A Perfume Explosion At London’s Burlington Arcade
Persolaise It’s all happening at Burlington Arcade! Penhaligon’s have had a branch there for years, of course, but Chanel unveiled a store beneath the elegant, arched ceiling not too long ago,…
The All New London Perfume Shopping Guide (Updated: 18th June 2024)
An extensive, regularly-updated London perfume shopping guide from award-winning critic, Persolaise
Fragrance Flitting – IFF Speed Smelling Comes To London
Alexis Dadier at Speed Smelling, Salon De Parfums image: Harrods “What raises the pitch of the event to an especially heart-rending level is the fact that none of these works…
Looking For Something Unique – Harrods’ Mia Collins On The Salon De Parfums
image: Harrods “We had a Portuguese craftsman come to hand paint all of the gold leaf detailing on the oak panels, in the Henry Jacques boutique; we had a team…
"A Concept Is Paramount" – Oksana Polyakova On The Opening Of Bloom At Covent Garden
image: Bloom It doesn’t seem possible that London’s Bloom perfumery has been around for less than three years. Since it opened its doors at Hanbury Street, it has established itself…
Scent & Sensibility To Close Down – Buy Your Favourite Tauer Perfumes Now
Some of you may be aware that the Swiss franc went through what might wryly be called an ‘unexpected situation’ last week (click here for the BBC’s description of the…
Christmas 2014 Perfume Recommendations – French Kisses, Vintage Handbags & A Great Big Nothing
I can’t start thinking about Christmas until we’ve seen the back of All Saints’ Day; any sign of Yuletide shenanigans before then makes my stomach turn. But we are now…
The Psychology Of Airport Shopping – Niche Perfumery Comes To Abu Dhabi Duty Free
She reaches into the plastic tray, takes out her handbag and slings it over her shoulder. She hoists her bright orange case off the conveyor belt and places it on…
30th Anniversary Of London’s Les Senteurs – Interview with Betty Hawksley, Claire Hawksley & James Craven
It’s almost 100% safe to assume that if you’re the sort of person who has made the effort to come to this site and read these words, then you’ve heard…
Bring On The Bling – The Salon De Parfums At Harrods
I’m reliably informed that mere hours before its official opening, a few sections of Harrods‘ Salon De Parfums didn’t even have a floor yet. Well, someone must have worked their…
The Salon De Parfums Opens At Harrods
In 2010, the site of the year’s most exciting perfumery event in the UK – the Perfume Diaries exhibition – was Harrods. And now, in 2014, it looks like the…
Harrods Unveil The Salon De Parfums… And Move The Roja Dove Haute Parfumerie
The Roja Dove Haute Perfumerie photographed in July 2014, a few weeks before its transformation If there’s one reason for the enduring success of Harrods, it’s the fact that the…
Online Perfume Shopping – My Recommendations
I often receive emails asking for advice on buying perfume on the Net. Usually, my response is to direct people to the ‘Links’ section of this blog, but there seems…
The Smell Of Your Soul – Persolaise Visits The Fragrance Lab At Selfridges London
image: Hufton + Crow It turns out I’d got it all wrong. When I agreed to delve into Selfridges‘ Fragrance Lab – part of their current Beauty Project – I…
Christmas 2013 Perfume Gift Recommendations – Little Black Dresses, Smoky Vanillas… And A Good Read
Please don’t mention sprouts or cranberries. I haven’t even done my cards yet! And as for presents… well, I expect there’ll be a fair amount of mad dashing around in…
New Penhaligon’s And Chanel Shops In London
Image: Chanel Perfume is by no means the primary concern of the new Chanel boutique on Bond Street, but I’d recommend a visit even if you’re not interested in the…
A Very Public Convenience – Etat Libre D’Orange Boutique Opens In London
The latest sign of the continuing trendification of London’s East End is the opening of the Etat Libre D’Orange boutique (61 Redchurch Street, E2 7DJ; tube: Shoreditch High Street or…
L’Artisan Parfumeur Closes London Boutique; Penhaligon’s To Take Its Place
An extra post today to convey some news which many of you will no doubt be sorry to read. L’Artisan Parfumeur have announced that they are to close their sole…
If You’re In London Shopping For Perfume…
A quickie. As it’s been almost two years since I published the original version of my Jasmine Award-winning London Perfume Shopping Guide, I thought I’d mention it again today. New…
Win A Sample Of 1932, Chanel’s New Exclusif + Penhaligon’s Goes Glam
Penhaligon’s Singapore store (Image: Penhaligon’s Singapore Facebook page) Have the lovely folks at Penhaligon’s finally settled on a direction for the look and feel of their brand? If preview images…