How to shop for perfume in Paris like a Parisian

French perfume expert Clémence Pelle lives and breathes fragrance. Here, she shares her favourite perfumeries in Paris, plus her tips on how to buy scent the French way. For Paris-born fragrance expert Clémence Pelle, perfume is more than a job: "It's my life, it's my hobby, it's in my DNA." Born in Paris, Clémence Pelle studied fragrance chemistry in Brittany before moving to London, where she became a fragrance expert for Chanel. She has collaborated with brands like Dior and YSL and offers masterclasses. Pelle reviews perfumes and explores fragrance trends on TikTok, YouTube and Instagram. It's not a bold claim – perfume has been embedded in the Parisian identity since the "perfumed court" of Louis XIV. By the 18th and 19th Centuries, parfumeries had spread throughout the city, helping establish it as the global capital of fragrance, just as it was emerging as a fashion centre. "[In Paris], you had that mix of fragrance and haute couture very early on, [with Coco] Chanel," says Pelle. "In 1921 she created [Chanel] No 5 to match her vision of modern femininity." Contemporary French style is often associated with a "less-is-more, spontaneous vibe", says Pelle. "[So we prefer] a ve