SCENT SOMMELIER by Salud

Sitting here in Salud’s Scent Studio, I’m surrounded by gorgeous amber glass bottles, filled with sweet-smelling nectars… cedarwood, jasmine, ylang ylang and lavender. I’m constantly testing out new perfumes in the studio and trying on new blends.  But, there is a whole WORLD of scent out there, and I just can’t get enough.

Yes, I am a serious perfume addict. And when it comes to scent, I am always on the hunt to sniff the latest blends.  This week, I’m in New York City - which, next to exotic perfume places like Grasse or Tunisia, is the absolute mecca for the latest, trendiest essences. I’m there to sniff out the latest scent trends and discover fabulous new perfumes.

I’m blogging in two parts - first, we’ll cover perfume shopping in Downtown Manhattan. Then, stay tuned as we cover the exquisite perfumeries of the Upper East Side.

AEDES DE VENUSTAS, 9 Christopher St, West Village

Stroll down the cobblestone streets of bohemian-cool West Village, and your nose will discover the queen bee of perfume shops - Aedes de Venustas. As soon as I opened the door to this cozy, beautiful and warm boutique, my nose was in love with the absolutely exquisite and luxurious brands that this shop stocks.  Aedes always is among the first to release new collections from luxury perfume houses like L’Artisan and Serge Lutens.

My friends and I were immediately drawn to the collection from The Different Company, and I had recently read The Perfect Scent - a book about the line’s French perfumer, Jean-Claude Ellena. My friend Courtney selected Sublime Balkiss, a most incredible chypre blend with hints of patchouli and violet, while my love for vanilla led me to Lalique’s Le Parfum.

Let the peacock in the window inspire you to explore the gorgeous, amazing collection at Aedes. I do believe I left my nose there…

ABC CARPET & HOME, 888 Broadway, Flatiron District

Don’t be fooled by the vague name - this mega store is really THE trendsetting entity of New York for all things deliciously decorating, home and apothecary. My friend Joe and I did the traditional right-turn as we entered the grand entryway, and smacked straight into the beauty section of this sensory-experience store. High end, organic and natural lines abound with the likes of cult brands Arcona, Hamadi and Kahina. I also experienced a sample from a $500 jar of lavender-scented body cream that was somehow eco-harvested. (Sigh, is that price necessary?)

My friend Joe and I tested out the essential oil fragrances from Intelligent Nutrients, a certified organic line that hails from the original founders of Aveda. The Aromatics Collection from the line included various essential oil-based fragrances that have different aromatherapy effects. I enjoyed the line and appreciate the organic mantra.

However, when the sales rep told me with wide, concerned eyes that, “perfume is the worst thing you can put on your skin!!!” I was incredibly frustrated.  I won’t go into my ranting here, but sometimes essential oils can actually create skin irritations and even be dangerous if used incorrectly. Perfumes contain a combination of essential and synthetic oils - “synthetic” meaning that the structure has been tested and is incredibly stable. More information and education on those opinions later; I just think that “organic” is a confusing buzzword right now and there is a lot that we have to learn about really educating consumers.

Although my buttons were pushed, ABC is such an inspirational shopping destination, and I’ll remember my trip there with this darling (and surprisingly affordable!) fragrance bottle necklace that I discovered in the apothecary.

SPACE.NK, 99 Green St., SoHo

I’ve followed Space.NK’s online store for several years; it’s always on top of beauty trends with the latest, most innovative products. In fact, this is one of the few US stores that stock Nuxe, the cult skincare from France that was a best-seller at Salud Spa Bar.

I’ve been wanting to test out the fragrance line from Space.NK. They not only offer cult fragrance brands like Diptyque, Annick Goutal and Acqua di Parma, but also a flagship Space.NK scent collection.  I tried on Laughter, a scent reminiscent of sun-drenched orange groves near the Mediterranean. An instant shot of fake lemon turned me off at first spray. But after a few minutes, the scent mellowed down to a spicy, warm and sensual scent. I couldn’t stop smelling my wrist, and was hooked. Interestingly, it reminds me of Salud’s own Limoncello essence.

Space.NK is a bright, sunny apothecary where you can really stock up. I treated myself to one of the new Butterfly Ball lip treats from Lipstick Queen and the very kind employees stocked my bag with scrumptious samples from Elemental Herbology and - a scent sample of Laughter.

image via SpaceNK.com

OTHER RECOMMENDED DOWNTOWN VENUES FOR PERFUME

RED FLOWER, 99 Green St., NoLita - Stop here for a rejuvenating whiff of Lemon Coffee Blossom Olive Stone Scrub and relax in their organically inviting lounge.

ANTHROPOLOGIE, 375 W Broadway, SoHo - Sure, Anthro is in almost all metro areas, but this particular location has a perfect display of perfumes, including cult finds like Histoires de Parfums and solids from South African perfumery Frazer.

DEAN & DELUCA, 560 Broadway, St, SoHo - Although there are no actual perfumes here, this is an absolute must-stop for smells of exotic produce, luxuriously tempting, handcrafted chocolates filled with absinthe and orange, and an array of utterly unbelievable bakery treats.

Stay tuned for Part 2 - our journey down the most luxuriously scented street in New York - Madison Avenue