This guide is based on the excellent but autdated work by Denyse Beaulieu. You can find it here and here.
34, Boulevard Saint Germain
As I came to Paris by train, I took bus 63 to Gare de Lyon and went to 34 Boulevard Saint Germain (get off at Ecoles/Cluny), at the historical Diptyque boutique. As you get in, you smell wood, drenched in a million of flowery and spicy aromas. 34 Boulevard Saint Germain ** is a fragrance inspired by this delicious scent. It was created to clebrate the Jubileum of the brand.I think it works better as a room or closet fragrance, because, on skin, after about half an hour, becomes a very ordinary woody-oriental. As it should summarize all the Diptyque fragrances, it prbably contains too many different notes, none in a large enough tohose, so they all vanish too soon.
The shop assistant, very kind despite I looked as a backpacker (I was, actually), speaks excellent italian and gave me a samlple of the insignificant and fleeting citrusy summer flanker L’Eau du Trente-Quatre (*). But I loved the latest release: Eau Mohéli(***) a wonderful ylang-ylang.
As I was travelling essentially for pleasure, I skipped some shops I wasn’t interested in such as Reminiscence (56, Rue Bonaparte), as you cand find thei fragrances at any Sephora and Annick Goutal (Place de Saint Sulpice) and I got again on the 63 bus to go to Le Bon Marché 24, rue de Sèvres (Metro & bus Sèvres-Babylonne). There, I made a very pleasant discovery: in Paris, some niche perfume brands have sales! I found many L’Artisan Parfumeur, included Mon Numéro 3 ***, 4 **, 7 ** e 8 ****, at 60 euro, instead of the original 145 a 60. I also discovered the brand By Terry de Gunzburg, which I found very pleasant, expecially Ombre Mercure, a delicious Iris.
Finally I visited the Parfums de Nicolaï shop (80 Rue de Grenelle, but there is oanother one in 45 rue des Archives and I found a friendlier shop assistant there). I was conquered by the classic feminine Number One Intense (****), a very sensuos tuberose with a fresh opening (galbanum) and a oakmoss drydown. I thought it was crazy expensive and instead you can have il for 50 euro, because they’re changing the packaging.
Eau de Purcel 