Givenchy at Harrods is offering a complimentary engraving service for Valentine's Day: "purchase any Givenchy fragrance and a professional on-site engraver will instantly personalise the bottle with a message of your choice". Available 2/10 through 2/14, pre-book at 020 7730 1234 ext. 2786.
Space NK, Hans Crescent ~ shopping for perfume in London
Space NK has been gathering momentum over the last decade. There are now over 60 stores in the UK, of which nearly 30 are in the glossier parts of London. Recently a handful of boutiques have been opened in the US (see report on the Soho store); it will be interesting to see if the concept can be as successful on the other side of the pond.
The founding principle of Space NK was to offer customers a relaxed, unpressured shopping experience. You don’t get pestered by pushy sales assistants (at most, one polite ‘Can I help you?’, and then you’re left alone.) Their stores offered tissues and cleansers, long before this became standard practice in other cosmetics outlets. They sell a limited range of high-end products, usually the hot new names that are just getting famous in the UK, and they don’t make any attempt to push particular brands or special offers.
There is an oddity about Space NK stores, though, which is that, outside a core cosmetics inventory (Laura Mercier, Eve Lom, By Terry), individual stores can carry items that you don’t find in other stores, or even in the catalogue. Whether this is down to managerial freedom or some kind of stock control philosophy, it does add interest to a Space NK visit…
Les Nereides ~ shopping for perfume in London
Perfumistas are aware of Les Néréides as the house that gives us Imperial Opoponax and Patchouli Antique, among other niche favourites.
In fact, Les Néréides is actually a jewellery company, specialising in cute and unusual costume pieces. It’s quirky stuff — for example, most of their earrings are paired rather than identical — a parrot in one ear and a gilded cage in the other, for example. I doubt if any woman could walk past the window of the Covent Garden shop and not stop and squeal with delight…
Perfume meet & greet: Alberta Ferretti and Claudia Schiffer at Harrods
Alberta Ferretti and Claudia Schiffer will be at Harrods in London on Wednesday November 4th to present the new Alberta Ferretti fragrance:
Supermodel Claudia Schiffer and fashion designer to the stars, Alberta Ferretti, will be appearing in store…
Tea with Francis Kurkdjian at Liberty of London
Perfumer Francis Kurkdjian will be making an appearance at Liberty of London this Thursday, October 22nd to introduce the new Maison Francis Kurkdjian line. The general appearance is from 4:30 to 8:30 in the Perfume Hall.
Basenotes is also holding a competition: the first 15 people to email info@basenotes.net with a name and contact number can join Mr. Kurkdjian for afternoon tea before the 4:30 appearance.