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Bond no. 9 ~ shopping for perfume in New York City

Bond no. 9 store exterior, New York City

Bond no. 9′s flagship boutique, at the company’s namesake address, is located on a cobble-stoned street with historic cast-iron architecture. Walking into the boutique, you may be impressed by its sheer size; in this city where real estate is an obsession, charted inch by costly inch, Bond occupies the entire first floor of the building.

Everywhere you turn in this shop, there is something colorful or glittering to see. Amphora-like dramming units are displayed on mannequin-shaped stands; refillable atomizers are arranged in the slots of a votive-candle stand salvaged from some unknown church. In addition to the more than thirty New York-inspired fragrances (most of which are Eau de Parfum), you can cast your eye (and nose) over scented body creams, candles, soaps, and limited edition bottles encrusted with Swarovski crystals…

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Avery ~ shopping for perfume in London

Avery London, store interior

Avery opened in June 2010. It’s a shop dedicated to niche scents, and as there aren’t many such shops in London (apart from the big department stores), it’s a very welcome addition to the capital’s perfume community.

The name is taken from Avery Row, where the shop is situated, which is a short pedestrianised passage south of Brook Street. The similarity of ‘Avery’ to ‘aviary’ provides the shop’s whimsical presentation. The window displays are caged enclosures with perfume bottles on perches; there are artificial birds ‘flying’ in the interior, and birdsong trills in the background. Perfumes can be sprayed on black feathers (a surprisingly effective way to get an impression of a scent), although traditional cardboard strips are available for those allergic to feathers…

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Creed ~ shopping for perfume in New York City

Creed boutique New York City

Madison Avenue is definitely an appropriate location for Creed, a company that consistently emphasizes its pedigree, the high standard of its products, and the exclusivity of its clientele. Within Creed’s uptown Manhattan boutique, its only freestanding location in the United States, several shiny, silvery Creed crests are embedded in the floor and in the sugar-white marble counters; a few cleverly placed mirrors reflect back the large expanses of the windows (with their view of the block’s other elite properties); and the perfumes themselves sit on backlit shelves like precisely seated guests at a formal dinner party.

Once you enter this somewhat intimidating, modernist jewel-box of a boutique, you may find that the sales assistance is unexpectedly affable and low-pressure…

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Fenwick, New Bond Street ~ shopping for perfume in London

Fenwick, London, store exterior

New Bond Street is not the kind of place you expect to come across a department store. It’s a neighbourhood packed with designer flagships, and the sort of jewelry shop with no prices in the window and a large chap with an earpiece standing near the entrance.

Fenwick is an upmarket UK department store chain, with a good track record on niche perfume lines…

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Etro ~ shopping for perfume in London

Etro London boutique, store exterior

Etro is not a widely available brand in London. Liberty usually has a decent selection, and currently Fenwick, just up the road, is featuring the brand. The only other way to get hold of Etro scents is to visit the Etro shop, just off Piccadilly.

It’s quite an easy shop to miss; the name is visible only on the canopy, which cleverly hides the shop name stencilled on the window. You’re also likely to be dazed by the profusion of designer goodies on either side, including Bottega Veneta next door…

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