Dear ITG,

When I heard that Victoire de Taillac and her husband, designer Ramdane Touhami were launching a beauty brand and store inspired by the 19th century, I immediately became obsessed. Since then, I religiously checked their Instagram accounts (@vdttouhami, and @ramdanet) to follow the brand's evolution, their work in the shop, and to get a preview of the first products. Then, Buly was (officially) born.

But before telling you about what you can find inside, a brief history lesson. The original boutique was opened in 1803 by Jean-Vincent Bully, renowned for his perfumes and scented vinegars. His Vinaigre de Bully was what we would now call a “must-have' over all of Europe, and Monsieur Bully was even the inspiration for César Birotteau, the novel written by Honoré de Balzac.

More than 200 years later, Victoire and Ramdane picked up the perfumer's name, took away one its l's, and settled their version of the shop on rue Bonaparte in Paris. It opened a couple of weeks ago, and I have already been twice. The shop itself is an experience, because it has been made to feel as if it has always been there.

The counter is marble, the ceiling is beautifully painted, and the wood shelves hold jars filled with powders, oils and clays from all over the world. This is one of Buly's finest qualities: you can make your selection from their stock of entirely natural products, and it will be given to you in a tinier jar. Sweet almonds, raspberry seeds, lavender flowers, green desert clay, and emu oil (!!!) are a few of the many things you can find. The couple also came up with water-based perfumes, facial beauty products, body and oral care, and the scented matches and candles which are more like pieces of art—contained in marble and sold with a bell made of glass. Each product is wrapped in the prettiest packaging ever made, as if it was truly from the 19th century.

I, of course, did not come out empty-handed, and invented my own Buly beauty routine. I got myself the jojoba oil, which is great for dry skin, very easy to apply, and not sticky at all. I now use the Eau Superfine to clean my face (it leaves a fresh feeling), and hydrate with the Pommade Virginale. And I won't wait for my new beauty staples to go empty to come back, if just for the pleasure to be advised and served by the ever elegant and kind Victoire de Taillac.

X,

Margault Antonini

Margault Antonini is a writer for L'Officiel. She lives in Paris.