Does anyone know if buying French perfume is a good idea in Paris, or in the Duty Free at the airport?
I would love to stock up for myself and possibly buy some gifts if the prices are better than here in the U.S.

I am a huge fan of the following: Annick Goutal and Serge Lutens perfumes. Serge has just come out with two new perfumes, a vanilla based and musk based. You can get these perfumes in London but I know that they are cheaper in Paris.

Annick Goutal, if you are not familiar, was a genius. An ex musician, she composed perfumes based on life moments. She named 2 after her daughters (Charlotte & Camille), Grand Amour for her husband. Quel Amour is her daughter's tribute to her mother. Sadly, Annick died a couple of years ago of cancer. A huge loss to the perfume world. My favourite is Gardenia Passion, very heady. Madonna purportedly loves Eau d'Hadrien.

Try to stop by Sephora on Champs Elysee. They will have everything you could possibly want!!

At #16 rue de la Paix, second floor, is
Michel Swiss, a reliable place to shop for discounted perfume and gifts.

An even better place to buy perfume in my opinion is Catherine, 6, rue Castiglione, in the first arrondissement, near the Intercontinental hotel. Excellent discounts on perfumes and some cosmetics: The owner knows her business and knows how to persuade eager customers to buy just a little bit more, but she is entirely charming and friendly, and generous with little perfume samples which are nice for stocking-stuffers. In addition to the store discounts, she is adept at helping you with the VAT refund process.

What a coincidence, a saleswoman talked me into buying some Annick Goutal Gardenia Passion at Bon Marche last summer. I liked many of the fragrances, but the the gardenia was special. I really bought it as part of the moment, I think, as I suspect it really wasn't cheaper. I paid about 35 euro for a small spray bottle and I think that's about what it sells for normally in the US, perhaps I even paid more than some discount sites (like www.classyperfumes.com).

In short, I have never found any cheaper than in the US and I always check prices at the duty free for some Chanel I like, etc. I would not go there to stock up for gifts myself. I think some folks think it smells differently in France than what you buy elsewhere, but I don't. There are several Sephoras where I live, so I don't get too excited about going there in Paris. I did not get a VAT refund, however, as I didn't spend that much money in one place, so that would help.

AllyPally, what a poetic response: "she composed perfumes based on life moments"...how intriguing.
Thanks for the info, I will definitely check our Annick Goutal.

Aside from the above, it sounds like perfumes are not the ideal gift to bring home. Any ideas on quality souvenirs from Paris or London for close relatives? Is there an existing thread that addresses gifts/souvenirs?

I love Creed, reportedly the oldest perfume in the world( don't know if it's true) My favorite scent is Indiana, also reportly one of Madonna's favorites, every scent is fab. I've had a difficult time finding it in Paris, I did buy it at a pharmacy in the 6th about 3 years ago. If anyone knows where to get, in Paris I would apprciate the info.It is available at Barney's N.Y. and Neiman Marcus in the states.
Viva la France
Fluffy

Was very disappointed to find that Parisien perfumes were not cheaper. I thought that buying from the Guerlain store would surely be cheaper than the U.S - wrong. And, I always check duty-free stores in the airport; again, no luck. One thing I bought for myself was a coffee mug in the Eiffel Tower and I truly enjoy using it. Had a relative given it to me, I would have enjoyed it just as much - it's the thought. Frankly, I didn't find anything priced well in Paris - not necessarily more expensive, just not cheaper. Personally, I think just something small and usable will be well received. For my grown children, I look for something representative of my trip but not cheezy (no t-shirts anymore!).

I used to live in Montreal. One of the infuriating things about living in London is that although we are geographically closer to Paris, I can't get some of the things that I like, such as Biotherm. So, for me, a trip to Paris still means stocking up on brands I can't get London. Most of them are slightly cheaper for me, perhaps because the Pound is strong.

I think the key these days is being able to acquire, in our increasingly globalised world, products that you can't get at home. It somehow makes them more special.

For this ex-North American, it's infuriating reading American magazines and seeing products for sale there that I know I won't be able to get here. It was explained to me once that Chanel has a separate division for the U.S. and therefore you get products that are not made for the European market!!

HI
Unlike some of the others, my experience has been that I save money in Paris (compared to New York) as long as I buy more than one item, and especially if I can avoid the VAT by really stocking up. Discounting stores like Catherine (above) increase the discount the more you buy.

I think I just read somewhere that Annick Goutal (the company)has just released a new perfune, only available in France.

FYI: Just noted that Annick Goutel Grand Passion and Amour are on sale at Scentements.com for $39 for 1/2 oz. each set. Better than Duty Free.

Oops! Typo! I meant "Gardenia Passion". Sorry

I just checked my sales slip last night and realized I paid a lot more than I thought and that really was kind of dumb to buy it there -- the only consolation is that it is a remembrance, so when I use it I can think of my trip to Paris and I had a pleasant conversation with the saleswoman. She did throw in a couple of those little purse flasks of a couple other scents as testers, also. I think one was the new frangrance but there were so many, I'm not sure.

In any case, I paid 55 euro (which was probably about US$60-65 at that time) at Bon Marche for the 1.7 oz spray eau de toilette. I think this RETAILS at $65 in the US (and on Sephora.com) and you can get it for $40-$55 on many web sites. If you got a VAT refund, I think that would give you back 20 pct, but it's clearly no bargain so I wouldn't bother loading up on stuff you can get elsewhere as cheap or cheaper.

I lived in Paris for 6 months and discovered a discount store called Marrionaude. Not sure if I spelled it correctly but they are all over the city. I got a very good price on some Christian Dior cosmetics. I am also a great fan of Annick Goutal. They sell it at Neiman Marcus and if you live near one you may want to sample it and also take note of the prices. They don't sell that at Marrionaude but there is an Annick Goutal store in Paris. My husband found some at at good price in a suburb called Neuilly-sur-Seine, but I have no idea the name of the store. I do remember it is on Ave Charles de Gaulle and you can take the #1 yellow Metro to Neuilly. For souvenirs, good variety and quality and reasonably priced, take the metro to Louvre-Rivoli. You might also try the Latin Quarter by Notre Dame and at Monmartre but the quality of the wares is not as good there.

If you want to read more about perfume, Annick Goutal and others, try this website:

www.osmoz.com

Actually, I have just thought of something. Have you heard of Diptyque candles? I'm sure you have them in the States. John Galliano, head designer for Dior, has composed a candle which has a very distinctive newspaper print label. It is very chic. The candle is on sale in Paris and London, not sure in New York. I don't know if it is limited edition but I have read that it is quite spicy:

http://www.diptyque.tm.fr/communique...n=gb&num=2