Jovoy Perfumery in Paris has long been the showcase of an unparalleled selection of fine fragrances from across the globe, becoming the destination of choice for fine fragrance lovers in the know.
Now you don’t have to travel to Paris anymore, because London has now its very own Jovoy perfumery, located in Conduit Street, in the heart of Mayfair.
Jovoy founder Francois Henin says, “The new London store will offer a unique customer experience both in terms of choice and service. The selection of fragrances will include a number of London (and occasionally world!) exclusives and customers will be encouraged to experiment and sample in a relaxed and welcoming environment”.
“I would like to think of Jovoy London as a fragrance hub in the centre of this vibrant and exciting city. A place where perfume lovers can get together to exchange ideas and explore what is new in the world of scent”.
We went along to the opening of the store and found our olfactory and visual senses being educated and amazed. The store itself is beautiful, it is almost like stepping into a Chinese lacquer jewelry box, all decked out in red and black and perfume flacons being exhibited like gems or the works of art that they are. The shop oozes luxury but at the same time, it feels so welcoming and I would really recommend it, if you are looking for a special gift for somebody, or even for yourself.
This is not a shop where you’ll find the brands you can buy in department stores, the perfumes sold here are rare and special, most of the fragrances are unisex and they have been made by small manufacturers and boutique brands. Yes, the prices can be very high, but there are smaller bottles available for many of the perfumes, that won’t break the bank. And, of course, the scent of a quality perfume lasts a lot longer than that of a cheaper one, so you can use less and still smell fabulous hours later.
Talking of scents, during the evening we made our own perfumes (with expert help), blending different oils, drop by drop, until we were left with a perfume that is completely unique. Mine has a lot of citrus and woody notes and is gorgeous! I absolutely love it and I already dread the day it is finished. Maybe I should have written down the recipe.
In the basement of the shop is an exhibit of ambergris and this was the first time I have actually seen it and smelt it in its pure form. It has a very strong sweet and earthy scent, which varies considerably from one lump to the next. For those of you who don’t know, ambergris is a very rare and very expensive (a British couple recently got £50,000 for a 1.5kg lump) biological ingredient used in making perfumes, mainly to stabilize the ingredients and prolong the scent, but also to add its unique smell to the fragrance. It is also basically, and there is no beating around the bush, sperm whale vomit. All ambergris used by Jovoy is ethically harvested, i.e. found on beaches. There was even one very special canine ambergris hunter attending the party.
It was the most enjoyable and educational evening and we thank Jovoy for having us and sending us home with so many new fragrances to try.
The Jovoy perfumery is located at 21 Conduit Street, London, W1S 2XP. Store opening times are Monday – Saturday 11am – 7pm.
Brands available at Jovoy:
Aedes de Venustas, Alexander J (UK Exclusive), Arty Fragrance (UK Exclusive), Atelier Flou, Begim (UK Exclusive), Berry (UK Exclusive), Berdoues, Chabaud, Dauphine (UK Exclusive), Eight & Bob, E.Coudray, Evody, Eternal Gentleman, House of Oud, Isabey, Jacques Fath, Jeroboam, John Paul Welton, Jovoy, Fragrance du Bois (UK Exclusive), Grossmith London, Indult, Institut très bien, Jul et Mad (UK Exclusive), La Parfumerie Moderne, M.Miccalef (includes some UK Exclusives), MDCI, Nejma, Neela Vermeire Créations (UK Exclusive), Olfactive Studio, Parfumeur du Monde (UK Exclusive), Prudence, Puredistance, Rania J (UK Exclusive), The Different Company (includes some UK Exclusives), Widian.
London-Olios 