Estee Lauder, the founder of a world-famous cosmetic company, used to explain to buyers, “In order to wear a perfume in the best way possible, it’s important to diffuse it in the air in front of you and then to step forward. Perfumes are like love. It’s a crime to be stingy with perfumes. You should bestow yourself to them. Not a little bit here and a little bit there. But completely, unconditionally.” Below you will find a list of the best perfumeries in Barcelona.
Museo del Perfum
First of all, we recommend that you visit the Museum of Perfumes on Passeig de Gracia, in order to learn the history of the creation of marvelous fragrances, witness the manufacturing process of perfumes, and experience the aromas of the most accoladed perfumes of the world. This museum was founded in 1961 as a private collection. However, in time the collection has become so large and intriguing to visitors that the small gallery gradually developed into a full-fledged museum. Today, around 9000 exhibit items are displayed in this space, including stickers, advertising, photos, and perfume bottles. Here, you will have a chance to see ancient fragrance bottles from Mesopotamia, Egypt, and the Roman Empire, as well as more modern perfume bottles dating back to the 18th century. For instance, among the curious items on display, one can see tiny bottles in the shapes of human beings that were manually painted by skilled craftsmen, silver bottles in the forms of flowers, miniatures in the shape of a chained purse with unusual paintings and a golden finish, and so forth. Among the display items is a thin bottle of Russian “Krasnaya Moscwa,” an item of special interest to Russian visitors.
- Address: Passeig de Gracia, 39
- Working hours: Monday-Friday, from 10:30 until 20:00, Saturday from 11:00 until 14:00;the museum is closed during the holidays and on Sundays.
- Website: http://museudelperfum.com/.
Perfumerías Regia
Regia boutique is closely related to the Museum of Perfumes –in fact, these two landmarks are located in the same building. However, the shop is considerably older than its neighbor. The history of this shop goes back to the year 1928, when a young perfumer,Josep Giralt, decided to participate in the World Exhibition of 1929 in Barcelona. Back then, his small shop became a real sensation among the visitors and shortly afterwards turned into one of the most exquisite perfumery boutiques in the city. Nowadays, one can find both world-famous perfumes here and newer fragrances created by Spanish perfumers.
- Address: the first Regia shop is located on Passeig de Gracia, 39. There are several boutiques in the city. For their addresses and more details, please visit the shop’s website.
- Working hours: Monday-Friday, from 9:30 until 20:30, Saturday from 10:30 until 20:30; the shop is closed during the holidays and on Sundays.
- Website: https://www.regia.es/es/.
La Basílica galleria
This enormous gallery offers its visitors exquisite jewelry, designer perfumes, and collectibles that include exclusive works of art. In 2016, the perfumery department of the gallery was awarded the prize for the best perfumery boutique in the city. Here, you can find your own, unique fragrance among more than athousand different perfumes in exquisite bottles.
- Address: Passeig de Gracia, 26
- Working hours: Monday-Saturday, from 12:00 until 21:00
- Website: http://labasilicagaleria.com/.
Ivori
This cozy shop owned by Carola Alexandre, the Catalan designer, has become highly appreciated among circles of fashion lovers and especially among locals of the district of Gracia. Here, one can buy apparel by the famous designers of Barcelona, handmade footwear and bags, as well as perfumes by Spanish and French perfumers. This boutique is located in a XIX-century mansion, where the designers have managed successfully to mingle the spirit of antiquity with modern tendencies.
- Address: Calle de Mirallers, 7
- Working hours: Monday – Saturday, from 11:00 until 20:30
- Website: http://www.ivoribarcelona.com/.
The Perfumery Barcelona
In the labyrinth of narrow streets of the Gothic District, in a house that shares one wall with the remains of the ancient Roman city wall, an extraordinary shop calledThe Perfumery is nestled. On the shelves of this tiny shop, one can still find small bottles containing the favorite perfumes of such celebrities as Napoleon and Jacqueline Kennedy. Throughout the 20 years of the boutique’s history, almost nothing has changed inside. Charming sellers who love to tell “perfumery stories” to the visitors are also able to determine which fragrance to offer a customer at first sight.
- Address: Calle de Baixada de Santa Eulàlia, 3
- Working hours: Monday – Saturday, from 12:00 until 16:00
- Website: http://www.theperfumery.es/.
Jo Malone
For a long time, there was great anticipation surrounding the opening of this new branch of the British perfumery company,Jo Malone. Several years ago, it finally happened. The main feature of the perfumes here is their harmony: they do not interfere with each other; on the contrary, all the scents complement each other. Among the easily recognizable, high bottles with their black and white stickers, you can choose several completely different fragrances to create a new, unique perfume that fully reflects your personal preferences insensations. If you have any questions, feel free to ask for a piece of advice from the experienced sellers who are truly in love with their work and know many secrets about the creation of these “delicious” perfumes.
- Address: La Rambla de Catalunya, 77
- Website: www.jomalone.com.
Perfumeria Lider
It is really easy to bypass the small perfumery shop with the simple name, Lider, when walking along the ultra-fashionable El Born area. However, it is worth visiting this place, so don’t miss it! This shop resembles a treasure chest: although you can’t see anything unusual from outside, inside you will find real jewels. In the course of more than 40 years, the tiny shop owned by local perfumers has grown to the size of a boutique, also offering fragrances from neighboring countries, including France and Morocco. Thus, it is no surprise that here it is possible to find a vast selection of floral aromas, such as lavender, Moroccan rose, and violet. If you get dizzy from the amazing fragrances and completely lost among the countless options when trying to choose your fragrance, ask a shop owner for assistance. The owner knows the history of every perfume and every bottle. In addition to these benefits, this shop also boasts a department of natural, eco-friendly cosmetics.
- Address: Calle de Sant Pere Més Baix, 44
- Working hours: Monday –Friday, from 9:30 until 13:30 and from 16:30 until 20:00, Saturdayfrom 9:30 until 14:00
- Website: http://perfumerialider.com/.