What a great little boutique in Ghirardelli Square…read more We went in because of the amazing floral aromas but my daughter (12) found a jelly at she just had to have. We found a lot of great trinkets, candles, perfumes, and even some nice, small jewelry pieces but she wanted the jellycat more than anything else. Shop was clean, beautiful, and smelled amazing.

Cutest boutique in Ghrideli Square!…read more The aromas of fragrance, lotion, soap, oils, and candles meet you at the door. I'm calling this one long wall the "Perfume Closet." Each shelf had its signature fragrance that consisted of not only perfume but body oil, soap, candle, and lotion. The winner for me was the Magnolia Eau De Parfum; it stole my heart. But I will be back for the others!

Amazing products!! Ive been buying my favorite scent (Desir Absolu) for years and was even able to…read morevisit their shop some years ago..... that was truly amazing and I got some fabulous deals! I can't find it in any retail store since my first purchase in Leavenworth Washington so I purchase online. They put a lot of effort in their beautiful wrapping and always throw in a freebie.

Mario, your products are divine! My husband still buys me the lotion for special occasions and they…read moreare always received with joy. All the best, Lisa M.

My wife and I had a fun time smelling…read more Ministry of Scent was packed, but well-staffed with super nice, unpretentious, and knowledgable people with no hard sell. Each location has a curated hard-to-find collection, but this location is larger than the other branch and it's surrounded by other boutiques. You can get sample vials for $6-10, which you can often get back if you buy the full bottle. We loved Circue de Soleil, which smelled of buttery popcorn, cotton candy, and caramel apples, and Mango Sticky Rice, which smelled of mango, rice, and sticky. We didn't like the Katie Holmes, which smelled of bad acting, smirks and flop sweat. Is there a better experience testing fragrances? Nobody nose!

tl;dr Great selection, agree with other reviewers that customer experience is a hit or miss. On…read moreweekends, they limit samples to 3 per customer as it gets very busy. Pro tip: smell scents you like outside in the fresh air. The inside air smells crazy bc of all the sprays. 1.5ml samples are available at great prices. I've been here a couple times now to smell on my own and get recommendations from the staff. Both times, I was periodically approached by someone asking if I needed any help. I told them the notes I was looking for, and they brought out a mini line up of 6-8 fragrances for me to smell on my own. I appreciate this approach as you feel like you can smell on your own time. On my second visit, a staff member approached me and asked if i needed any assistance. I was ready to purchase some samples and asked her to look for 3. I waited in the corner of the store for several minutes, seeing her look in the sample stock for a bit, but then she came back into the main room without approaching me. I let her do her thing for a few more minutes but it appeared that she was helping other customers by then, so I asked if she had found everything. Only then did she tell me they were out of one of my 3 samples. I eventually replaced the 3rd sample with something else, but I didn't like the customer service during this visit.

The guy is so rude, I but a perfume but after a day when I back to exchange it the didn't accept…read moreit and the give me more expensive than all places and online. I'm wasn't happy at all

The Perfume Company was a clutch find when I was in need last week. See, I rarely set foot in…read moremalls, and I don't often go in for beauty aids, but I traveled to SF and was in need of some smell-good. I'm really particular when it comes to scents, and I detest most colognes. So when various visits to Macy's, Nordstrom's and other department stores failed to net me anything other than the usual stable of main-brand colognes, I had to dig deeper. Enter The Perfume Company. This little kiosk on the second floor of Westfield has a deep selection of brands of perfume and cologne. They had the exact Kenzo scent I was searching for, at a price about $10 cheaper than the last time I bought it (at Duty Free, no less). The dudes running the joint were friendly enough and they have a return-customer discount deal - 10% off the same scent. All you need to do is bring the receipt back in (like that's going to happen). Despite this kiosk being in the middle of mall-town chaos, it has the deepest scent selection of anything in the area. And the prices are fair.

Went here today for a perfume blending workshop. Figured it would be something different and…read moreinteresting to do on a hot, summer day. Jessica is super knowledgeable and helpful - encouraging you to experiment and make your own choices, while also coaching you through your personal blend. The first part is instructional and gives you the opportunity to smell 15 different oils to consider in your blend. You then get some time to think through your concoction and when you are ready, she helps you mix your own personal bottle of the scent, which you take home with you at the end of the session. She also allows you to record your formula in her database should you want to reorder when you run out. It was educational and fun and I left with a unique scent all my own.

i did a workshop with Jessica and a large group of girlfriends on a random Tuesday night. We had an…read moreamazing time and learned A LOT. I am absolutely in love with the custom perfume I made and get loads of compliments on it. Jessica is extremely talented, knowledgeable, charming and organized. She documents and keeps your custom "recipe" on file so that you can re-order your perfume from her when you run out - or to give as gifts, etc. I would do one of her workshops again in a heartbeat. I would recommend her workshops to everyone- men, women, even older children. Great for bridal showers, birthdays, Valentine's Day, or any time. I promise you will learn a lot and enjoy the end result as much as the process of building your custom scent!

Yesterday I attended a Garden/Tea Party at the home of perfumer Laurie Stern, invited by Nina. I…read morehad met Laurie a few months ago at a sculpture exhibit at Nina's where the work of a friend was being exhibited. Laurie had brought a sample of a new perfume which she was trying to name and was inviting suggestions. It smelled lovely. Her perfumes are cruelty and phthalate free. She creates bath salts and other means of pampering oneself. I won't attempt to describe her offerings. You can check out her website for details. http://www.purrfumery.com/ The weather was cooperative yesterday and we were able to admire Laurie's wares, lovely jewelery by her colleague, Amy, and wander around Laurie's garden, which was designed by her landscape architect husband and is full of whimsy. In addition to making ourselves tea, we nibbled on homemade chocolate truffles, tiny cookies and beautifully frosted cupcakes ranging from full size to teeny tiny. I bought 3 large jars of bath salts in different scents and a little bottle of the newly named perfume, Firever Young. Laurie threw in a silken bag containing a Jasmine-Orange Blossom Crème perfume sample and a tiny Organic Victorian hydrosol. After ascertaining I had a cat, she threw in a small muslin bag of catnip for Harry. Laurie probably won't ply you w/ tea and sweet stuff to eat, but if you or someone you know enjoys scents and pampering, you can contact her about buying some of her creations. And if you get on her mailing list you could be invited to her next Garden Party.

After running across a couple of compelling blog reviews of Velvet and Sweet Pea, I visited the…read morewebsite and ordered a few samples. I was curious, but not holding my breath - while I like the idea of natural perfumes, I never found one that particularly appealed to me and had assumed that synthetics had improved upon nature. All this changed when the samples arrived. Fleur Caramel, Bed of Roses, Narcissus Poetica, Honey, and more... Gorgeous, complex, magical, and living scents. Fleur Caramel reminds me of a more beautiful and rare distant cousin of Guerlain's L'Heure Bleue. Narcissus Poetica is unusual - chasing each haunting note as it develops into something else. Do not expect Velvet and Sweetepa to have the sillage of synthetics or to last as long. These are not linear scents; they are rich and mysterious, and remain that remain close to the skin until they disappear. I had the opportunity to meet the amazingly nice Laurie Stern in person at the LAFragranceSalon in Santa Monica. It was easy to spot her Victorian inspired table - covered with purple velvet, silk, lace, and little fans with kitties on them. Each scent was wrapped in a handmade pouch our package - at once exquisite and whimsical - totally expressing Laurie's great love and enthusiasm for what she believes and makes. I am a definite convert!

I just wanted to give everyone a heads-up about a recent credit card transaction that seemed a…read morelittle suspicious. I came in yesterday and bought two bath bombs--honestly, they're pretty pricey, and you're probably better off going to Lush. But here's the issue: I was charged one amount at checkout, and then about 15 minutes later, my final credit card transaction showed a different amount. It's not a huge difference, but it definitely wasn't what I was initially charged. Totally my mistake for not asking for a receipt. I should've gone back to talk to them about it, but I was already pretty drained from walking all day.

While strolling pier 39, this little store caught my eye. It's cutely decorated with their items on…read moredisplay and areas designated for photos. Now, I made a few visits. My first visit was in the morning and I was able to try their scrubs and lotion (they have a little sink station). They smelled great and my hands were so soft. They stayed soft until the evening when i went back. And yes, I did wash my hands and use hand sanitizer throughout that time gap. The sales people were friendly. Some of them too much so. Upselling is definitely a valued practice here. To the point that it gets annoying and almost made me not get anything. Many phrases of "if you buy two more of these items, I'll give you this for free." So on my second visit i left with a scrub, lotion, and several bath bombs. Easily over $100. Needless to say, this place is pricey. I really am happy with my scrub and lotion. The bath bombs were cute but I wouldn't get them again, for the price that they are. Howd I get lured back again? Sales associate mentioned they were doing free facials the next day. Well, i don't mind paying a visit to the fisherman's wharf on my final day for a FREE facial! Again, it was a play on words. The facial turned out to be just a chance to use their truffoire product. Advertised as a white truffle skin care. Afterward, my face felt smooth. The associate helping me this time couldn't stop talking about how it's cleared up their acne. While i went to eat and walk around, i read the reviews and looked up the original seller. This stuff is expensive but they seemed to be offering it for a deal. Sounds too good to be true. But eh, i splurged when i went back for my final visit. I felt like chum in water cause the upselling turned up to a level 12. It was overwhelming and stressful. I finally conveyed i only wanted the cleanser, toner, day cream, and facial peeling. Does it work?? Well, i have used the products for a month now and I do notice that my pores are smaller, skin brighter, and I've had virtually no breakouts. I do believe the chemicals they use are really potent so i use it sparingly. Along with the fact that it's expensive and I'm not looking to make such a big purchase again. Like I mentioned, the upselling is annoying and so after being persuaded to get more than what i had expressed an interest in, I finally made my purchase. Before leaving, what I assume was the store manager pushed another pitch: because of my purchase, I could choose a free item from their "sister store." Some robot store i can't remember the name of. The "free item" became "50% off," and more lines like, "If you get this, I can give you that." Thinking back on it still makes my eye twitch. I wasn't interested but they insisted. Ended up dealing with more upselling. The free item turned into 50% off and if "if I get this. I can get this. Great deal...etc". Recalling it makes my eye twitch. I finally left but the experience left me flustered. TLDR; here's a breakdown: Pros: Cute and well-decorated store Fun experience trying products Products seem to be high quality Cons: Pushy and persistent upselling Misleading promotions Pricey

What is it about hippies that makes them think that soap making is the pinnacle of…read moreentrepreneurship? It is so ironic, given that they don't even use soap. I tried their soap when I went to school in berkeley. It really wasn't bad, but what soap, save irish spring, is really bad anyway??

This is a cute little store that revolves around bath & bath related products. I had been searching…read morefor the cutest bag I had seen someone carrying around the airport. It was a big Red Tango bag which has the silhouette of a cat on it. So cute. On the Red Tango web site, it lists all the places that carry their products including jewelry, watches and purses. Many of the stores I had been to only had the watches. Yes I could find it on the Internet but I didn't want to wait for it and I figured it was a good way to spend the weekends and get to know Berkeley and San Francisco. So I walked into Soap Sistans not expecting anything and there it was, a big, Red Tango orange bag. I walked out of the store with my new bag and a smile.