Sniffing in Paris: Part #1

 

(Image: courtesy of my awestruck, wannabe Parisian self. :)



For a burgeoning (or well-experienced) 'perfumista', there's nothing quite as exciting as the prospect of sniffing in Paris. To heal my broken heart, as well as be daring and impetuous, this winter I decided to plan a spur-of-the-moment sojourn to France with my pal Anna. We had talked about making the trip for years, and upon reviewing all of the reasons why we should, we couldn't think of one solitary reason why we shouldn't. So during the first week of March, I had the privilege to consider myself a part of history, ambling the cobblestone streets of Paris.


I did a little bit of research before my trip and decided that I had to hit three fragrance destinations above all. The fourth was a pleasant surprise (stay tuned for 'Sniffing in Paris, part #2 :)

The first destination was the Guerlain flagship store along the Champs Elysees.




(image: courtesy of my little canon)



I would consider myself a bit of a 'purist' when it comes to travel in general. I don't like to bog myself down with tons of literature and adhere to a clad-iron itinerary. I just like to revel in discovery. Despite that, I admit that I had many expectations upon entering this institute of beauty.

As with any other 'Parfumerie', the Guerlain flagship location hits you with a melange of olfactory delight as you enter. The 'classics' mingle with the newer releases. The soft, velvety embellishments seem to add to the vintage, old world feel of the boutique.

Being of European descent myself, and having travelled to Europe many times, I don't consider myself naive when it comes to European 'customer service'. I don't expect anyone to fall over themselves to help me out. There are no wide, inviting smiles, offering assistance. If anything, my typical European shopping experience has been borderline abusive. In the past, I've found myself truly tested. 

The Guerlain boutique didn't offer any of the above. The sales associates were well-versed in the art of ignoring. So I did what any other fragrance-lover would do, I helped myself. Tested 'Le Petit Robe Noir' on an actual ribbon blotter (oh, the luxury! :) There were many rumblings about how inferior the recent re-formulation was, so I had to try it. Eau de Lingerie was also on my list, so I tested that one as well. (This time, on a paper strip). To my nose, LPRN was an anise bomb. Sweet and fun, but not me.


(image taken from fragrantica.com)





EdL was very pretty indeed. A vanilla-infused musk that seemed fleeting at the time and quite ordinary. (Side note: Upon arriving home, I had unknowingly given my mom her gift of a French scarf in one of my shopping bags that contained the EdL scent strip....later on, she demanded to know what it was. It left that much of an impression on her, which made me re-think my initial 'ordinary' reaction...)


(image taken from fragrantica.com)


I took a cursory glance around. Spotted the coveted 'spiral staircase' that led upstairs to what I remembered from a BBC perfume documentary as a lovely sampling area but no...the area was roped off. Alas, this perfume-loving girl left the Guerlain flagship store empty-handed, save for a couple of scent strips and an overall air of indifference.

A few doors down, I encountered the largest Sephora location that one could possibly imagine. I was completely awe-struck at its enormity. Adding to the whole experience was the fact that it was absolutely packed with customers. It was difficult to distinguish between customer and sales associate.

Because if the sheer volume of people within this enormous space, I was left alone to sample to my heart's delight. First on my list: Serge Luten's Fille de Berlin. The usual rectangular, spray bottle. I didn't detect much more than a pleasant, airy rose. Nothing spectacular.

(image taken from feelunique.com)

I took a mental inventory of the other Serge offerings (noting the price: the average bottle could be had for much less via amazon. That's me, being practical :) and noticed with some surprise that Datura Noir was sold out. (Were the majority of these Datura Noir-loving customers French, desperate for a tropical infusion to jolt them out of their rainy springtime weather? Judging by the look of most people around me, I suspected that this particular location catered to the tourist set.) Nonetheless, if someone had asked me which Serge I would deem the most likely to sell out along the Champs Elysees, Datura Noir would have been last on my list.

I sampled a few others (including Hermes' Jour d'Hermes) and was struck by how unimpressed I was. (Sharp floral-citrus? Sorry Jean-Claude, we've seen this from you before. Pretty bottle though). In retrospect, I realize now that my perception might have been skewed by how awestruck I was by my environment in general. Without wanting to sound completely trite: Paris is truly magical. Every step, every view elicits open-mouthed wonder. I expected the same from my perfume sampling experience as well.

I came close to it at my next (albeit accidental) sniffing destination: Etat Libre d'Orange...

Stay tuned!

(Oh, and P.S....couldn't leave Sephora empty-handed. Everyone needs red lipstick in France, right? :)