Paris and perfume… These words are synonymous for most perfume lovers, and shortly after creating Bois de Jasmin in 2005, one of my first long articles was devoted to perfume shopping in Paris. Part I and Part II offered a walking tour of the capital’s best fragrant treasures. Since then, I have been meaning to update these posts with a directory of Paris fragrant destinations, based on my visits and new discoveries. This directory will include various perfume shopping destinations as well as my other favorite addresses.
The directory is frequently updated, therefore please check back periodically to see new additions, changes and updates. L indicates Left Bank, and R—Right Bank. If you have your own favorite places in Paris, whether perfume, food, fashion or art related, please do not hesitate to share. Of course, if you visit any of these places and have your own experiences (and updates!), please comment!
Abdul Samad Al Qurashi (R)
45 avenue George V, 8th arr
Tel: +33 (0)1 47 23 31 94
www.asqgrp.com
Middle Eastern style perfume oils, interesting oud blends and rose attars.
Amin Kader (R)
1 rue de la Paix, 2nd arr
2 rue Guisarde, 6th arr
Tel: + 33 (0)1 42 61 33 25
Amin Kader, a fashion designer, has transformed the fashion boutique into a gorgeous Renaissance fantasy full of frescoes and beautiful architectural details. It carries a full line of Santa Maria Novella products.
Annick Goutal
12 Place Saint-Sulpice , 6th arr (L)
Tel : +33 (0)1 46 33 03 15
3 Bis Rue Rosiers, 4th arr (R)
Tel: + 33 (0)1 48 87 80 13
14 rue de Castiglione, 1st arr (R)
Tel : +33 (0)1 42 60 52 82
Although Annick Goutal fragrances are easy enough to find at department stores in Paris, the freestanding boutiques are charming. You can also find there the full collection of excellent Annick Goutal candles as well as book a rose-scented spa treatment at the Annick Goutal Beauty Institute. After visiting Annick Goutal, walk over to the Pierre Hermé patisserie shop to buy some of the best pastries in Paris as well as delicious Christine Ferber jams.
NB: Also see Merci listing for Annick Goutal fragrances sold at discount.
Arabian Oud (R)
63 Avenue Champs Elysées, 8th arr
Tel: +33 (0)1 43 59 59 59
Eastern Arabic style perfume oils, oud blends and floral attars
Au Nom de la Rose (R)
51 rue Cler, 7th arr
Tel: +33 (0)1 44 18 98 01
A rose scented olfactory experience! A florist boutique devoted to everything rose scented–soap, candy, candles, jams, even rose honey, and of course, fresh flowers. The smallest purchase is lovingly decorated with fresh roses and rose petals. The market on rue Cler is one of my favorites in Paris.
Le Bon Marché (L)
24 rue de Sèvres, 7th arr
Tel: + 33 (0)1 44 39 80 00
Le Bon Marché may not have the gloss and glamor of les grands magasins on the Right Bank (Galeries Lafayette and Printemps,) but it has a great and well-edited selection in pretty much every category. Caron has a whole area in the lingerie department, complete with powder puffs and perfume fountains. Le Bon Marché is also less crowded than the other big stores (except during the semiannual sales in January and June.) For a budget conscious shopper, there are also many great choices both in the store itself and in the boutiques nearby. Finally, do not miss its fantastic food emporium, La Grande Épicerie de Paris!
Cadolle (R)
4 rue Cambon, 1er
Tel: + 33 (0)1 42 60 94 22
255 rue Saint-Honoré, 1st arr (by appointment only)
Tel: + 33 (0)1 42 60 94 94
Herminie Cadolle invented the brassiere in 1889 by cutting the corset in two. Today, Cadolle still creates some of the most comfortable and beautiful lingerie in Paris. While the prices are as luxurious as the pieces themselves, if you are visiting Chanel across the street, Cadolle is worth a look.
Caron (R)
90 Faubourg Saint-Honoré, 1st arr
34 Avenue Montaigne, 8th arr
Tel: + 33 (0)1 47 23 40 82
Famous urn fragrances, beauty and makeup preparations, gorgeous vanity table accessories and swan down puffs in an array of bright shades.
Chanel (R)
31 rue Cambon, 1st arr
42 avenue Montaigne , 9th arr
Tel: + 33 (0)1 44 50 66 00
Exclusive fragrances, a full line of scented and cosmetic products. I love rue the Cambon location for the history surrounding it. Knowing that Coco Chanel worked only a couple of floors above adds something special to the place for me. Every time I have made a purchase at the boutique, whether a bottle of perfume or a lipstick, it was beautifully packaged and embellished with Coco’s signature flower, white camellia.
Cire Trudon (L)
78 rue de Seine, 6th arr
Tel: +33 (0)1 43 26 46 50
A great line of candles and scented home products with unique scents such as the polished wooden floors of Versailles or Indian flower markets.
Colette (R)
213 rue Saint-Honoré, 1st arr
Tel: + 33 (0) 1 55 35 33 90
Not to be missed! A concept store that carries some of the most avant-garde fashions as well as interesting and hard-to-find perfume lines (Mark Buxton, Solange Azagury-Partridge, Le Labo, Balmain, ByRedo, Comme des Garçons, Costes, Escentual Molecules, Indult, Juliette Has a Gun, Karl Lagerfield, Six Scents, among many others.)
Comme des Garçons (R)
23 place du Marché Saint-Honoré, 1st arr
Tel: + 33 (0)1 47 03 15 03
The Comme des Garçons Perfume Shop is devoted to perfumes, scented candles, and incense. The brilliant white design with pink-tinted lighting alone is worth a visit.
Dior (R)
30 avenue Montaigne, 8th arr
Tel: + 33 (0) 1 40 73 73 73
Dior classics such as Eau Fraîche, Diorling, Diorama and Dioressence can be found here as well as the exclusive collections.
Diptyque (L )
34 boulevard Saint-Germain, 5th arr
Tel: + 33 (0)1 01 43 26 77 44
Fragrances, home scents, body products. Try their Philosykos shower gel that also doubles as a nice shampoo.
Divine (R)
3 rue Scribe, 9th arr
Tel: + 33 (0)1 40 06 03 14
A lovely boutique devoted to everything Divine, where the staff is generous with samples. You can also get your bottles refilled. Also, chocolatier Pierre Marcolini is next door.
État Libre d’Orange (R)
69 rue des Archives, 3rd arr
Tel: +33 (0)1 42 78 30 09
I love Marais, a neighborhood that is home to État Libre d’Orange and its boutique. As such, 69 rue des Archives is often on my itinerary. Excellent niche perfumery at very reasonable prices.
Esteban (R)
20 rue des Francs-Bourgeois, 3rd arr
Tel: +33 (0)1 40 27 04 16
Incense, home fragrances, perfumes. The store is very close to Annick Goutal as well as the Stéphanie de Saint-Aignan boutiques.
Fauchon (R)
26 Place de la Madeleine, 8th arr
Tel: + 33 (0)1 70 39 38 00
The whole area around Place de la Madeleine is filled with some of the best gourmet boutiques, but Fauchon is where I always stop for teas, jams and chocolates.
Francis Kurkdjian (R)
5, rue d’Alger, 1er
Tel: + 33 (0)1 42 60 07 07
The full line of Maison Francis Kurkdjian. Personal fragrance services are also available.
Frédéric Malle
21 rue du Mont-Thabor 75001 (R)
37 rue de Grenelle 75007 (L)
Tel: + 33 (0)1 42 22 76 40
I prefer Frédéric Malle’s boutique on rue de Grenelle, mostly because I love shoes only slightly less than I love perfume, and rue de Grenelle is renowned for its shoe boutiques. Simply walking down this scenic street is a delight. Both stores have the full line of fragrances, home scents and body products, including their highly fragrant soap.
Galeries Lafayette and Le Printemps (R)
40 Boulevard Haussmann, 9th arr
Tel: + 33 (0)1 42 82 34 56
www2.galerieslafayette.com
64 Boulevard Haussmann, 9th arr
Tel: + 33 (0)1 42 82 50 00
Those who are pressed for time should visit these famous department stores. Niche perfumery is well represented there. Le Printemps de la Beauté is one of my favorite beauty spots. Just beware that both stores can get very crowded, especially during the height of the tourist season. Lafayette Gourmet is a must stop, whether to have a nice lunch or to stock up on delicious gourmand fare. Be sure to ask at your hotel if they have a discount card for either Galeries Lafayette and Le Printemps.
Guerlain
68, avenue de Champs-Élysées, 8th arr (R)
Tel: + 33 (0)1 45 62 52 57
35 Rue Tronchet (R)
Tel: + 33 (0)1 47 42 53 23
29 Rue Sèvres (L)
Tel: + 33 (0)1 42 22 46 60
Guerlain has several locations in Paris, of which 68, avenue de Champs-Élysées is the most famous. It is the only place where all of the Guerlain extraits de parfum can be sampled, including the ethereally beautiful Chant d’Arômes. It is also possible to smell (although not to purchase) some of the old Guerlain fragrances. I love Kadine (1911,) an ambery floral fragrance. Cachet Juane (1937) is a delicious blend of spicy woods accented with orange. Finally, Ode (1955) is a honeyed floral bouquet reminiscent of Jean Patou Joy. Also, be sure to check out the exquisite home fragrance line (my favorite scent Hiver en Russie is a sweet incense and amber blend.) For a full description of the boutique, please see my Guerlain boutique review.
JAR Parfums (R)
24 rue de Castiglione, 1st arr
Tel: + 33 (0)1 40 20 47 20
www.jar-parfums.fr
The purple hued boutique where you can smell the famous (and extremely expensive) fragrances. Annick Goutal is next door.
Jean Patou (R)
5, rue de Castiglione, 1st arr
Tel + 33 (0)1 42 92 07 22
Across the street from Annick Goutal and JAR Parfums, there is a mod styled Jean Patou boutique. The selection is limited to currently produced fragrances, although you can also buy their parfum versions. If you have time, I recommend visiting their Perfume Bar (a story of my experience.) Do check opening hours before you visit, since they are currently erratic. Update: sorry to report that the Perfume Bar is no longer open to public.
Jo Malone (R)
326 rue Saint-Honoré, 1st arr
Tel: + 33 (0)1 47 03 01 66
An elegant cream and black boutique devoted to the full range of Jo Malone products.
Jovoy Paris (R)
4 rue de Castiglione, 1st arr
Tel: + 33 (0)1 40 20 06 19
Jovoy fragrance house was founded by Blanche Arvoy in 1923, but today it’s a boutique/concept store that carries an impressive line of niche perfumes. From tiny lines like Nobile 1942 and Maison Dorin to more well-known collections like Amouage and The Different Company. It also has its own line of perfumes. The boutique is very charming, and the service is usually excellent.
Hermès (R)
24 Faubourg Saint-Honoré, 1st arr
Tel: + 33 (0)1 40 17 47 17
Exclusive collections, parfum versions of Hermès classics. A beautiful boutique that has fantastic window designs that change with seasons.
IUNX (store near entrance to Hotel Costes) (R)
239 rue saint-Honoré, 1st arr
Tel: + 33 (0)1 42 44 50 25
A tiny store near the entrance to Hotel Costes is the only place where you can find IUNX products designed by perfumer Olivia Giacobetti. It also sells Costes fragrances and home scents.
Ladurée (R)
16 rue Royale, 8th arr
Tel: + 33 (0)1 42 60 21 79
21 rue Bonaparte, 6th arrbr> Tel: + 33 (0)1 44 07 64 87
62, boulevard Haussmann, 9th arr
Tel: + 33 (0)1 42 82 40 10
75 avenue des Champs-Élysées, 8th arr
Tel: + 33 (0)1 40 75 08 75
Famous macarons in a wide range of colors and flavors, pastries, cakes and more. I recommend making a reservation for breakfast at their Champs-Élysées location (specify that you want to sit upstairs.) Order hot chocolate and enjoy it while looking out of the window and absorbing the Parisian scene below. Body products and candles are available as well.
Lanvin (R)
22 rue du Faubourg St-Honoré, 8th arr
Tel: + 33 (0)1 44 71 33 33
A full collection of Lanvin fragrances can be found at this pretty blue toned boutique.
L’Artisan Parfumeur
24 boulevard Raspail, 7th arr (L)
Tel: + 33 (0)1 42 22 23 32
2 rue Vignon, 9th arr (R)
Tel: + 33 (0)1 42 66 32 66
2 rue de l’Amiral de Coligny, 1st arr (R)
Tel: + 33 (0)1 44 88 27 50
34 rue des Francs Bourgeois, 3rd arr (R)
Tel: + 33 (0)1 42 77 80 28
32 rue du Bourg Tibourg, 4th arr (R)
Tel: + 33 (0)1 48 04 55 66
L’Artisan fragrances can also be found at Le Bon Marché, Franck et Fils, Galeries Lafayette Haussmann and Le Printemps in Paris.
Maître Parfumeur et Gantier (R)
5, rue des Capucines, 1st arr
Tel: +33 (0)1 42 96 35 13
www.maitre-parfumeur-et-gantier.com
MPG fragrances can be discovered at this elegant boutique.
Marie Antoinette (R)
Place du marché Sainte Catherine
5, rue d’Ormesson, 4th arr
Tel: + 33 (0)1 42 71 25 07
Claus Porto, Isabey, Oriza L. Legrand, Lubin, Carven, Robert Piguet, Houbigant, Parfums d’Orsay, Teo Cabanel, Mona di Orio, Parfum d’Empire, Frapin, Vero Profumo, Andy Tauer, Meo Fusciuni, Magnetic Scent, Eutopie, Amorvero, Olfactive Studio, Atelier Cologne, and Hierbas de Ibiza are the lines carried by this boutique. The location in the heart of Marais is fantastic.
Memo (L)
Created by Clara Molloy, MEMO fragrances capture her childhood memories and favorite travel destinations. The boutique offers the full line, including her excellent 22 Perfumers book (available in English.) Sold at Le Bon Marché and Galeries Lafayette.
Merci (R)
111 boulevard Beaumarchais, 3rd arr
Tel: + 33 (0)1 42 77 00 33
I love Merci! It is a charming multi-brand, multi-concept store: a flower shop, used book store and café. It is owned by the founders of Bonpoint, a children’s clothing shop, and they sell clothing, fabric and perfume. Now, if you love Annick Goutal fragrances, then it is a place to visit, particularly since it was founded by Annick’s sister Marie-France Cohen. As Denyse shared*, “Passion, L’Eau du Sud, L’Heure Exquise, L’Eau de Camille and L’Eau de Charlotte are sold in plain lab bottles: 22 € for 25ml, 39€ for 50ml, 59€ for 100ml and 119€ for 200ml. If you bring in your own bottle to fill, it’s even cheaper. The store also offers exclusive re-editions of four discontinued Goutal candles: Dans les Foins (hay), Mes Nuits d’été (fig tree), Chine Impériale (smoky tea) and Corsé (spicy), at 29€ for a 175-gram candle in a glass, and 19€ for a refill.” Also, I wanted to mention that Merci is also a not-for-profit operation, with all of its proceeds directed to children’s charities.
*Denyse’s posts on shopping in Paris are also a recommended read: Part 1 and Part 2.
Mona (L)
17 rue Bonaparte, 6th arr.
Tel: + 33 (0)1 44 07 07 27
Not so much a perfume destination as a great multi-brand fashion store (their selection of shoes is amazing.)
Montale (R)
26 place Vendôme, 1st arr (CLOSED, a new location will be announced soon)
Tel: + 33 (0)1 42 96 97 44
www.montaleparfums.com
A dizzying range of oud fragrances as well as other Montale specialties. The staff is friendly and generous with samples.
Les Néréïdes
23 rue du Four, 6th arr (L)
Tel: + 33 (0)1 43263355
5 rue du Bourg l’Abbé, 3rd arr (R)
Tel: +33 (0)1 80 50 51 11
Beautiful jewelry and perfumes.
Nina Ricci (R)
39 avenue Montaigne, 8th arr
Tel: +33 (0)1 40 88 64 42
I do not know how many times I have walked past the Nina Ricci boutique before I finally stopped by and discovered that it sells the full line of Ricci classics (including the parfum versions) as well as Coeur-Joie, an exhilarating floral composition created by Germaine Cellier of Robert Piguet Fracas fame.
Nose (R)
20, rue Bachaumont, 2nd arr
A concept store offering fragrances, cosmetics and home scents. The choice of brands is very wide, from well-known brands like Acqua di Parma to tiny outfits like Tola. Don’t miss L’Atelier de l’éclair next door, a nice place to take a break and enjoy pastries and tea.
Réminiscence (L)
22 rue du Four, 6th arr
Tel: + 33 (0)1 40 51 83 50
www.reminiscence.fr
Patchouli in various guises–the original Reminiscence Patchouli was launched in 1970, while today it also exists in a dark, richer form, Patchouli Elixir.
Parfums de Nicolaï
69, avenue Raymond Poincaré, 16th arr (R)
Tel: +33 (0)1 47 55 90 44
28, rue de Richelieu, 1st arr (R)
Tel: +33 (0)1 44 55 02 02
80, rue de Grenelle, 7th arr (L)
Tel: +33 (0)1 45 44 59 59
45, rue des Archives, 3rd arr (R)
Tel: +33 (0)1 48 87 05 19
24, bis boulevard de Courcelles, 17th arr (R)
Tel : +33 (0)1 42 67 86 27
My favorite location is 80, rue de Grenelle, mostly because I love the neighborhood and often stay nearby. The boutique offers a full line of Nicolaï fragrances, bath products and home scents.
Les Parfums de Rosine (R)
105 Galerie de Valois, 1st arr
Tel: + 33 (0)1 42 60 11 51
After visiting Serge Lutens, walk to the end of the gallery to find the tiny, but charming Les Parfums de Rosine boutique. The service is very friendly and helpful.
Pierre Hermé (L)
72 rue Bonaparte, 6th arr
Tel: + 33 (0)1 43 54 47 77
Pierre Hermé’s tiny freestanding boutique is worth a visit for some of the most delicious pastries and macarons in Paris. Often called The Picasso of Pastry, Hermé’s flavor combinations are unusual and surprising : olive oil and vanilla, saffron and apricot, chestnut and coffee, etc. I also love Christine Ferber’s jams, which can be found at his boutique (Ferber, like Hermé, comes from Alsace.) Her blackcurrant-violet jelly, apricot, cherry and raspberry-rose jams are fantastic. Lafayette Gourmet at Galeries Lafayette is another place to find her products.
Penhaligon’s (R)
209 rue Saint-Honoré , 1st arr
Tel: +33 (0)1 49 26 91 66
A nicely decorated boutique right next door to Chantal Thomass, a maker of some of the most exquisite lingerie.
Santa Maria Novella (see Amin Kader above)
Sens Unique (R)
13 rue du Roi de Sicile, 4th arr
Tel: + 33 (0)1 71 50 30 09
This relatively new multi-brand boutique offers a fantastic selection of numerous niche lines: Parfums MDCI, by Kilian, Amouage, État Libre d’Orange, Honoré des Prés, Parfumerie Générale, Huitième Art, Phaedon and many others.
Sephora (R)
70 Avenue des Champs Elysées, 8th arr
Tel: + 33 (0)1 53 93 22 50
www.sephora.com
A good selection of various beauty and perfume lines, including Serge Lutens. Beware, it can be quite crowded!
Serge Lutens / Les Salons du Palais Royal (R)
Jardin du Palais Royal
142, rue de Valois, 1er
Tel: + 33 (0)1 49 27 09 09
Even if I do not need anything from Serge Lutens, I still never fail to visit the boutique. For one thing, Jardin du Palais Royal is one of my favorite places in Paris. The boutique itself is beautiful and elegant. It is best to ask the staff to help you test fragrances, rather than reach for the bottles yourself; however, this is often the rule in most Paris boutiques.
Sonia Rykiel (L)
194 boulevard Saint-Germain, 6th arr
Tel. +33 (0)1 49 54 60 60
Perfumes, incense, candles by Sonia Rykiel.
Stéphanie de Saint-Aignan (R)
26 rue de Poitou, 3rd arr
Tel: +33 (0)1 42 24 07 99
www.stephaniedesaintaignan.com
An inviting, small boutique devoted to Stéphanie de Saint-Aignan. Stéphanie herself is often there.
The Different Company (R)
10 rue Ferdinand Duval, 4th arr
Tel: + 33 (0)1 42 78 19 34
Fragrances by Jean-Claude Ellena and his daughter Celine Ellena.
If you’ve visited any of these boutiques, please share your impressions, and in general, I always love hearing about your trips to Paris and new discoveries.
Photography by VeraKL
37 Comments
Suzanna: A list so delicious that I have devoured it as one would the Hermé rose macaron. Merci, chère V.! October 21, 2011 at 8:53am
civava: How nice of you. I was just preparing my list for my trip to Paris. This will be very helpful. Tnx. October 21, 2011 at 8:54am
carmencanada: Just a couple of update to this excellent itinerary: Evody no longer exists (they’ve converted into a perfume brand), and neither does the stand-alone Memo boutique (they’re available at Le Bon Marché). The Patou boutique is not regularly open (the brand has been sold off) and as far as I know the fragrance bar upstairs is no longer an option.
The Cadolle address on the rue Saint-Honoré is not a boutique but the studio for made-to-measure lingerie (the ultimate luxury!) but like you, I warmly recommend their line. Their brassieres are of such fabulous quality I get them repaired rather than retire them!
Lastly, there are three new adresses to look into when you do your update, Jovoy, Marie-Antoinette and Sens Unique, all fabulous new multi-brand niche stores. The latter is run by two lovely young Russian women who, like you, speak a daunting number of languages… October 21, 2011 at 5:08am
John Bell: I have seen your blog really impassive. October 15, 2013 at 4:22pm
Victoria: D, I knew you would comment, thanks! 🙂
Last week I was told that JP still offers that service, so I will update as soon as I know for sure. I’m going to be in that area today anyway. October 21, 2011 at 6:38am
Nikki: What a divine list. Thank you! October 21, 2011 at 10:39am
Carla: Visiting the perfume shops is one of the best ways to visit Paris, especially la rive droite. October 21, 2011 at 2:23pm
Victoria: You are welcome! Hope to add more over time! October 21, 2011 at 12:31pm
Victoria: I finally decided to organize my notes! 🙂 Now, to do smth like this for NYC… October 21, 2011 at 12:33pm
Victoria: De rien! 🙂
Ran out to Guerlain for my lunch break and came back with Nuit d'Amour lipstick and Vol de Nuit shimmering powder. Thank you so much for your recommendations! October 21, 2011 at 12:36pm
annemariec: There is Jo Malone and Penhaligon’s in Paris? Lord, that is like taking coals to Newcastle, non? October 21, 2011 at 5:51pm
Victoria: I also like to walk around the city (not just Paris, any city or town) and discover it this way. There are always some surprising discoveries along the way. October 21, 2011 at 4:47pm
Victoria: Totally! 🙂 But there are die hard lovers of these brands, and the Penhaligon's boutique esp is very pretty. I like the location too. October 21, 2011 at 6:01pm
k-amber: An Excellent list! I really love to visit there.. well, I hear Laduree has opened a shop in NYC, that is a good news for you 🙂
Kaori October 21, 2011 at 9:01pm
Victoria: I went once already, but not only is it tiny (no cafe attached, no pastries, just macarons and candy,) macarons themselves were mushy! And very expensive! Some reviewers on Yelp.com mentioned the same thing. October 22, 2011 at 4:39am
Elizabeth: I’m traveling and shopping vicariously through this post! In my imagination, I am visiting the Palais Royal, picking up a bell jar of Bois de Violette, and then taking a stroll through the gardens. And then I’m going to the Frederic Malle boutique to get a new bottle of L’Eau d’Hiver. Thus stocked up on perfume, time to go to Laduree for some pastries and tea!
(I am rusty on the geography of Paris so the order may need to be changed up a bit) October 22, 2011 at 12:26pm
Elizabeth: I was so, so disappointed by the NYC Laduree! I was hoping for a real cafe with those violet-flavored cream puffs and everything. Too bad! At least we have Patisserie Madeleine on 23rd St for macarons (Champagne-apricot, mmmmmm…..). October 22, 2011 at 12:29pm
Victoria: My first experience was strange. I arrived at 10am and noticed that the display cases were empty. I was told that they have no macarons, but that I can make an order and pick it up at 4pm. Since my office is Midtown, the idea of returning to the Upper East Side was very unappealing. As I turned around to leave, a cashier said that they actually do have some. The store had more SAs than customers, but it still took about 20min to get anyone's attention. A manager of Le Maison du Chocolat on the next block mentioned that they were initially concerned about Laduree so close by, but that since its opening, their own sales of macarons have skyrocketed. Plus, LMdC has a nice cafe on premises, where you can sample their chocolates and pastries. October 22, 2011 at 3:43pm
parisbrunch: Laduree is very clever at hiding they’re a big global brand with outposts in Istanbul and Dubai, opening shops almost daily.
They are owned by Paul Boulangerie who make ‘industrial’ macarons for McDonalds. Not a very romantic story when you draw back the lavender velvet curtain with tassels.
La Maison du Chocolat is more reputable and better quality all around imho. August 19, 2012 at 7:48pm
Victoria: I find that the perfume shops are scattered everywhere in the city. The number of PdN boutiques alone impresses me. I finally started taking notes, because places open up and close and change locations constantly.
Your itinerary sounds ideal to me! And very time efficient, esp if you go to Laduree on rue Royale. October 22, 2011 at 4:09pm
k-amber: What a disappointment! Mushy macarons are sad…:(
You have another reason to visit Paris!
Kaori October 22, 2011 at 11:09pm
Victoria: 🙂 that's a good way to look at it! October 24, 2011 at 11:37am
CL: Wonderful list! I’m in Paris right now and have been exploring 3-4 stores a day. I would agree that Sens Unique is a must-add. Really exciting inventory and the owners really know their perfume. I thought Sephora was absolutely awful– SAs standing shoulder-to-shoulder along the perfume wall and making no real effort to move out of the way. A few of them pretended not to speak French, too, which might endear them to 90% of American shoppers but frustrated me, since my French is perfectly good enough to talk about a bottle of perfume.
Colette and CdG are a minute apart and couldn’t be less alike. One a zoo, the other an empty cell. Caron was gorgeous, but I’ve read so many horrified reviews of the reformulations that I was biased against liking anything. Too bad. Even though it’s redundant, I quite like Guerlain’s Champs-Elysees set up. Sephora (with a huge Guerlain section in the front) to the left, bright and open pop-up store in the center, and dark and mysterious guarded boutique to left. Casual shoppers are much more likely to go into Sephora or the pop-up leaving the boutique relatively uncrowded.
Thanks again for your directory! It’s so convenient– I have it downloaded to my iPad and break it out during cafe breaks to see what stores are nearby. November 6, 2011 at 2:05pm
Paul Schütze: Wonderful list! Aside from the additions suggested by carmencanada, I noted a couple of weeks back that Montale seems to have vanished altogether. I was warned of this but passing on my way to the new Jovoy, can verify that, what was once the Place Vendôme shop, is now full of knickers. June 18, 2012 at 5:53pm
Victoria: Paul, oh, thank you! I forgot to change that one. The new Montale shop is going to be reopened at a new location, but it hasn’t been announced yet. June 18, 2012 at 5:58pm
Kim: I appreciate this list so much. Going to Paris solo May 17, 2013 and I’m trying to pull it all together! March 19, 2013 at 9:15pm
Victoria: You’re going to have so much fun! May is such a good time to enjoy the city. March 20, 2013 at 3:57am
Ayesha: Would definitely want to add Fragonard to the list. March 24, 2013 at 1:51am
Matty Maccaro: Yes, it would be very unfair to underestimate Fragonard, also the free tour is fun, a history of perfume with a low key sales pitch at the end, but very well done. December 21, 2019 at 8:25pm
Jim: Do you have a separate list of Paris recommendations specifically for men’s fragrances? As for the comment, above, about Paul, the boulangerie, here in Washington DC we have had a sudden appearance of Paul in locations all over the city–and although absurdly expensive (and industrial?) it does produce the most authentic French pastries and baguettes in the city, IMHO. April 14, 2013 at 9:27am
Victoria: Jim, there is no difference. All places I mentioned sell masculine and feminine fragrance, and most niche house offerings aren’t “gendered” anyway, so anyone can wear them. April 15, 2013 at 8:23am
Rebecca: It’s been a while since anyone posted here. I am going to Paris tomorrow for 2 days and will visit the Osmotheque on the first day then the boutiques… any updates?! I’m so excited, it’s a dream come true. January 13, 2015 at 12:36am
Victoria: I updated the post with whatever I came across, but of course, please let me know what you discover and how your trip goes. January 13, 2015 at 11:02am
Alexander: Incredible interesting, and elegant blog. May 6, 2015 at 1:17pm
Victoria: Thank you, Alexander! May 6, 2015 at 3:11pm
Surbhi: Thank you Victoria for this. It will come handy on my upcoming trip. June 26, 2016 at 11:33am
Alicia Biersteker: Hello Victoria
I love your blog and refer to it very often.
I am going to Paris first week of February and plan to use your list. I notice that it was created in 2011. I see that you have updated it occasionally.
Would you be so kind and let me know if there is anything not to miss that is not on your list currently?
Many thanks in advance.
Alicia January 2, 2018 at 11:39am