Happiness: Discovering that Guerlain have opened a brand new "concept" pop-up store on the Champs Elysees.
Ecstasy: Discovering that you've been invited along to the brand new Guerlain concept pop-up store on the Champs Elysees for an exclusive look around! So now you finally know why we were there ... This was definitely the highlight of the trip Hilda and I made recently - and it didn't even involve any food!
Situated next to the original Guerlain store which dates back to 1914, Guerlain have created a modern haven of light and colour, designed to replicate a "workshop" atmosphere, luring passing shoppers into sniffing, swatching, and just plain playing with products to their heart's desire.
Divided up into zones, the store starts by introducing you to every single Guerlain perfume that is still currently being sold:
On top of the divider in the aisle there, are funnels scented with many of the Guerlain fragrances. This is a great idea that we saw in a couple of perfume stores, and it allows you to pick up the fragrance and smell it without having to spray or get scents cross-contaminated on your skin. The "chandeliers" you see above the divider are actually made of empty Guerlain scent bottles, and are very beautiful as a result. I spent a lot of time around this area.
To the right there is a display of the more widely available Guerlain scents such as you'd find in any department store, and further back on the left are the rarer, and harder to track down scents. Here, I finally managed to smell Derby, and Vetiver Pour Elle - amongst others - and cross them off my Project Perfume list. I managed to resist - just - buying Vetiver Pour Elle, discovering that I prefer the more sparkling scent of the original Guerlain Vetiver. Which is nice, as it's just saved MrLippie the trouble (and expense!) of buying me a bottle!
Behind the perfume workshop are the cosmetics, and this is where Guerlain get to show off their colourful and playful side:
Here there are samples of every cosmetic Guerlain produce, and you're free to sample and swatch as much as you like, there's even a "kisses tree" next to the mirror (and what blogger can resist a mirror with lights in the shape of lips? Not this one!) where you can place your lipsticked kisses to decorate the store. This was just too cute! In the middle with the multicoloured yarns is a display of all the shades of Rouge Automatique lipsticks that have been released. I love these lipsticks, but whilst not a fan of the packaging, it was nice to see a range of lipsticks produced this year that aren't all sheer ... I swatched a lot of them. Well, you would, wouldn't you?
Paris was celebrating the launch of Shalimar Parfum Initial whilst we were there, which is an unexpectedly pink and unashamedly fresh addition to the range of Shalimar perfumes, we were presented with a bottle at the end of our tour, and I'll be reviewing it alongside my three (count them!) other versions of the scent very soon. First thoughts are: that it might be pink, but it's not fruity, and that alone has made me very happy.
I loved the starbursts we saw all over the city to represent the scent:
Beyond the Shalimar display were hundreds and hundreds of orchids, there to represent Guerlain's Orchidee Imperiale range of skincare:
Orchids are central to a lot of what Guerlain do, their extracts being used in a lot of their skincare products, and of course, the most famous orchid extract of all - vanilla - is central to very many of their perfumes.
At the back of the store was my very favourite display:
A gorgeous collection of Guerlain's famous "bee bottles" containing various fragrances and featuring more of those beautiful chandeliers. The bee was the emblem of the Napoleon family, and Guerlain were given a warrant to provide the Emperor's homes with perfumes, fragrances and toiletries, which gave them the right to display the heraldic bee on their products. I own a few bee bottles already - mainly via the Aqua Allegorica fragrances - and it was lovely to see so many of them from throughout the ages on display.
So there you have it, a snippet of our tour of the pop-up shop - there's more to follow tomorrow, as our tour did not end here ...
If you're in Paris this summer, head to the Champs Elysees, and see the store for yourself. You won't regret it!
The Fine Print: Get Lippie and Beauty Mouth attended the store as guests of Guerlain, but the store is open to anyone, and the staff (security guards aside) are very friendly and helpful, and happy to chat about the products. No credit cards were harmed in this store.
The Other Fine Print: all pictures bar the starburst are featured courtesy of Guerlain. Please don't copy without permission, thank you.
The Other, Other Fine Print: Get Lippie and Beauty Mouth wish to extend their grateful thanks for the gracious hospitality shown on this trip by both Guerlain UK and Guerlain FR. And to FHM for the booze on the way home. Long story, but Amanda, you rule.
The Other, Other, Other Fine Print: You know if you type "other" often enough, it looks really weird? It's okay, I'm done now. Please leave a comment, it always makes me feel like I'm talking to myself otherwise. I am though, aren't I? Helllllooooo??
This post originated at: http://getlippie.com/ All rights reserved.
