10.2.10

Shopping for perfumes (part one)

This post is perhaps a bit different one from my usual ones.

I was contacted by “Signature Scent” in London who started a blog by the end of last year, basically treating about perfumes and other nicely scenting products. She kindly asked me to photograph some of the perfume boutiques in Paris and she would write the text. This is a first episode with some specalised boutiques found in the Marais district. Here is the link to her nice smelling blog and to the post she published last Saturday.

There are many more perfume boutiques in Paris, so now and then there will be another post like this one.

As from here, the text is by "Signature Scent".

The first of Peter’s photos is from the Marais district of Paris. L’Artisan Parfumeur is at 32 rue Bourg Tibourg.

L'Artisan Parfumeur has a great range of fragrances. They also sell an unusual fragrant wooden ball, which releases an amber fragrance for up to 8 months. When the amber fragrance disappears from the wooden ball, you can buy new crystals to refresh it.

L'Artisan Parfumeur is directly next door to Mariage Frères, which is well known for specialist teas.
The one and only The Different Company boutique is located at 10 rue Ferdinand Duval.

The Different Company was established in the year 2000 by Jean-Claude Ellena, who then moved to become perfumer at Hermes. Celine Ellena now runs The Different Company.
The Fragonard boutique du Marais is at 51 rue des Francs Bourgeois.

This is what the Fragonard website has to say about how the company was established:

“It was shortly before the First World War that Eugène Fuchs, an entrepreneur at heart who had already been seduced by the magic of perfume, decided to set up his own perfumery based on the novel concept of selling perfumery products directly to the tourists who were beginning to discover the French Rivera’s charms. Parfumerie Fragonard was opened in 1926. Eugène Fuchs chose to name it after the famous Grasse-born painter, Jean-Honoré Fragonard (1732-1806), as a tribute to both the town of Grasse and to the refinement of 18th-century arts. Similarly, the choice of name expressed his desire to run his business in accordance with traditions.”
Finally, Peter managed to get a shot or two (one is on the top of this post) of the Guerlain boutique et cabine Francs Bourgois at 10 rue des Francs Bourgeois.
There are 11 Guerlain boutiques in Paris in addition to their main address which is at 68 avenue des Champs Elysées.

38 comments:

Rakesh Vanamali said...

Wow! I love perfumes and these ones look tempting! Tsk Tsk ;)

Virginia said...

Oh L'Artisan Parfumeur, j'adore! My favorite is in another place in the Marais.( I know not where). I can still smell the violette scent. I received a bottle of my favorite for Christmas!!:)

Mon amie Shell Sherree was nice enough to paint a lovely watercolor of it from my photograph! I'll have to sample the other places you've found next trip. I think you are a good sport to scout these divine parfumeries for all of us Peter! :)
V

Olivier said...

on voit que certain on profite de leur blog pour aller faire les courses de la St Valentin ;o)

claude said...

J'ai l'impression que touts ces flacons de parfum laissent échapper leur délicate fragrance et ça sent trs bon ce mation sur ce blog.

Alain said...

Tu ne fais pas tes courses n'importe où, à ce que je vois. C'est vrai que ce quartier, entre la rue des rosiers et la rue de Turenne (qui est un mini "sentier") est truffé de magasins plus splendides les uns que les autres.

hpy said...

This post has a smell (a scent) of team work.

Adam said...

An interesting post - teamwork is always to be encouraged!

Did you actually go inside any of the shops? I always find that they look enticing, but if I stay for longer than 2 minutes inside I start sneezing and get a headache! I don't know how people manage to work inside perfume shops all day long!

Ruth said...

Very nice, and just in time for Valentine's Day. I used to wear Chanel #5, but now I mostly just smell like lavender from the shower.

I do love perfume bottles.

Bagman and Butler said...

Shops in Paris are so inviting when you look in from the outside. Or maybe it is the way you photograph them.

Anonymous said...

A very nice collaboration.
But I have to admit that I enjoy the photos much more than most of the scents they represent.
Am I scentophobic?
Yikes.

Jim

Cezar and Léia said...

Wonderful idea for these posts dear Peter.
Ahhh Fragonard...we visited the headquarter , the factory in Grasse, in our 2005 adventure trip! :)
http://ccatao.blogspot.com/search/label/Grasse
(Some pictures from Fragonard in our blog)
I love perfume!
Hugs
Léia

SusuPetal said...

I amaze perfume bottles, there's been a lot of imagination when designing them. Perfumes I can't wear, they make me sneeze or teary.

alice said...

Ah ah, juste dans les temps pour la saint Valentin!

Jilly said...

Love Alice's comment. Too right! Fascinating set of photographs and so interesting. You mention Fragonard at Grasse but there is also a Fragonard factory and shop at Eze, not far from me. You'll see beautiful antique perfume bottles on display here. Maybe somewhere to visit on a trip to Menton?

Starman said...

Interesting idea, Peter.
@Adam - the people who work there aren't allergic.

Louis la Vache said...

«Louis» recognized Mariage Frères immediately! What a fine tea merchant they are! The perfume shop must have opened after «Louis» left Paris.

Kate said...

Now this is a post after my own heart. Good perfume is one of the pleasures of life.

arabesque said...

women=perfumes. ^0^
i have tons of them here,as much as i'm fascinated with the scent, i love how they created the bottles.
sometimes, it's the bottle that attracts me and not the scent at all. ^0^

arabesque said...

ps: i love these "each" fotos better than compiling it in a "collage". ^0^

StyleSpy said...

If you can get inside the flagship Guerlain and take photos, it's well worth it. It is GORGEOUS in there. I also highly recommend the Comme des Garcon perfume boutique in the Place du Marché Saint-Honoré, the Salons-Shiseido boutique in the Palais Royal, and any Goutal boutique -- visual feasts, as well as exquisite smells.

As I big ol' Perfumista, I really appreciate these photos. I'm going to spend many happy hours sniffing things in Paris in May.

Cergie said...

Je suis déjà allée chez ce Fragonard avec une amie venue de Bordeaux et comme il pleuvait je me souviens fort bien de leur porte-parapluie. Je suis une fille simple alors à Paris je cherche des "L'Occitane" et à Cologne j'achète... de l'eau de Cologne dont je trouve qu'elle sent trop la fleur d'oranger et j'ai l'impression de sentir le beignet de carnaval (ce qui est de saison).
Qu'utilises-tu comme sent-bon, toi, Peter. "Champagne" d'Yves Saint-Laurent ?

Maya said...

What a fun project to work on!

Mo said...

A very interesting post. A book worth reading is 'the emperor of scent

Virginia said...

I shared this with StyleSpy today. I bought a bottle of eau de toilette in a bottle shaped like the Eiffel Tower for $2 at a sale here a few years ago. At the time I didn't even look at the label on the bottom. Then when shopping at Fragonard at the Louvre, I saw the same bottle. I think I got a bon marché! :) We are all eagerly awaiting more perfume hot spots in Paris. And if you find some parfum violette..... just go on and buy it! :)

Catherine said...

Cool ! Alors on peut sous traiter son blog ! Tu fais les photos, Peter, je fais mon texte ... et ce serait trop te demander de faire la traduction en "fluent english" aussi.

Je vois que Guerlain s'est offert un ravalement de façade et une modernisation de sa boutique en même temps que le Marais !

Hugo said...

Boss(e) ! ...
mais pas tant que ça !!! Si en plus tu travailles en free lance pour d'autres blogs, tu vas etre débordé.
Et ceux qui rédigent les commentaires, encore plus !

PeterParis said...

V Rakesh:
There are certainly some good ones among these! :-)

Virginia:
I have some tens of boutiques on the list I received from Signature Scent! :-)

Olivier:
Merci... j'avais oublié! :-)

PeterParis said...

Claude:
Ça sent encore? :-)

Alain:
Je n'ai rien acheté! :-)

hpy:
Team work should be encouraged! :-)

PeterParis said...

Adam:
I just said the same thing to hpy! I did not go inside! :-)

Ruth:
(Natural is nice!) So, you have saved the emtpy bottles? :-)

Bagman and Butler:
What do you have against the inside? :-)

PeterParis said...

Designslinger:
But you still like the scent of good food I hope? :-)

Léia:
Did you bring some from your last Paris trip? :-)

SusuPetal:
Natural body flavour can be very nice too! :-)

PeterParis said...

Alice:
Good timing! :-)

Jilly:
Let's put it on the program! :-)

Starman:
Yes, an idea to be developped! :-)

PeterParis said...

Louis la Vache:
You may be right, it's somehow squeezed in between two different Mariage Frères installations. :-)

Kate:
... and diamonds, champagne...? :-)

Arabesque:
Yes, perfume bottles is art! :-)

PeterParis said...

Arabesque bis:
Noted! As I mostly show many photos, I thought my collages could be a compromise. Maybe I will try to increase the number of full sized photos. :-)

StyleSpy:
I have noted all your recommendations! :-)

Cergie:
Très peu et non souvent, mais mes "enfants" m'achètent "Égoïste" de Chanel. Ça te va? :-)

PeterParis said...

Maya:
Yes ... and the list is long! :-)

Mo:
I hope that the scent amateurs have noted your recommendation! :-)

Virginia:
You obviously made a goo deal! Violette... noted! :-)

PeterParis said...

Catherine:
Un autre "teamwork" under preparation! :-)

Hugo:
Un partage équilibré, ça peut marcher! :-)

Parisbreakfasts said...

Love the perfume map!!!
And the facades of course..
Merci Peter

PeterParis said...

Have you already painted them. !-)

parfum said...

Many women love the scent of a perfume. It brings joy to the one using it and adds charms as well. Many choices of fragrances are available. It is up to the customer to buy a scent that suits to his/ her style. It is also consider an ideal gift for women especially this coming Valentines Day.