In the early 1800s, Paris boasted 140 perfume and cosmetic shops that employed 25 percent of the city’s population. Today, Paris has a perfumery on almost every corner, and France now accounts for 30 percent of all international perfume sales. But how can you pick when there are so many options? Well, two of our favorite perfume and cosmetic boutiques are listed below.
Officine Universelle Buly 1803
The history of Officine Universelle Buly 1803 is traced back to Jean-Vincent Bully, a specialist in perfume and cosmetology who owned one of the most successful perfume shops in Paris in the early 1800s. So popular were his products, eventually its sales extended to all of Europe.
In 2013, Victoire de Taillac, a uber-successful entrepreneur, and Ramdane Touhami, a cosmetics expert, decided to revive the Buly brand, renaming it Officine Universelle Buly 1803, dropping the double L. Basing the production on old-world techniques and using only natural ingredients, Buly products are made without additives such as parabens, phenoxyethanol or silicone, and their perfumes are alcohol-free.
They opened the first boutique in 2014, in the Saint Germain des Pres neighborhood (6 rue Bonaparte), among the upscale galleries and home design shops, close to the Seine River. The gorgeous design of the boutique feels as though you are stepping into 19th-century Paris, with its ceramic tile floors, wood beamed ceiling, and baroque-style wood counters, show cases and shelves. Buly boasts over 700 products, including perfume, hand cream, toothpaste, face cleaner, body moisturizer, makeup and shaving cream.
The upper Marais boutique (45 rue de Saintonge), in addition to stocking the full Buly product line, has Café Tortoni, a replica of the famed Paris café from the 18th century, serving coffee and pastries in delicate, antique, China cups and plates. A spa room, in the rear of the shop, is decorated in soothing dark blue, velvet walls, dried flowers bouquets, and scented candles. Thirty and 60-minute treatments include Shiatsu massages, facials, and reflexology for hands and feet.
A second Marais location can be found at 19 Rue Vieille du Temple.
For more information, visit www.buly1803.com.
L'Instituit Guerlain
Guerlain is the oldest continually operating perfume brand in France, founded by Pierre-François-Pascal Guerlain, dating back to 1828. Guerlain rose to fame when it created a special perfume for Empress Eugenie, the wife of Napoleon III, becoming the "Official Perfumer to His Majesty." The bottle was encrusted with gold bees, referencing the royal bees. Over the next two centuries, Guerlain created iconic fragrances such as Shalimar, Shalimar, L’Heure Bleue, Eau de Cologne Impériale, Samsara, and their latest bestseller, La Petite Robe Noir.
The flagship store at 68 Ave. Champs-Élysées incorporates all the Guerlain products, including perfume, skin care, lipstick, scented candles and makeup. On the second floor is a private room, where clients can have a fragrance custom blended, which takes approximately 18 months to create at a cost of $40,000.
A luxury spa on the third floor offers bespoke massages, anti-aging facials and the brand's ultimate treatment, the 90- minute "Imperial Black Orchid" age-reversing technique. There are nine treatment rooms, including a double-room for couples; before their treatments, clients can relax in the Orchid Room, with a hanging orchid garden, and chaises and lounges, while they savor a cup of tea or other refreshments.
For more information, visit www.guerlain.com/l-institut-guerlain.
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