I came in for a fragrance consultation, booked by my husband for my 42nd birthday. I was quite curious as to how it was going to be and what it was going to entail, but I’m always happy to spend time in Diptyque, so I was excited!
\*Full disclosure: I have multiple Diptyque scents already, but I was asked to keep the names to myself for the process.\*
I arrived early and spent some time browsing around, while they finished setting up. I was led into a room at the very back of the shop and introduced to the kindest employee. He offered me a drink from their current water bar collab and explained the process to me.
First I was shown five different mood boards and asked to choose the individual photos that I liked and the mood board I was more drawn to.
Then I was presented with 20 different words and asked to choose the words I liked and associated with scent.
Finally we went through 20 different fragrance notes, where I said everything that came to mind while smelling them and ultimately rated each note 1-10. This was such a fun experience. Scent has so many connotations to me, of places, of people, of moods. Amazing! The employee took notes throughout the process and as we were done, he went to pick out some scents for me. He came back with 5 samples, 2 of which he was certain I already owned, solely based on our conversation. He was right - I do in fact own l’eau papier and Do So. The other scents, Benjoin Boheme and Lunamaris among others, have been on my wishlist forever. How cool is that?! It was such a validating experience, because personally I sometimes wonder if I get caught up in the storytelling and the brand when buying perfumes, rather than follow my nose. Turns out I actually like what I like!
We went upstairs, I was given the opportunity to try 4 scents on my skin, and we toured the amazing space while Caleb told me the history of the brand, which was far more intriguing than I thought it would be. In the end, I ended up buying Benjoin Boheme. I have been wanting it for years and seeing as the £170 consultation was redeemable during my visit, it seemed as good a time as any. I was given 4 samples, a birthday candle and had my bottle engraved. These were some of the best 2 hours I have ever spent in a retail space and I can’t believe how attentive the staff were and how luxurious it all felt. I found myself doubting that I had understood the redeemable part correctly and thinking it was still worth it!
TL;DR I can not recommend this enough - it was such a treat. Do it, if you’re ever in London!