Questions
The things people ask us most, answered plainly. If yours is not here, come into the shop or send us a note — we would rather give you a straight answer than a sales pitch.
A 1.5 ml sample gives you roughly 15 to 20 sprays — enough to wear a fragrance properly over a week or two. That matters more than it sounds. Most scents change over several hours, and the way one sits on your skin is not how it sits on someone else's. Two or three wearings will tell you far more than a paper strip ever can.
Designer fragrances come from fashion houses and are usually built to appeal to as many people as possible. Niche houses work to a different brief: smaller batches, more unusual materials, and a willingness to make something divisive.
Neither is better. Niche tends to be more distinctive and costs more per milliliter, which is exactly why trying before committing to a full bottle makes sense.
A decant is a smaller quantity of an original fragrance, transferred from the manufacturer's bottle into a smaller sprayer. It is the same liquid from the same bottle — just less of it, so you can live with a scent before buying 50 or 100 ml.
We decant in house. Decants are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or supplied by the original brand — the fragrance inside is theirs, the smaller bottle is ours.
They describe how concentrated the perfume oil is. Eau de toilette (EDT) is the lightest and tends to sit closer to the skin. Eau de parfum (EDP) is stronger and usually lasts longer. Extrait de parfum is the most concentrated of the three.
Concentration is not the same as quality, and a well-made EDT can outlast a weak extrait. It mostly affects how long a scent lingers and how much you need to apply.
Yes. Come into the shop at 968A Farmington Avenue in West Hartford and try anything on the shelf — no appointment needed, and no obligation to buy. If you would rather explore at home, samples let you do the same thing over a few days.
Start from what you already like rather than from a brand name. If you know a scent you enjoy, tell us and we will point you at niche work in the same territory.
If you are starting from nothing, a discovery set is the least expensive way to cover a lot of ground quickly. Most people find one or two they return to and rule out several they were sure they would love.
Yes — everything we sell is 100% authentic, bought directly from the houses and their authorized distributors. Samples and decants are drawn from those same original bottles.
Yes — free U.S. shipping on orders over $100, shipped from our West Hartford shop. Delivery times and any exceptions are set out in our shipping policy.
Full-size bottles can be returned within 30 days of delivery if they are unopened and in their original packaging with all components. Opened full-size items may be accepted at our discretion, with a 20% restocking fee, and return shipping is at your cost.
Samples, sample orders and sample-based products are final sale and cannot be returned or exchanged — unless we sent the wrong item, or it arrived damaged or defective. The full terms are in our refund policy.
Away from light, heat and swings in temperature. A drawer or a closed cupboard is ideal; a sunlit windowsill or a steamy bathroom shelf is the fastest way to spoil a bottle. Kept properly, fragrances generally keep well for years.
Smaller production runs, more expensive raw materials, and far less spent on advertising than a designer release carries. You are paying for what is in the bottle rather than for the campaign around it — which is also why the difference is easier to notice on skin than on paper.
968A Farmington Avenue, West Hartford, Connecticut. We are a physical shop as well as an online one, and you are welcome to walk in.