A signature scent is one of the greatest tools in any woman’s beauty arsenal. Whether you’re a floral fan and a romantic heart, or a more mysterious soul who prefers oriental scents, what perfume you wear communicates a lot about your personality to the world.
If you’re bored with the big brand offerings, however, and you want something a little more unique and special on your dressing room table, you’ll love this.
Ireland’s first niche perfume boutique, Parfumarija, has opened in Dublin’s Westbury Mall, a space dedicated to exclusive perfume and colognes.
The brainchild of perfumer, Marija Aslimoska, and her husband Brendan Coyle, Parfumarija has been created to be the home of rare scents in the capital; stocking unusual fragrances for men and women made by some of the world’s top perfumers.
Some of the names beauty fans will be introduced to include Etat Libre d’Orange, a French niche line by former Givenchy perfumer Etienne de Swardt, noted for exploring the risqué side of perfume. Truly unique, in terms of both fragrance and names, the Etat Libre d’Orange collection includes Don’t Get Me Wrong Baby, Fat Electrician, and Jasmin et Cigarette. No, we don’t understand it either – but trust us, they smell amazing.
There is also nu_be, a collection of five creative but simple fragrances for men and women, oozing crisp Italian coolness; and The Different Company, a leading name in haute parfumerie, founded by Jean-Claude Ellena, in house perfumer of Hermes, with celebrated perfume bottle designer, Thierry De Baschmakoff.
Other Parfumarija collections selected for their adventurous spirit and unconventional approach include Ys-Uzac, a Swissniche perfume brand by perfumer Vincent Micotti; andAgonist, a Swedish range with six unisex perfumes, each characterised by a finely balanced combination of natural fragrances.
Fans of Kate Middleton will adore the fact that White Gardenia Petals, worn by the Duchess on her wedding day, is stocked, as is the complete new Illuminum range, while at the launch we only had eyes for Eight & Bob, a cologne created originally for a young John F. Kennedy, and famously smuggled out of wartime France for the future U.S. President.
Perfumer Marija Aslimoska was classically trained in Grasse, the historic home of perfume in the South of France, and says her ambition is to change the way Irish people perceive fragrance, taking individuals on a journey of discovery into niche perfume.
“Parfumarija will sell fragrance that is created by passion and flair, not by mass market testing, like many of the global fashion houses and celebrity brands. We stock perfumes that have cachet in the style Capitals of the world, and we want Irish people to discover the pleasure and unique sensory experience of individual perfume”, she said.
While the range is exclusive, prices are not prohibitive – starting at around €69 for some of the 50ml Etats Libre D’Orange perfumes, and averaging between €90 and €120 for perfumes from the Illuminum collection, nu_be, The Different Company, and S4P, the Science for Peace eau de parfum collection.
