Thursday, July 24, 2014

Post card from Paris - Buly 1803

A couple of weeks ago, I discovered this charming and beautiful shop in the Rue Bonaparte. It opened in April this year, but its roots go back to 1803, when Jean-Vincet Bully founded his first shop in the Rue St-Honoré in Paris. Monsieur Bully's invention of the 'Vinaigre de Bully' (an aromatic lotion to preserve skin tone) made him famous all across 19th century Europe, and he  also inspired the main character in Honoré Balzac's the 'César Birotteau' novel, which is part of the 'La Comédie humaine' series.


The parfumerie has been brought back to life by Ramdane Touhami  (who also resurrected France's oldest candle maker, Cire Trudon) and offers perfumes, creams, scented oils, treatment waters, powders for custom recipes, clays for your baths, hair and dental care and candles, all of which are free from paraben, glycerine and alcohol.



The presentation and packaging is so lovely that everything makes a perfect gift or Paris souvenir..













The water-based perfumes come in eight different scents, and since they contain no alcohol, they are perfect summer scents too



The 'savon superfin' soap's scents match those of the bottled perfumes, and you have a choice of more than half a dozen illustrations for the gift box









The scented candles are made from plant-based ingredients, and come in marble pots with glass domes.



The beautiful decor ~ it makes you feel as if you have stepped into a 19th century apothecary



My shopping bag..



containing Huile Antique (scented dry oil)


and a tube of 'Pommade concrète' hand cream



Buly 1803, 6 rue Bonaparte, 75006 Paris,  Tel: + 33 1 4354 2562  from September 2014, their products will be available online too (worldwide shipping): www.buly1803.com


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36 comments:

  1. What a treasure trove!
    Even the packaging is delicious.

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  2. Wow what a marvellous place, so much character and attention to detail-

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    1. I was so glad to have found it, glad you like it too!

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  3. Oh what a 'jewel' of a shop you were able to find in Paris,dear friend! It is these special little shops that make Paris so...Paris;-) I would have been unable to resist all of the goodies displayed here! I hope you plan on visiting again soon for more of what they have to offer! Thank you for sharing this perfect Parisian find..can almost smell the heady scent across the www<3 Wishing you a lovely summer weekend,T xx

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    1. So true, my dearest friend.. these little gems make Paris so special! Love the two products I got, and look forward to trying the others! Scented summer hugs xx

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  4. Hi! How do you use the scented dry oil? Is it like creamed/solid perfume?

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    1. It is a body moisturizer. Dry oil is a wonderful alternative to a cream or lotion, particularly in the summer!

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  5. Aren't we lucky to have you Mai Tai...you shared another exquisite experience with your readers. Isn't it wonderful that such places exist. One can only thank entrepreneurs like Ramdane Touhami for bringing such places alive again.
    thank you. Linda C.

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    1. I could not agree more with you, dear Linda...kudos to Monsieur Touhami. Looking forward to seeing what his next venture might be!

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  6. What a lovely shop, like going back in time. Thank you for sharing...I always enjoy your 'Post cards from Paris' posts. Have a fantastic weekend dear MaiTai! Warmly, Simone

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    1. Thank you, my dear Simone! So happy to know you love the postcards as much as I love sending them xx

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  7. What a beautiful shop, thanks for sharing! I am having a soap moment, so am very tempted!

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    1. The soaps smelled divine, dear Blighty.. I was tempted too!

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  8. I find I'm almost holding my breath....it's like a magical shop from a children's book. So very beautiful! The packaging.... that attention to detail makes everything so much more wonderful.
    Cathy Wong

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  9. What an enchanting shop! I need to go there at my next visit of Paris!!! Thank you so much for showing us! Best wishes Claudia

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    1. Have a most wonderful time on your next Paris trip, dear Claudia! And fun in the shop :-)

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  10. So nice to see that our heritage is transmitted. I went back to ancient times and I’ll definitely pass by next time I’ll be in Paris, dear MT !
    Summer Aquitaine hugs.
    Catherine

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    1. So happy to be sharing the wonderful heritage of your beautiful country, dear Catherine! Happy summer hugs to you x

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  11. Added to my list of places to see on my next visit! Thank you!

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  12. Dear Mai Tai, thank you, thank you, fort he hidden beauty you make me discover all over France. I was in Paris, last May with a friend, the wettest May- week ever, but we enjoyed Paris nevertheless. You must know, I don't have the occasion to visit P. as often as you do and that's why I appreciate your posts about Paris so much. I've now decided I will plan several Thalystrips per year, 'just to be there', eventually all by myself. If you, oneday , incidentally,would plan to be in the neighbourhood,..... who knows.You must know that what I feel for P. began with love at first sight and is still deep love. Perhaps even more so than what I feel for Vienna and Prague, these other loves of my life. I discovered them all 50- 40-35 years ago ,yes, I'm 70.! Later came all the other beautiful European towns and cities. And St Petersburg and New York, and, and. But the true European heritage (I'm thinking of all the Russian and eastern-Europe refugees -to name onlyone group-that made Paris so very cosmopolitan from the beginning of the 20th century onwards), ....For me it's happiness to discover that all places in the world,and all the great spirits in them, are linked in such an intimate way.More and more I discover that it is true for all the great cities of the (first) world and especially so for Paris. And you are a great guide. Warm greetings. Marie from Tervuren, Belgium

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    1. Dearest Marie, thank you so much for the wonderful and inspiring comment, and for sharing your experiences and wisdom with us. My first visit to Paris was in 1977 and I still remember it so very well...same as with you, it's been a long love affair. Although Paris is beautiful even in the rain, I hope you'll have clearer skies on your future trips. With warmest best wishes for many happy vistis to come!

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  13. I think you discovered Paris' equivalent to the Officina Profumo Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella in Florence, a shop that shares the same magical ambiance and wonderful plant-based products.

    I'm so glad that you found your way to Bully, and you know that extra suitcase I was going to bring to Paris? Well, I now think I'll have to bring two! These products sound too wonderful to resist, especially the graphics on the packaging. I have to admit that I'm a sucker for fabulous packaging! I'd buy that hand cream for the wonderful tube alone.

    Now, what does the Huile Antique smell like, and how did you ever decide what to buy from the wonderful and what looks to be extensive collection (was DH pacing outside the shop the whole time?)

    Thank you for this. You're better than any travel guide. You know exactly what we like! I can't wait to visit it.

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    1. Very much hoping to visit the Officina Profumo Framaceutica one day! I bought Buly's handcream for the same reason you would have, even though I already have a good supply of handcream at home ;-) The Huile Antique comes in two scents as far as I remember, and I chose 'Lichen d'Écosse' (Scottish lichen). DH was reading his book in a nearby café, so I had all the time in the world..

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    2. So happy that you weren't rushed. Thank heaven for nearby cafes and engrossing books!

      Lichen d'Ecosse sounds wonderful - a lovely mossy fragrance?

      Jerrine

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  14. How absolutely exquisite! The shop itself is enchanting, but the products and packaging put it over the top. What a wonderful new find--I hope you return often, and that I will have a chance to visit it soon!

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    1. Hope you'll be visiting one day soon, dear Greta! Will make sure not miss the shop on the next trip...already looking forward to trying out some more products.

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  15. Thank you for sharing your find! I hope to visit it on my next trip. I so appreciate your diligence in including the historical references in conjuction with the amazing pics. Your willingness to explore, learn and share makes your blog more than just a pretty shopping guide. Your blog has it all!

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    1. Many thanks for the lovely comment, dear Valarie. Like you, the background information made me appreciate this lovely shop even more. Have a happy summer :-)

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  16. Dearest Mai Tai,
    Thank you so much for sharing the information about this lovely shop in Paris. <3
    I will visit it on my next visitt to the City of Light.
    Big holiday hugs from Portugal, Manuela

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    1. Hope you are having a most wonderful time in Portugal, my dearest Manuela! Happy holiday hugs x

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  17. What a charming little shop! My list of places to visit in Paris just keeps getting longer! As usual your photographs are stunning!

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    1. Thank you, Nest Girl! It's always such fun to plan a visit to Paris, glad Buly is on your list!

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  18. Oh what a lovely, fairytale shop! You have given me yet another gem to visit on my next trip to Paris. Your pictures are beautiful. Thank you for showing us your Paris!

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  19. Buly looks exquisite! A must visit when we are next in Paris.

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