Perfume Shopping In NYC: What to Buy Where

Forget Paris.

Ok, maybe not quite, but NYC hasn't had so many fabulous perfume shopping options in years. Many previously hard-to-find brands are now available on our shelves. I'm here to try and help you find what you need beyond the obvious Sephora and Macy's mainstream counters.

The following perfume brands have their own boutiques:

• Diptyque- 971 Madison Avenue and 377 Bleecker Street
• Le Labo- 233 Elizabeth Street
• Creed- 794 Madison Avenue
• Frederic Malle- 898 Madison Avenue
• Bond No. 9- 897 Madison Avenue and 9 Bond Street
• Fresh- 872 Broadway
• Krigler- Plaza Hotel 1 West 58th Street
• Caron- 715 Lexington Avenue (second floor)
• Hermes-691 Madison Avenue (the Hermessence collection is boutique exclusive)

Independent perfume stores and what you will find there:

• MiN NY (17 Crosby Street)-  Mona di Orio, Amouage, MPG, Etat Libre d'Orange, Montale, Lubin, Xerjoff, Parfum d'Empire, Heeley, Kerosene, A Lab On Fire, Keiko Mecheri, Bois 1920, Detaille, Linari, Miller Harris, Nobile 1942,  Frapin, Juliette Has A Gun. Also a wonderful selection of candles and apothecary products.
• Aedes de Venustas  (9 Christopher St)- Amouage, Serge Lutens, L'Artisan, Frederic Malle, Arquiste, Penhaligon's, Lubin, Heeley, Agonist, Ambra di Venezia, Carthusia, By Killian, Costes, CdG, Eau d'Italie, Parfums DelRae, The Different Company, Odin, Hors La Monde, Diptyque, People of the Labyrinth.
• Osswald (311 West Broadway)- Parfumerie Generale, MPG, MDCI, Arquiste, Maison Francis Kurdjian, Profumum Roma, Nasomatto, Micallef, Carner Barcelona, Clive Christian.  Also: Kjaer Weis makeup and fabulous Swiss skincare.
• Lafco/Santa Maria Novella (285 Lafayette Street)- SMN and Lorenzo Villoresi, Eau d'Italie. Also an excellent line of home fragrances and Claus Porto soaps.
• New London Pharmacy (246 eighth avenue)- Hilde Soliani, Balmain, Parfums de Nicolai, Molinard, MPG, Penhaligon's, CSP, Calypso Saint Barth, many more brands, lots of skin care and hair products.
• C.O. Bigelow (414 Sixth Avenue )- Tallulah Jane, Six Scents, Robert Piguet, 06130, Nasomatto, Malin+Goetz, Maison Francis Kurkdjian, Juliette Has A Gun, Jovoy, I Profumi di Firenze, Costes, Etat Libre d'Orange, Esteban, Diptyque, CSP, Carthusia, Bois 1920, Jacomo.

Department stores:

• Bergdorf Goodman- JAR, Ramon Monegal, Creed, Tom Ford Private Blend, Serge Lutens, Donna Karan Collection, Maison Francis Kurkdjian, Guerlain, Chanel Les Exclusifs, By Killian, Christian Dior Collection Privee, Annick Goutal, Chantecaille, Histoires de Parfums, Armani Prive.
• Barneys- Serge Lutens (including the entire exclusive bell jar collection), Frederic Malle, L'Artisan, Byredo, Diptyque, Heeley, Le Labo (including Tubereuse 40, the NYC exclusive), Regina Harris, Rodin, Yosh, Apothia, Armani Prive, Arquiste, Balenciaga, Bois 1920, CdG, Nana de Bary, Naomatto, Maison Martin Margiela, The Different Company.
• Henri Bendel- Neil Morris, L'Artisan, Huitième Art , Boadicea The Victorius, Annick Goutal, Memoire Liquide, Nez a Nez, Profumo del Forte, Illuminum, Escentric Molecules, Etat Libre d'Orange, Lubin, Jouany, Histoires de Parfum, Jacomo,06130, Escentric Molecules, Six Scents, Juliette Has A Gun, MPG, Nasomatto, Ineke, Robert Piguet.
• Saks Fifth Avenue- Guerlain (including all the exclusives), Chanel, Clive Christian, Tom Ford Private Blend, Bond No. 9, By Killian.

Also of note:

• Zitomer (969 Madison Avenue)- an old-style perfume and beauty store, mostly luxury brands, beauty and candles.
• Chanel boutiques (for the Les Exclusifs and limited edition beauty)
• Tom Ford (845 Madison Avenue)

Worth crossing the bridge:

• CB I Hate Perfume- 93 Wythe Avenue, Brooklyn (Williamsburg). Closed on Sunday.
• Woodley & Bunny- 196 N10th St. (wiiliamsburg, Brooklyn)a hair salon that stocks perfume and beauty niche brands: Tauer, MCMC, Keiko Mecheri, Ineke, A Lab On Fire, Andrea Maack, DS & Durga, Joya. Also: Ellis Faas makeup.
• Twisted Lily- 360 Atlantic Avenue, Brooklyn. One of the best perfume stores I've ever been to. Ramon Monegal, Serge Lutens, L'Artisan, Proveidence Perfume Company, Slumberhouse, Undergreen, Etat Libre d'Orange, Amouage, MFK, Mona do Orio, Tommi Sooni, Nicolai, Penhaligon's, Rouge Bunny Rouge, Maria Candida Gentile, D.S. &Durga, Histoires de Parfums, Memoire Liquide.

Happy Shopping!

Photo from George Cukor's The Women, 1939 John Kobal Foundation via Getty Images