.

My appetite for discovery is only whetted now. I plan to visit in a month or so (just before Christmas) since that's around the time they are expecting some new additions (like CdG Daphne, Penhaligon's Amaranthine and I have high hopes I might find Al Oudh then as well).

Come back next week and see what else can be found in Zagreb.

Pictures by: Viktor Koncept facebook page.