When I travel, I want the shopping experience to be as memorable as the treasures I bring home. On this trip, we discovered hidden gems and revisited iconic stores that offer more than just a place to buy souvenirs. The boutiques in this list are perfect places to find unique presents, plus they offer insight into France’s culture and history.

Officine Universelle Buly

Inspired by 19th-century perfumer Jean-Vincent Bully, Officine Universelle Buly has several beautiful stores in Paris. The apothecary-like boutiques exude an Old World charm with wood cabinetry, marble countertops and antique mirrors and brass fixtures. The staff, dressed in collared black dresses, add to the sense of timelessness. Antique-looking atomizers filled with water-based perfumes (they forgo using alcohol) line the counters. Once we selected our scent — the Rose de Damas, a delicate mix of rose, ginger and vetiver — we chose a corresponding soap, body lotion or dry oil. They were bottled in intricately embellished ceramic vessels — works of art themselves — that were hand-labeled for us by a professional calligrapher. Buly offers personalized engravings on toothbrushes, combs, soaps and botanical lip balms, making the products ideal for gifting. Purchased in 2021 by LVMH, the brand’s aromatic stores are among my regular shopping destinations in Paris. My favorite location is the boutique on Rue Vieille du Temple in the Marais, but the location farther north in Le Haut-Marais is a close second, with its spa room and counter serving coffee and tea.

Officine Universelle Buly
19 Rue Vieille du Temple, 4th arr. Tel. (33) 9-77-48-59-18