Shops We Love… The Fragrance Lounge at Liberty
The Fragrance Lounge’s fabulous central counter
It’s a bit of a fragrant week this week, what with Jo’s Scent Notes about the Barnes Fragrance Fair (see here) – but we just had to share a first view of Liberty’s new Fragrance Lounge, which has taken over some of the menswear space on the Lower Ground Floor.
Oh, but it’s scent heaven. We had a sneaky preview yesterday, before it opened its doors to the public (almost the first through the door!)
And if you want a restful scent-shopping experience, where you can be left to sniff to your heart’s content – or, alternatively, guided to a new scent choice – then there’s honestly nowhere more spacious or calm in London.
10 fabulous brands are showcased in what feels more like a private member’s club than a store, including Guerlain’s L’Art et La Matière collection, D.S. & Durga, Matière Première, L’Artisan Parfumeur, Perfumer H, Gucci (their Alchemist’s Garden collection), Bibbi, Liberty’s own LBTY fragrances, and our friend Lyn Harris’s Perfumer H collection, both home fragrance and the kind to be worn on skin. 10 brands in all, and all very special. (Apparently these will be switched up, in time, to keep the selection fresh.
What makes this different, though, is the ‘Fragrance Concierge’ service, whereby you can make an appointment to get some help finding a new scent. There are little side rooms – which can even be curtained off – where, based on your scent preferences and what you already wear, the knowledgeable consultants will hand-pick fragrances from the collection for you to try, first on blotters, then on skin. You can enjoy a cuppa or a glass of something fizzy, maybe a nibble or two, to make the whole fragrance shopping experience as unstressful as possible.
Fragrances to sample – and canapés to enjoy
The department itself is also available for freestyle exploration, though – and we recommend setting aside some time to do just that. The décor of the space just makes us want to hang out, with its Liberty print ceiling, soft furnishings, marble counters – a sort of Victorian department store vibe, yet with a totally contemporary feel.
There’s also a fascinating art installation on the sniffing theme, the ‘Noseum’, created by artist Tasha Marks (below), of AVM Curiosities, who took plaster casts of noses belonging to many esteemed fragrance-related folk. It’s so fun, trying to identify them (also: impossible!) And actually, the installation is rather beautiful.
Sculptor Tasha Marks and her ‘Noseum’ installation
Admittedly, the department’s fragrances most definitely aren’t ‘high street’ prices – but for anyone who wants a very special investment perfume, perhaps as a mother-of-the-bride, a bride herself, if you’re seeking an amazing signature scent (or you’re a self-confessed fragrance nut who prioritises spending money on nice smells), the Fragrance Lounge is a truly exciting new destination via which to find your next scent love, and deep-dive into some of the most special perfume brands out there.
The Fragrance Lounge, Liberty, Regent Street, Carnaby, London W1B 5AH
Booking for The Fragrance Concierge opens on Friday 15th March 2023
