WE LOVE THIS STORE: Fumerie Parfumerie + Putting Portland Perfumistas on the Map Draw

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The finished exterior of Fumerie, custom sign and window art designed by Mathieu Schmutzler of TBIB Creative and hand-painted by local artist Craig Brown (André Gooren)

Portland is not the sort of city commonly associated with exquisite perfumery. More known for beer, bicycles, and putting birds on things, Portland is even infamously home to government buildings where perfume has been “voluntarily” banned.  However, Portland is also a hotbed of alternative art created by independent artisans, and that’s the inspirational spirit behind Portland’s first niche perfume shop, Fumerie Parfumerie.

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An early photo of the space that would become Fumerie Parfumerie (Katherine Butler)

The recent revival of Southeast Division street ushered in a higher class of shops, and Fumerie is a perfect example of Division’s transformation. The brick building space was formerly the site of sandwich shop Eugenio’s, but a radical rebuild turned it from a greasy spoon eatery into an elegant and modern arena for some of the world’s most exclusive, hard-to-find fragrance lines.

 

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Fumerie Interior Finished and fully stocked. (Katherine Butler)

My first visit was a walk-in on a Saturday in April mere weeks after Fumerie’s February 2016 opening. Scanning the thick wood shelves, my eyes lit up at the sight of Neela Vermiere’s columned bottles. I’ve been aching to try fig-based Ashoka since reading the internet’s glowing reviews and a trip to Seattle’s finest perfumeries couldn’t scratch that itch. Proprietress Tracy Tsefalas took me through all the Neela Vermiere perfumes and I truly adored each and every one of them. Magical olfactive discoveries like these remind me why I spend so much time, energy, and money welcoming rare potions into my life.

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Tracy Tsefalas, owner of Fumerie Parfumerie (André Gooren)

Tracy used to be the manager/buyer at The Perfume House in Portland’s trendy Hawthorne district a few blocks north of Division Street, and I had the good fortune to meet her there a few times over the years. The Perfume House is a well-established labyrinth stuffed from top to bottom with French classics and forgotten perfumes from the past, however that specific business model left room for Fumerie to curate a tight collection of modern masterpieces.

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André Gooren of Fumerie Parfumerie with Neela Vermeire Perfumes

"We really tried to avoid carrying things that were easily available. We wanted to be the sort of place where customers could explore fragrances that they had never seen before," explained former Perfume House employee and current Fumerie parfumier and fragrance historian André Gooren. He added, “There’s a difference in intent with a lot of these lines, they’re marketed differently they’re not meant for mainstream audiences. I think that appeals to the Portland aesthetic.”

Despite Portland’s granola-eating hippie reputation, there are several perfumers here whose creations are putting Portland on the fragrance map such as OLO, Slumberhouse, and perhaps most prolific and well-known, Imaginary Authors by Josh Meyer.

In addition to artisanal uniqueness, another noteworthy Portland attribute is community. Portland is a politically progressive city whose Scandinavian-influenced ethics have resulted in a neighborliness missing from many large American cities. André shared with me that Perfume House customers had been telling him for years that there was a desire to come together with local perfumistas, and Fumerie has taken up that challenge with aplomb.

On May 31, Fumerie hosted its first community fragrance swap, and you better believe I was there with a box of my less loved bottles.

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Tracy and André facilitating Fumerie’s first perfume swapmeet (Katherine Butler)

I successfully swapped a bottle of Infusion Organique’s Sands of Morocco for a bottle of Annick Goutal’s Neroli, but more special than that was meeting and chatting with Portlanders who get their “aromatherapy” from niche perfumery like I do. What a relief to speak freely about my precious hobby without someone freaking out about allergies!

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That’s me in the center trying perfumes up for swap (Katherine Butler)

For the perfume swapmeet on September 20, I made sure to sign up early because I guessed, based on the crowd at the first gathering, that the spaces available would fill up quickly. André confirmed, “Every event we’ve done has filled up really quickly and attendance has been amazing.”

 

Fumerie has been hosting events focused on showcasing certain lines and basic raw materials that go into making perfume. One evening was dedicated to the venerable perfumes of Lubin, a line not available elsewhere in Oregon. I would never have fallen in love with the nutmilk woodiness of Korrigan without Tracy and André making an intentional effort to put them in front of me. The sample packs provided by Lubin were insanely generous.

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Lubin bottles

So far there have been two demonstrations centered on raw materials and Fumerie plans to continue the so-called “NOTES” series. Local perfume enthusiast Nicole Amzallag-Divine kicked things off in June with an exploration of commonly used synthetics. People had the opportunity to try several aroma molecules in their isolated form and in compositions that make use of these materials. The second raw material event in July was all about resins and balsams.

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Smelling strips were dipped in diluted samples of raw materials and placed in homemade monclins, devices designed to provide the most accurate portrait of a scent. (André Gooren)

Fumerie Parfumerie carries approximately 26 fragrance houses:

Agonist (Sweden)

Atelier Cologne (France)

Berdoues: Collection Grands Crus (France)

Boadicea the Victorious (United Kingdom)

Bruno Fazzolari (United States)

Claus Porto (Portugal)

Eris Parfums (United States)

Escentric Molecules (Germany)

Imaginary Authors (United States)

Jeroboam (France)

Jovoy (France)

Knize (Austria)

Liquides Imaginaires (France)

Lubin (France)

Masque Milano (Italy)

MDCI (France)

Naomi Goodsir (France)

Nasomatto (The Netherlands)

Neela Vermeire (France)

Ortigia Sicilia (Italy)

Orto Parisi (The Netherlands)

Papillon (United Kingdom)

Parfum d'Empire (France)

Profumum Roma (Italy)

Serge Lutens (France)

Slumberhouse (United States)

Tauer (Switzerland)

Xerjoff (Italy)

Fumerie carries some items by Italian-based Ortigia Sicilia, producers of soaps and body products and fragrances, as well as Portuguese soap company Claus Porto. Although Tracy says they are not accepting new lines until 2017, she teases, “We have things in the wings we’re considering for next year.”

–Samantha Berg, Guest Contributor and ÇaFleureBon reader

Editor's Note: I invite all our readers worldwide to contact me about a niche brick and mortar store they love. That is what Samantha did when I put out the word. She is an excellent writer and we hope she will be a guest contributor in the future. -Michelyn Camen, Editor in Chief

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Fumerie Parfumerie  instagram @fumeriepdx

Fumerie Parfumerie- 3584 Southeast Division St. Portland, OR 97202

Website: Fumerie Parfumerie

Contact info: info@fumerie.com 234-386-3743

Tuesday – Saturday: 11am – 7pm, Sunday 12pm – 4pm

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 Thanks to the generosity Fumerie and Tracy Tsefalas, we have a $50 Gift Card for a registered  US reader. To be eligible please leave a comment with what you enjoyed about Sam’s virtual tour of Fumerie, your favorite brands, a line you would like Fumerie to carry and which perfume would you buy should you win. Draw closes September 29, 2016

Follow Fumerie on INSTAGRAM @fumeriepdx and our site @cafleurebon. SUPPORT SMALL BUSINESSES!!! Order samples or perfume SHOP SMALL!

We announce the winners only on site and on our Facebook page, so Like Cafleurebon and use our RSS option…or your dream prize will be just spilled perfume

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26 comments

  • ron payne says:

    I love the idea of the fragrance exchange (and dear god, someone please open a shop like this in Atlanta!). My favorites from their lineup would be Andy Tauer, Serge Lutens and Imaginary Authors. (They should carry Josh Meyer’s trio for The Sum.) Should I win, I’d apply the gift card toward a bottle of Knize Ten, which I haven’t worn since college.

  • JenD says:

    I have never been able to set foot into the store, but I have been ordering and enjoying their amazing Monthly Sample Packs. Their customer service is fantastic as well. I so wish I could attend one of the swaps! And the NOTES events. Actually…all of them.

    If I won, I would have make some hard decisions! This month’s sample pack ignited my interest in La Belle Helene and Ashoka. But they also have L’Air du Desert Marocain.

  • Claudia says:

    Absolutely beautiful place and I had the pleasure to order from them, Tracy special ordered me 2 fragrances from Profumum. Very lovely to deal with. I would love to see Franchesca Bianchi fragrances in their store. I am thinking I would buy SL Bapteme du Feu. Thank you for the opportunity!

  • kate21 says:

    I really love Jovoy. I would get some of their scents myself. As to the virtual tour, I really liked all the photos and how the article mentions so many different things — like how they deliberately wanted to focus on niche scents that were rare instead of widely available stuff.

    I would get Jovoy’s Ambre Premier, probably! I just bought a bunch of amber scents and want to try more. Although I do want to get Jovoy’s L’enfant terrible too. And their scent La liturgie des heures sounds amazing.

    I would want them to carry the lines: Terry de Gunzburg, Ikiryo, and some indie makers as well, that would be really interesting if they sold Arcana or something.

  • Maya says:

    Just about all the perfumes I like and love are either vintage or niche. It’s great that more niche stores are opening and have online ordering. Fumerie Parfumerie looks lovely and I like that they have perfume related events. My favorite brands are also the one(s) I would order: MDCI – Peche Cardinal and Papillon – Tobacco Rose. I would like them to carry Nobile 1942.

  • Lellabelle says:

    I’ve been following Fumerie’s progress online with anticipation of a visit in the near future. So glad to hear they’re doing well! What a wonderful line-up, too :). Some super lines here, and amazing to find all these in the same place. A treasure, indeed.

    I’d love for Fumerie to carry Hiram Green. Ashoka would be high on my list to sample, and my purchase would likely be something from Profumum Roma.

    The perfume community events and the swap are inspired. Really looking forward to a visit. Please enter me for the draw!

  • Troysome says:

    This place sounds like a dream. I do a fair amount of pining for a local community of perfume hobbyists, a place to experience these houses in a more social setting. When it comes to more progressive fragrances I could use the interaction. The fragrance swap sounds great. I don’t do that online. Evody is a line I’d like to see more available. I would purchase Nasamoto’s Pardon.

  • BostonScentGuy says:

    I had no idea Portland’s gov’t buildings were scent-free workspaces! Sounds like a nightmare to me! Yikes. In any case, I loved hearing about the live swapmeet. I see a lot of perfume stores doing bougie/chi-chi events and whatnot, but this seems like a great social event and one that promotes frugality of resources. Wonderful! Hope more stores catch on. I think that they should carry the Stephane Humbert Lucas line, since Portland deserves to have Mortal Skin! If I won, it would be a tough choice–perhaps helping to subsidize Au Dela by Fazzolari or Lonesome Rider from tauer….or perhaps one of the new MDCIs I’ve enjoyed (Fetes Persanes; perhaps the new new one if it’s actually arriving soon!) or the new gingerbread Lutens. Thanks for the draw! I’m in the US.

  • RinB says:

    I’ve been a follower of Fumerie on Facebook since they started up and only wish I didn’t live so far away – I’m on the other side of the country – or I’d drop in all the time! I really love the level of personal investment that has gone into its inception and implementation. I wish them every success! A line I’d personally like to learn more about is Au Pays de la Fleur d’Oranger but I’m also excited to see that they carry Jovoy. If I won (happy thought!), I’d probably buy Jove’s Rouge Assassin or the new Lutens (like everyone else, it seems!). I’m in the US. Many thanks!

  • tiffanie says:

    Sam’s description (and the photos) of the community perfume swap made me wish I lived in Portland. It was lovely to be introduced to Tracy and André in their shop. Sam’s virtual tour of Fumerie Parfumerie showcases a special place with a welcoming spirit.

    I was happy to see Atelier Colognes is stocked at Fumerie. If I were to visit I would enjoy learning more about scents from Imaginary Authors, Lubin, and Neela Vermiere. It would be great if they stocked aroma M perfumes.

    I can’t imagine what I would choose if I had an opportunity to browse at Fumerie. Perhaps it would be something new and exciting I’ve neither seen nor smelled before. Thank you, Sam, for sharing Portland’s perfumista playground.

  • Steve A says:

    I enjoyed reading about the city of Portland a place I have never visited. If I were to win think I’d buy a Tauer (but don’t hold me to it).
    My favorite brands of those stocked are MDCI and Tauer. I really have no preference for what else is stocked in the future. It sounds like Tracy has plenty of ideas. USA

  • Rox says:

    I love this store. Such a warm cozy feel. I’m also a customer at Perfume House which is a nice place. They only have 2 lines that overlap with Fumerie, so they are good neighbors. I love the photos of the events and hope to get to one soon. I love lines that are less known. I would love to see 4160 Tuesdays in town. I would buy Atelier Oolong Infini. I didn’t know Portland government was anti fragrance…….boo. I had a co worker who was that way and was glad when she changed jobs recently. Thanks for covering this amazing store.

  • fazalcheema says:

    Social media is a powerful tool. That is how I first came to know about Fumerie Parfumerie even before they opened. hey have chosen 26 brands they carry very well. In addition, they are trying innovative ideas to keep customers happy such as perfume exchange. All the best wishes to Tracy and Andre on their new venture. I may most probably go for Naomi Goodsir or Papillon. I am in the US.

  • Rae Lynn says:

    I absolutely love the idea of fragrance swaps and note events! I wish I could attend them. Liquides Imaginaires, Papillon, Slumberhouse are a few brands I like. Bello Rabelo sounds amazing! I live in the USA.

  • Patty P. says:

    I didn’t get the “putting birds on things” comment. I like the idea of carrying things that aren’t easily available. From the list some of my fave houses include Serge Lutens, Atelier and Agonist. Tracy thank you for the opportunity to shop your parfumerie with a gift card. 🙂 Should I win I could go for a Slumberhouse. usa

  • Brett O. says:

    I’m was fortunate enough to find Fumerie opened up in my neighborhood just as my obsession…er fragrance journey was taking off. Tracy and Andre have been a huge part of that journey, turning me on to so many houses and scents that I wasn’t familiar with, putting on the notes classes (Thanks Nicole!) and the swaps. Hard to pick a favorite line but I am enjoying Jovoy, Bruno Fazzolari, Slumberhouse and of course, Imaginary Authors. I would probably pick a bottle of L’Air du desert Moracain or Fazzolari’s “Jimmy”.

  • Cynthia says:

    i am envious that Portlanders have a fragrance venue like this to gather,shop, and communicate with each other. I appreciate the walk through this shop, which so far I’ve only been able to order samples from. They carry a lot of lines I’m interested in. If I won I would probably get either Imaginary Authors Yesterday’s Haze or one of the scents by Neela Vermeire. I’m in USA

  • Elizabeth T. says:

    What a fresh review! I love how they hosted a perfume swap meet! They carry all my favorite lines, with the small exclusion of Parfums Delrae. It’s so happy to hear of niche perfume shops that I didn’t know about. I’d choose Masque Milano Romanza. Im in the USA, thanks for the draw!

  • cdb73110 says:

    I love when Cafleurebon introduces these small niche shops. I support completely. What a very nice layed out store. Maybe someday we will get a shop like this in our part of the states. I literally can’t imagine not being Ble to wear fragrances to work. I’d quit ha ha. There are a ton of great line they carry. I think I might would go with Ortigia Ambre Nera or Lubin Akkad or Jeroboam Origino….too many great ones. Oh and Xerjoff a weakness of mine. Kemi Blending Magic seems like a hard line to find. Loveeeee the store. Wishing you many years of success. Oh, signed up for the newsfeed. Yeah. In the USA. Awesome exciting draw.

  • Laurels says:

    I liked reading about the “NOTES” series. I’d have loved to attend the event centered around resins and balsams! As for a line they might carry, how about Olympic Orchids? And if I won, I think I might finally get a bottle of L’Air du Désert Marocain. I am in the US.

  • karo says:

    I like how they hold events that specify certain houses and raw materials that go into making fragrances. This would be something I’d really love to attend to further my knowledge in this glorious hobby. Thank you so much for this giveaway. My favorite brands are Xerjoff, Slumberhouse and Tauer. I would like them to carry Nobile 1942. I would get Tauer’s Fruitchouli. Thanks again for this amazing giveaway.

  • Troy says:

    I am planning a trip to Portland to visit my sister and I will most definitely go to Fumerie. Wow what a great selection and I have always wanted to smell Neela Vermeire which is hard to find
    That’s what I would use my GC for
    Swapmeets and notes classes sound fun and educational

  • minteacup says:

    I love that the review included a before and after shot of the brick and mortar store. But my favorite thing about Fumerie is the community fragrance swap event – OMG! I wish somebody would organize one in my area. They already carry favorites like Serge Lutens and Tauer, but adding brands to the list, I would like to see La Parfumerie Moderne and Vero Profumo. If I won I think I would splurge on Neela Vermeire Ashoka. Thanks for the draw!

  • hannahjean55 says:

    I loved reading and being reminded that I need to go here! I also want to participate in the exchange in the future! Such a wonderful idea! I’d need to get in there to sniff a lot of these but I think I would purchase serge Luten un bois vanille.

  • doveskylark says:

    This really sounds like a place where a community of perfume lovers can gather. The events like the perfume swap sound so much fun. It would be great if Fumerie carried the LM perfume line. I love Hard Leather so much. I also like Masque Milano , Slumberhouse, Claus Porto soaps, and Papillon. I’d probably choose something from Papillon if I were to win the draw.
    I’m in the US.