You might not normally think of going to a neighborhood hair salon to shop for fragrance, but Williamsburg, Brooklyn is not a typical neighborhood, and Woodley & Bunny is not a typical haircut joint. This trend-focused "Salon & Apothecary," which opened in 2005, specializes not only in edgy hairstyles but also in cult-favorite beauty products of all kinds, including a selection of non-mainstream fragrances. 

Woodley & Bunny is located three blocks from the subway (the Bedford Avenue stop of the L train) and just a few steps down from street level. Its retail area is located immediately inside the entrance of the salon. This space seems to be undergoing perpetual renovations, but it's still easily browsable. In its fragrance offerings, there's an emphasis on independent perfumers, including several New York-based lines and hard-to-find imports. (Woodley & Bunny is the only New York venue that carries Tauer Parfums, for example.) The various perfume lines are displayed on tables and open shelving, mixed amidst other non-fragrance brands, and tester bottles are readily available. Customers are free to linger and spritz without pressure, which is a welcome change from many Manhattan fragrance counters; on the other hand, the salon's front-desk staff isn't trained specifically in fragrance, so visitors may need to do a little research ahead of time, or just remain open-minded in their explorations of the scent offerings.

Woodley & Bunny also carries a nicely "curated" choice of cosmetics from Ellis Faas, Lipstick Queen, and Hourglass, among others; a range of niche haircare lines, such as Sachajuan; and numerous speciality skincare brands. There's even a small but interesting home-fragrance selection of products from The Hype Noses, Tatine Candles, and more.

Fragrance brands: Apothia, D.S. & Durga, Heeley, Honoré des Prés, Ineke, Joya, Keiko Mecheri, A Lab on Fire, Lostmarc'h, Lubin, Malin & Goetz, MCMC Fragrances, Nez à Nez, Odin, Tauer Parfums

Not to be missed: the sale table, where certain items and lines may be priced as low as 50% off.

Details: Woodley & Bunny, 196 North 10th Street at Driggs Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11211, (718) 218-6588; website

Nearby: Miomia, 318 Bedford Ave. (between s. 1st and S. 2nd Sts.); CB I Hate Perfume, 93 Wythe Avenue

— report and images filed by Jessica M.

See also: Perfume Stores in New York City