There is perhaps no taller task for beauty-lovers than finding a signature scent. But thanks to a wave of new or revamped stores in the capital from legacy fragrance houses and cult European brands, there has never been a better time to seek one out.
In December last year, historic British brand Penhaligon’s unveiled a hyper-luxe new look for its Regent’s Street store. At the same time, Swedish brand Byredo opened a two-storey flagship in Covent Garden to showcase its minimalist scents. And earlier this month, niche French fragrance house Initio Parfums Privés opened its first-ever UK boutique, also in Covent Garden.
These are three of the best fragrance stores that have opened in London recently.
Penhaligon’s, Regent Street
“We are seeing a growing appetite for immersive, thoughtful retail experiences, spaces that encourage people to slow down, explore and connect with a brand in a more tangible way,” Julia Koeppen, Penhaligon’s global general manager, tells Broadsheet.
At the new-look Penhaligon’s flagship, design-lovers will delight in snooping around the marble- and bronze-clad interiors by interior architecture firm Michaelis Boyd – known for its work on Battersea Power Station and Soho Farmhouse. There’s even a hand-painted mural of the English countryside by the artist Claire Basler, which was chosen to “bring a sense of nature and narrative into the space,” explains Koeppen.
Our pick of the perfumes? The newly released Bold Blend has been created by esteemed perfumer Paul Guerlain, as part of the brand’s Potions & Remedies collection. It’s fresh and lively, with top notes of peppermint and black pepper, clary sage and violet leaf at the heart, and woody undertones.
Byredo, Covent Garden
Leaning into the brand’s Scandi roots, the new Byredo store is a minimalist’s dream, decked out in brushed steel, granite and stone. A cosy corner even features a “blanket bar” showcasing the brand’s woven pieces, as well as hand-tufted Kasthall rugs in its signature palette. There’s also the option to book into a fragrance consultation on the store’s chilled-out lower ground floor with a specialist “nose” who can match you with one that resonates most strongly. One stand-out is the uplifting Alto Astral Eau de Parfum, created by renowned French nose Jérôme Epinette, with notes of coconut water, milky musks, and cashmere woods.
Initio Parfums Privés, Covent Garden
A key feature of Initio’s concept store is the use of tech to tap into the emotional power of fragrance. What the brand calls the Feel Lab Experience invites guests to wear a headset powered by electroencephalogram technology (EEG) which measures your brain’s electrical activity, and shows it on screen, to help you to understand your unconscious preferences towards fragrances. In keeping with this futuristic technology, the store gleams with silver-clad display areas and geometric patterns on the shelves.
Prefer a human recommendation? Wild Rush and Sugar Blast are part of the new collection formulated with advanced molecules said to scientifically trigger joy. The former is an energising blend of sweetness and warmer woody tones (bergamot, lavender, berries and sandalwood) and the latter is a grounding combination of praline and rum with lavender and coconut.
