Love love this company. I am allergic to perfume, but can handle at time a few smells. Orange…read moreBlossom and honeysuckle Davana. I just bought some in London. I felt the smell was way stronger?

Went with my old standard again -- Pomegranate Noir…read more I just never tire of this Jo Malone unisex classic!

Recently visited London with friends and Penhaligon's was on one of their bucket lists. I…read moreaccompanied my friend here and was pulled into the fanfare. For over an hour a salesperson helped us sort through scent after scent, narrowing our selections down. The salesperson told us all the mythical and real background of the scents which was a treat as we went through a ton of scents. I'd not even planned on getting perfume but after all that work, I fell in love with a scent, Liquid Love, and I bought it. It's such a beautiful rose scent with a kick of spice to it. Happy to have done this experience and recommend it for others. It was kinda magical.

Attempted to purchase for Mother's Day online. Got cancelled by the company. Called customer…read moreservice and given many excuses. Finally, trying to low balled me by saying that they will escalate the matter and will contact me soon via email. Not recommended to buy anything from this centuries old establishment. Bring your money somewhere else.

Floris is the premier perfumery in London, having established itself in 1730, and has prided itself…read moreon excellence since that time. Floris has a store across the street from Fortnum and Masons where the entire range of its fragrances are available. Scents range from floral to sweet, and smoky to citrusy. Floris counts King Charles among its clients, and carries the royal warrant. His mother, the late Queen Elizabeth II was also a customer. I own 3 colognes from here and love each of them.

This is a truly remarkable business - my favorite store in London. You will be hard pressed to find…read moremany businesses with the heritage of Floris. Here are a few reasons to love this store, and why my last business trip to London won't be the last occasion I buy from this perfumerie: 1. History: Floris has been making perfumes since 1730. This business is older than my country. 2. Client List: Their list of former and current customers reads like a who's-who of royals, celebrities, captains of industry, and other high-profile folks. Ian Fleming loved Floris perfumes so much that he wrote them into his novels - James Bond wore the No. 89. Floris also has multiple royal warrants, including one from the Queen. 3. Surprisingly friendly, down-to-earth staff: When I wandered in here, I spoke with Margarita, one of the employees. She was excited about the products (always refreshing), friendly, yet not pushy. She displayed an impressive knowledge of the company's storied history, and was eager to talk about it. Thanks to her, I walked out with their 4-cologne pack for men, which included the No. 89 worn by Ian Fleming (and James Bond). 4. Custom-made perfumes: Floris custom-makes perfumes as well, though the price is not cheap (about 450 pounds if my memory serves me correctly, or two for 800). If you elect to have your own perfume, you are taken to a back room filled with numerous small bottles, each a different scent. They test your skin's properties, ask you about your personality, and based thereon make a one-of-a-kind concoction just for you, which is then recorded in their enormous book. The next time you order your custom perfume, it's only 150 pounds or so. Margarita gave me a peak at the ancient-looking book. Every other name was a "Count so-and-so, had an "Esq." title, or something like that. Some very important people have walked into that room. 5. Pride: They package your purchase beautifully, something you don't really experience much in the US (even when you shop at a Saks Fifth or a Neiman Marcus, they usually just wrap your purchase in tissue and throw it in a bag. Not so here!). Ribbons, beautiful packaging, a nice bag, etc. 6. Ancient scents: As I was walking out, I asked the folks working here what their oldest scent was. It was a perfume created in the 1700s. I forget now the name, but I remember the scent - like a bouquet of flowers. That perfume is STILL for sale here! I love this place, and they sell items online. Hope to return in the future.

This tiny little shop is much smaller than the flagship store in Chelsea, but it's still fun to…read morestop off and try the wonderful perfumes. My favourite is the Lime, Mandarin & Basil, which is the signature scent of Jo Malone. But sniff a few yourself, and find your own favourite. You can spray them on to little bits of paper, but if you find one you like, spray a little on your skin because perfume always smells different on your skin (and it will smell different on different people!). It's worth leaving it awhile too, because you'll find different notes come through the longer you wear it. The only downside is the staff, who hover over you while you browse, and some of them seem to look down their noses at you if you're not dressed in a power suit. It's a shame, as sometimes I will leave without buying if I encounter that kind of attitude.

This review is for this specific store, not for the Jo Malone products themselves (which I love)…read more This is definitely a posh area but I've found all the stores nearby to be really welcoming, with the exception of Jo Malone. When I was there the staff were actively encouraging people to come back another day because they were too busy to help them. I never asked for help, then one of the employees offered to help me and seemed really eager to do so, then immediately changed her mind and told me it was too busy and asked if I could come back next week (after Valentine's Day) and opened the door for me to leave. It was so bizarre, considering I had not even approached her. I'm sure they do a lot of business this time of year but it was a weekday and the store wasn't packed. I do my shopping on my days off and I don't appreciate being told I should come back another day when it is more convenient for the employees. I'm happy to wait in the store to be helped. Seems like common sense that you wouldn't turn away customers. That said, their colognes are fantastic, but I will be ordering online or visiting the flagship from now on.

Lush is the place you'd go for affordable cosmetics. I wouldn't buy Make up from here, but the bath…read moreand hair products are good. Here you can find solid conditioners, shaped like bars and recently I've been using "Big" which smells simply like heavens and roses and angels. It has a new formula that is firmer than the older one, and also firmer than the old Jungle, so it lasts longer. It contains extra virgin coconut oil, and you ladies know that this is a key product for keeping a thick and healthy mermaid hair. I recommend this product to all my clients having issues with thin and damaged hair. Rather than that, the bath bomb "Big Blue" is another of the mermaid goodies that colours the water like a blue fairy lake and smells amazingggg. It has a scent of lemon, seaweed and something else that makes me so obsessed about it. You can also check the bath melt "You've Been Mangoed" which also smells incredible. The facial moisturisers and masks are also fine, but it really depends on your skin type, so you should better ask the staff or can message me if you are interested in a special product.

I love everything about Lush. From the beautiful fresh soapy smell that entices you in the door to…read morethe fact that all their products are freshly made and have a sticker with a cartoon image of the person who made the product with the best before date, very cute. My favourite products are the flying fox shower gel which is a sensual, mood calming jasmine fragrance, £6.50 for a bottle that lasts ages and the Rehab shampoo which is great for distressed hair, I bought the 500ml bottle for £13.50 back in June and it lasted me 4 months.

Of course there are a number of L'Occitane stores in central London. The one in Covent Garden is…read morenice, but I prefer the store on Regent Street. To be honest, it is tiny. However, it has everything one needs from L'Occitane both in terms of products but especially in terms of service. On my first visit I was greeted very nicely and was offered a cup of tea while browsing. You can usually find two or three staff members around. If it's not too busy they will offer you a hand massage. Choosing between the various London stores is therefore not much of a question for me: Regent Street.

I try to avoid the bedlam that is Regent Street at all costs, but if I am ever shopping there I…read morealways buy a little sweet smelling treat from L'Occitane. It's full of French inspired beauty products that are really luxurious and natural. I used to hate the smells in here when my mother used to drag me in whilst she spritzed and sprayed her way around the shop, but now I've come to appreciate the 'grown-up' nature of their products. Their fragrances evoke a beautiful, rich sense of late summer-bathed evenings in Provence; sensuous and warm. The whole shop mirrors this with orangey hues and golden wooden features. The facial skin care range is more suited to older skins as it's all very rich and creamy, but the other items such as the exfoliators, bath and shower range and the hair care are suitable for everyone. I love the honey range and the more unusual things such as the Cherry Blossom Solid Perfume that's in a little tin, ready to dab on whenever you fancy a top up. There's also a small, but equally as special, mens range. Everything is presented beautifully in old French style boxes and the more expensive perfumes belong in red, velvet cases. I can't convey how amazing things smell here, you'll just have to go try it out for yourself!

This is a really great branch of Superdrug. It's not their biggest by any means (though it does go…read moreback a lot further than you'd expect). It's always clean and tidy and everything is well organised and easy to find. There's a lot crammed into a small space here, including a lot of different Superdrug ranges, including their costume jewellery and make-up ranges. They always seem to stock all the special offer ranges advertised in the newspapers and have a great range of gifts at Christmas. The only real downside to this branch is that it's very popular due to being virtually next to Holborn tube station, so the queues can be longer than you'd like.

This Superdrug is great, not only is it a short cut of one side of Holborn to another, it has a…read morehuge variety of products from makeup to perfumes, showergels, electricals, drinks etc. Definitely a lot for how small the store is and can always see clearly what they have on offer. They've never been out of anything I need/am looking for, the pharmacy is also quick and offers advice and repeat prescription service. All the staff are very friendly and helpful.

This is an absolute wonderland! Taylor stock everything, not just their own range but so many other…read moreesteemed manufacturers of wet shave products. If you've been dying to get that Dovo cut-throat razor, you can be sure to find it on one of the shelves at TOBS! There is a huge selection of brushes, Taylor as well as Simpson, in all sizes, qualities and finishes to suit all budgets. Taylor also produce, in my opinion, the best value shaving cream of the established London barbers (others being Truefitt & Hill, Geo. F. Trumper, D.R Harris.) Their shaving cream range is very well suited to wet shave beginners as it lathers up with little effort and is very easy on the skin. Beware their openings hours though. This is upscale St James after all so stores like this do not open beyond 5pm and stay closed on Sundays. Keep an eye out for some worthwhile deals on their website!

Shaving is their business. An absolutely wondrous store in a prime location on Jermyn Street, the…read moremen's fashion capitol of London. The store also includes a razor cut barbershop in the back if you are so inclined to have a shave or trim. Many of the items are less than £20 and the quality is outstanding. I am especially fond of the tobacco leaf shaving cream made with cedar wood oil. A favorite hair tonic is the Collection #74 with oil. They also have items specific for those with sensitive skin as well. Truly a man's treasure box for pampering your face and hair. A must stop when in London.