I've limited my visits to department stores over the past year or so, but reports of the new l’Officine Universelle Buly 1803 boutique lured me back to Bergdorf Goodman on one of my rare visits to midtown Manhattan. Buly 1803 didn't disappoint. The products (skincare, body care, home fragrance, etc.) have an "old world" feel. Boxes are labeled with handwritten inscriptions in pen-and-ink. Bottles are decorated with images borrowed from circa-1800 illustrations. It all feels like a hybrid of Santa Maria Novella and Cire Trudon (which makes sense, since one of the founders formerly worked at the latter brand), channeled through Napoleonic France. (You can read about the brand's background here.)
I had a hard time narrowing down my choices, but I ended up bringing home one of Buly 1803's signature "Alabasters." As the brand explains, the name Alabaster is inspired by alabastron, "the Greek vases that were once used to preserve the fragrant oils necessary for body care — the earliest perfumes — whose porous terra cotta would hold in the exquisite emanations." An Alabaster set consists of small porcelain box and a square of "exceptionally porous sedimentary stone" with "impressive absorption," plus a 5 ml bottle of fragrance oil. (Oil refills can be purchased separately.)
For my oil, I chose Alexandrie, a blend with notes of lemon, black currant, mint, ginger, vanilla and moss and the following description:
On the onyx and jade incrusted tiles, a ray of moonlight cuts out the foliage of the lemon trees and the dance of the palms, gently rocking the evening warmth. The night’s torrent, rushing in, sends shivers through the blue menthol-scented shade of the garden. Under the canopy, in the half-light, a curved blade and a pair of steely eyes sparkle.
Although Buly 1803 advises pouring one-third of the fragrance oil onto the stone to get started, I tried five or six drops instead. This worked just fine. I let the box sit closed for a while, and when I opened it, the scent diffused gently around my tiny home office. Just like Diptyque's wax "scented ovals," Buly's Alabaster works best for smaller rooms, or maybe medium-sized rooms if you really get generous with the oil. In my case, I enjoyed catching whiffs of Alexandrie as I worked at my desk or moved around the immediate area.
As for the actual scent, there's something about Alexandrie that really pleases me. I like the mix of aromatic mint and sweet/tart currant with a spicy, mossy base; it's a balance of bright and dusky notes that doesn't overwhelm. Basically, Alexandrie feels nothing like some run-of-the-mill home fragrance. I was also intrigued by Sacre (a churchy incense) and Retour d'Egypte (a rich amber), but this was the one that felt right for me and my desk.
And yes, if I were looking for a similar but more frugal way to scent my living space, I could probably buy a natural pumice stone in the drugstore's foot care aisle and pour some ordinary essential oil on it. (And I may also do that soon, now that I've thought of it.) But sometimes I just need a moment of pure frivolity, some end-of-empire extravagance, and L’Officine Universelle Buly 1803 is certainly the place for that.
Buly 1803 Alabasters are available in seven fragrance options, $80 each. You can find them at Net-A-Porter or Mr Porter.
J, envious of your visit to the boutique! Did you try any of the perfume waters?
I wish we could go together!! I did try two of the perfume waters. They spray on as a sheer milky white and then they absorb into skin. I really, really liked the Damask Rose, and it lasted very well on me. I was intrigued by English Honey, but it was a bit too cedar-y on my skin…I wanted more beeswax. I bet you’d like trying a few of these…the Sumi Hinoki and the Makassar sound like you!
J: you picked exactly the ones I would want to try. HA!
We know each other’s tastes all too well!
This sounds very lovely!
The packaging is sooooo gorgeous, and the products I’ve sampled so far are very good quality! and the prices do seem high, but they’re actually competitive with Jo Malone, hah, but so much more Romantic. 🙂
And the staff in Bergdorf’s Buly boutique were really informed and gracious, and not pushy — a rarity in Bergdorf these days, unfortunately. I ended up going back to splurge after thinking about it for a while, so their approach does work! 😉
Gosh, I love all the odd oils, clays, sponges, and stones on their website, and those expensive porcelain perfume bottles are beautiful. How could one resist the traditional Moroccan lip stain made from poppy petals?
So many intriguing objects, right?! I may go back for one of those little vetiver sponge-things. The NYC boutique has the oils (in those bottles!! want!) and I think they’re going to stock the powders and more eventually.
Wait. What is this vetiver sponge thing?
Is thus the brand that someone posted about a month ago. With a lot of intriguing smelling powdeed and such? Therewas a brand that someone posted about on nst and I went to their website and they had dozens and dozens of oddish, powdered things and romanticish toiletry items.
Oh! It Is this brand! What an appealing group of products!
So what is the vetiver sponge thing? I don’t see it.
It’s properly called a Vetiver Root Brush, hah: https://www.buly1803.com/en/sponges-stones-curiosities/803-vetiver-root-brush.html
For buffing elbows, legs, etc.! and it smells good too.
How interesting… I love the ritual aspect to this product – and the porcelain box is adorable.
The box is even prettier in person — it’s been given a new and more ornate decoration since those photos were taken. And now that you mention it, the ritual aspect *is* part of the appeal for me — adding the drops to the stone, or just opening the box and waiting for the scent to emanate, and then closing it when I leave the room.
Oh good to know! And just like that an $80 room freshener is on my list of things to buy 🙂
Very interesting!! I think I want this for my office ???? Do you have any idea how long the scent lasts?