ÇaFleureBon WE LOVE THIS STORE: Smallflower.com & Merz Apothecary, Chicago + #SHOPSMALLSATURDAY Draw

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Merz Apothecary – 4716 N Lincoln Ave Chicago

The obvious destination for fragrance shopping in Chicago is the Magnificent Mile, with its dazzling array of upscale department stores and luxury boutiques. But Chicagoans in the know will direct their visiting perfumista friends to Merz Apothecary in Lincoln Square. We’ll tell you to take the Brown Line to the Western stop, and plan to spend a leisurely afternoon exploring the one-of-a-kind shops and cafes. We know you’ll have an unparalleled shopping adventure at Merz, and that the next time you’re in town, you’ll be running back there, ready to discover even more.

But even if you’re not currently planning a visit to America’s Third Coast, you can still share in the wonders of Merz by going to Smallflower.com, where everything in the brick-and-mortar shop can be delivered right to your home. You will be stunned by the number of international brands carried by Smallflower, and impressed by its thoughtfully curated selection of niche fragrances.

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Merz Apothecary interior

Established in 1875 by Swiss-American pharmacist Peter Merz as an apothecary noted for carrying diverse European health and beauty brands, the shop stayed in the Merz family until 1972, when a young Pakistani pharmacist with a grand vision purchased the business. Abdul Qaiyum soon moved the shop to the old German neighborhood of Lincoln Square, wisely retaining its old-world charm by designing the new space in classic apothecary style, with shining tin ceilings, parquet floors, and the additional gravitas of floor-to-ceiling wood bookcase shelving.

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Merz Apothecary – 4716 N Lincoln Ave Christmas window 

Today, his son Anthony has expanded the business and brought it into the twenty-first century, adding an ecommerce dimension and devoting a section of the shop entirely to niche perfumery.  The exterior of the shop retains its turn-of-the-century style, with leaded glass windows and the Merz name in gilded lettering.

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Sharmane Baker at Merz Apothecary in Chicago with a customer

When I visited Merz, eager to put my nose on some new and exciting scents, I was personally escorted right over to the gorgeous fragrance displays and commended to the care of the delightful Sharmane Baker.  I immediately recognized flacons identical to several treasured perfumes in my own collection in the bright and beautiful displays of Bois 1920, Olfactive Studio, Histoires de Parfums and Penhaligon’s. When I told Sharmane what I already owned and loved, she quickly and expertly selected a few fragrances from the Nasomatto, Grossmith, and Memo Paris displays, spraying each onto a testing strip, and introducing me to a wondrous array of fragrances that I had not yet tried.

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Memo Paris Italian Leather,French Leather and Russian Leather

I was favorably impressed by a trio of Memo creations, all leather-based to a greater or lesser extent, but each one creating a completely different scent experience. This is the great joy of visiting a shop with such knowledgeable staff: Every visit is an opportunity to expand your olfactory range as you happily chat about ionones and Iso E Super with experts who share your passion.

Sharmane also surprised me with a waft of Nasomatto’s Black Afgano, which I had always imagined as much too hard-edged, even macho, for me.  But no! It was a warm and fuzzy cloud, suffused with notes of coffee and cherry tobacco and amber and oud.

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Anthony Qaiyum, owner of Merz Apothecary in Chicago

Very soon, Anthony Qaiyum, the owner, came and introduced himself to me, and I confess that he charmed me completely. He totally understands the niche perfumery customer because he is one himself.  We had a lovely chat about the history of Merz Apothecary, and I Iearned that his father, the patriarch of the family, still comes to work every day.  I complimented Anthony on the wonderful job he and his staff have done curating their wide-ranging yet very thoughtful fragrance selection.  He explained that he very much enjoys the relationships he has created with perfumers, and he was quite eloquent as we talked about what fragrance houses we personally enjoy and why. He even shared which scents his daughters love best on him. (Anat Fritz’s Tzora by Geza Schoen, and Dame Perfumery’s New Musk Man both make his girls smile.) A proud family man indeed!

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Imaginary Authors Slow Explosions

Anthony also loves Slow Explosions, the newest from Imaginary Authors. While I was waving around a test strip spritzed with this practically perfect autumn fragrance, Anthony mentioned that he recently enjoyed a surprise visit from Josh Meyer – so you never know who might drop into Merz when they’re in Chicago!  If you follow Merz Apothecary on Facebook, you’ll see that they host lots of in-store demos and events for us lucky locals. And with an Amazon Prime subscription, we Chicagoans can get free two-hour delivery with Amazon Prime Now! But don’t despair, non-Chicagoans. Smallflower.com, Merz’s e-commerce site, is fully stocked and ready to ship your order anywhere on the planet. (Yes, worldwide shipping, handled through iGlobal, which means you can use an international credit card, Paypal, or bank transfer!) And I am delighted to note that Smallflower’s U.S. and Canadian shipping rates are shockingly affordable.

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Au Coeur du Désert Andy Tauer

 Merz Apothecary is the only place in Chicago to buy Tauer fragrances, and Andy Tauer was there this past April, debuting Lonesome Rider. Of course while I was right there at the source, I just had to sample Andy’s newest, Au Coeur du Désert, and it’s just beautiful. It is much more than just an extrait-level concentration of L'Air du Désert Marocain — it’s like a chiaroscuro rendition that results in a brighter (petitgrain), woodier (patchouli and cedar), softer and more accessible fragrance. If you’re like me, and are dying to get your nose on this one (or something else!) Smallflower.com has samples available of practically every fragrance in stock, reasonably priced between $3.00 and $5.00 each.

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Tanja Buhler of Merz

Anthony and I were soon joined by another of his wonderful employees, Tanja Buhler, and she was my intrepid guide through more sampling adventures while Sharmane helped another customer and Anthony stepped away for a moment.

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D.S. and Durga Rose Atlantic, Radio Bombay and White Peacock Lily (Gail's review here)

Tanja noticed my interest in the D.S. & Durga display, and in the blink of an eye, Atlantic Rose, Radio Bombay, and White Peacock Lily were placed before me.  Radio Bombay is lovely; it’s simultaneously dusty and woody and metallic and absolutely intriguing. White Peacock Lily is not your usual lily; it’s softened by gentle touches of jasmine and violet. But it was Rose Atlantic that truly caught me by surprise with a splash of sea spray and a waft of roses and a dash of greenness on this unseasonably warm autumn afternoon.

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Beaufort London created by Leo Crabtree our review of Full Fathom V here. One of the best fragrances of the year according to Lauryn

When Anthony returned, it was with more treats in hand.  I was furnished with an olfactory preview of the range of Beaufort London fragrances that will very soon grace the shelves of Merz. Beaufort is marketed to a clientele that leans a bit more masculine than I generally do, but I’m a firm believer in gender freedom in perfumery, and Anthony thought I’d appreciate this line.  He was so right!  I never would have discovered this remarkably inventive line on my own, and to my nose, there’s absolutely nothing else out there like it. 

I left the shop in Lincoln Square with Rose Atlantic on my wrist and in the crook of my arm, and as I rode the CTA train toward home and gazed out the windows at the tar rooftops of my beautiful city, the rough-textured brick buildings of Chicago blurred into watercolor paintings, my view transformed by the scent of roses and the sea. I’ll be back soon for something from the Beaufort London line (I am not yet sure which one), but I’ll return to Merz again and again for their carefully chosen and ever-expanding niche selection, and their unparalleled customer service.

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Niche and Luxury Perfume display at Merz

Merz Apothecary and Smallflower.com carry100 luxury and niche fragrance brands;this marvelous shop also carries an incredible range of health and beauty items from all over the world, and is famous for being the place to finally find the beloved products you can’t locate anywhere else.

Lisa Poirier, Guest Contributor and CaFleureBon reader

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Editor's Note: Stop by Merz on Saturday November 26, 2016 and for the first 100 customers that spend $75+ will receive a surprise swag bag filled with marvelous fragrant and beauty treats. We support #shopsmallsaturday…neighborhood stores need your business and treat you like kings and queens. Like Merz Apothecary on Facebook here

We have posted #shopsmallsaturday for Providence Perfume Co 2015 here  and Indigo Perfumery 2013  was featured here

Merz Apothecary – 4716 N Lincoln Ave., Chicago, IL 60625

Hours: Monday through Saturday, 9:00 am – 6:00 pm

Merz Downtown – 17 E Monroe St., Chicago, IL 60603 (main entrance, Palmer House Hotel)

Hours: Monday through Saturday, 10:00 am – 8:00 pm, Sunday 10:00 am – 5:00 pm

E-commerce website: Smallflower.com

Order by phone: 800-252-0275, 9 am – 6 pm CST, Monday through Saturday

merz-apothecary-in-chicago-gift-card-cafleurebon

Thanks to Merz and Smallflower.com, we have a $50 Gift Card for a registered US or Canada reader. To be eligible please leave a comment with what you enjoyed about Lisa’s virtual tour of Merz Apothecary  and Smallflower.com, if you have heard of the store previously, and what you would use your gift card to buy should you win.Is there a brand you would love to see on SmallFlower? Please let us know. Draw closes 11/28/2016

Follow us on instagram @cafleurebon and @merzapothecary

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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29 comments

  • OMG what a gorgeous store Merz is, I would have never guessed and this is the first time I heard of them. Now I will have another place to order from. Love the pictures showing the interior. I am in Awwww.

  • I had never heard of Merz Apothecary before. It is amazing how many niche stores are still there in the US to be discovered. I must say the sheer number of brands at the store took me by surprise, esp., since I had never heard about the story. I enjoyed the story of Andy visiting to debut Lonesome Rider. If I win the giftcard, I will spend it towards Andy Tauer perfume. Thanks a lot for the draw. I am in the US. I think it is highly likely that Merz Apothecary carries Shiseido but if not, it would be great for them to stock Shiseido, esp., the brand’s Japanese market perfume releases.

  • I love the old school pharmacy look of the store, and the massive amounts of health and beauty products that they have displayed in the first picture. It sounds like this would be the place to go the find any niche product you would ever nneed. I love stores like this, from Lisa’s tour it seems like Merz is the kind of business that caters to their customers and would know your name. I have never heard of Merz but I may become a customer of their website, I love that their staff is so knowledgeable and can stare you towards scents that you may have never thought to try simply buy them learnning what scents you normall like.The website seems to carry so much I do not know what I would or sould suggest. If I won I would buy the Rose Atlantic fragrance, I live in the USA.

  • I have not heard of this store previously to this article. I love the store front and the wooden cases in the store. Just came back from the smallflower.com site. There are too many choices to decide now what I’d use a gift card for. 🙂 usa

  • Thanks for giving us a sneak peek at Beaufort London! It’s always neat to see what new products are coming to Merz – it’s in my neighborhood and is a veritable treasure trove. I particularly enjoy that you can find both luxury brands and local products. Whenever we’re hosting out-of-town guests, we make sure to walk them to Merz. I don’t think anyone we’ve taken has left the shop empty handed. 🙂 If I won a gift card, I’d march straight over there and treat myself to a bottle of Juliette Has A Gun perfume, which I discovered at Merz and am now addicted to.

  • DNEM. I just had to say how much I love Lisa’s tour of Smallflower/Merz and that I have been shopping from them by mail for several years. Their service is great and the product selection incredible! Over the past few years they have put together a great fragrance collection. I also shop for favorites like Penaten baby cream and Life Stinks deodorants. The brothers’ product reviews on the website are fun to watch too! 🙂

  • I have never heard of Merz before but I love the idea of an old-school apothecary with the added attraction of a vast selection of hard-to-find fragrances. If I were so lucky as to win a gift card to their online store, I think I would relish spending hours on end searching for just the right fragrance. Thank you for the chance. I am in the US.

  • BostonScentGuy says:

    Thanks so much for the virtual tour! I love the chance to explore niche options in cities I haven’t been to. As lovely as places like Saks and Barneys are when it comes to offering a decent selection of notable scents, I really am more interested in the city-specific haunts that offer beyond what is expected from chains (even luxe chains like those mentioned above). Looks like a great selection overall in a non-pretentious atmosphere! Thanks for the draw. I live in the US.

  • BostonScentGuy says:

    Oh and I would probably by Au Coeur du Desert (mentioned in the review) and I think the store should consider carrying Papillon!

  • Thank you for the tour of their shop! I love Merz! About 6 years ago, I wanted to get my now husband a safety razor, since he always got razor burn from disposables. Merz was one of the very few stores that locally carried safely razors, and they helped me pick out a beautiful razor and shaving brush for my husband they have a wonderful selection of items in their beautiful store, and I would love to discover some niche fragrances, the radio Bombay sounds especially intriguing!

  • I have heard of the store before and browsed through Smallflower because of their ad on this vary site. Such a good selection, and excellent prices too I though. If I won I would probably use the prize to finally try one of the DS&Durga’s. I live in Canada.

  • I loved the history that her review included, that makes it so interesting. I like how they mention so many different lines that the shop carries, and of course the photos were great, especially the DS Durga one. When I travel I also go into any famous perfume shops, so I will put this on my list!

    The inclusion of the web link was great, as it’s always fun to check out things like that before even going to the physical store. I love their site and how they have reviews on it [and ‘country of origin’ filters for perfumes, how neat]. And I love the bottles of 4711 on the site, they are so beautiful.

    I had not heard of the store before. I would want to buy some Penhaligons and Amouage myself! And I always like to try some new things, like Memo, etc. I would like the site to add in more brands like LVNEA from Canada, since they have scents from all over the world and openly let you filter by country.

  • The last time I visited Chicago I made a stop at Merz and it is all that Lisa described. Its truly a delight and the staff are just wonderful. If I got the gift card, I would apply it toward the new Tauer fragrance. Thanks for the opportunity. I live in the USA.

  • For a small store there sure are a lot of houses represented. I’m just reading about Merz today. If I should be lucky enough to win the DS I may purchase this DS Durga I’ve been obsessing over (but maybe not). Seeing the photos above of the shop and shelves made my nose water. I’ll be joining the Merz mailing list. USA

  • What a gorgeous store! I love the old style pharmacy look. And I am familiar with Smallflower but had no idea it was associated with a shop like this. I am jealous of all these towns with beautfiful perfumeries. I would probably use the coupon to buy an Andy Tauer scent if I win. I love several of his perfumes. Thanks for the story. USA

  • I love Chicago and though it’s not far, I don’t get there very often. Merz is definitely in my next trip! What a gorgeous store, it fits perfectly in the neighborhood. Thank you Lisa for the loving descriptions throughout your virtual tour; I’m so pleased they are online too. Page liked! They already carry Imaginary Authors and Kerosene, two of my favorites, and I think En Voyage perfumes and Zoologist would fit well. I would put the gift card toward a Kerosene, or maybe all on nice soaps, Merz has such a large selection. Going to spend some time with their web store this afternoon. Thanks to Lisa, the nice people at Merz and CaFleurebon for the great draw! I’m in the US.

  • Exactly what I want in fragrance boutique!
    Caring, knowledgeable staff and attention to detail!
    Now just bring it to north Phoenix please!!
    Thank you for the opportunity,
    Lora

  • I’ve never had a chance to perfume shop in Chicago, good to know there are so many options. Smallflower’s down-to-business interior appeals to me, I like functional when it comes to testing perfumes.

    Imaginary Authors Yesterday Haze has been on my list for a while now, that would probably be my selection. Thanks!

  • Excellent place! My husband and I were there three months ago. Every single member of staff we encountered was very helpful and friendly. Also I loved the window displayed,

    I’d love to buy a candle by Diptyque. Thank you
    USA

  • I have not heard of the store previously so Lisa’s virtual tour is very informative and helpful, giving me a good idea of what Merz/smallflower.com stocks. I would probably buy a whole bunch of samples as I enjoy building a sample library. I’d love to see Goest Perfumes on smallflower.com! I’m in the US. Thank you

  • What an amazing store with rich history. A lot of lines not carried on my 2 local stores. I will have to check out smallflower.com. 100 lines would make my head spin. If I win, I would order samples to decide from. Thanks. I live in the U.S.

  • Thanks for introducing this wonderful shop and its great history. I would probably try different samples as it seems that Mertz carries unique products! I am in the USA.

  • How exciting for Lisa to get such a great tour. I have been shopping Smallflower since last year and often buy my fragrances and soaps there. I have been eying Penhaligon scent library for a gift for my boyfriend and would use the gc for that
    My favorite part of the article were the photos and the seeing the ownerAnthony and his sales team
    Thank you for this opportunity
    USA
    I would like to see Olympic orchids there

  • Hikmat Sher Afridi says:

    The Merz Apothecary interior is amazing & impressed with decoration of huge varities of perfumes. I am more inclined to natural perfumes, so how nice it would be to shelf the Olympic Orchids, JoAnne Bassett, DSH, April Aromatics, Aftelier perfumes, Anya`s Garden perfumes, Hiram Green, Tambela Natural Perfumes & many others in the store/shop.

  • I had heard of small flower.com but had no idea they were connected to a physical store. My extended family lives in the Chicago area so I hope I get the chance to visit Merz some day – I loved the photo of the long line of shelves! So many things to discover! As for ideas of what they could carry, I’d love to be able to go somewhere to experience Laboratorio Olfattivo scents, and it would also be great to have a US supplier of some European drugstore staples like Roger & Gallet, Laurence Dumont and L’Erbolario. I’m in the US. Thanks for the little look behind the doors at Merz Apothecary!

  • Joanne Willer says:

    I have been a long time fan of Merz! It is one of my favorite shoppes in Chicago! I’m intrigued by the Tauer fragrances but have to admit, I am running low on Diptyque which I got addicted to courtesy of Merz. The staff is top notch and they carry such a wonderful variety of European products. I can’t get enough!

  • I have not heard of this store before but they have a great selection! I would probably let my mother pick something out that she likes the most. I’m in Canada and thank you for the draw!

  • Wow, Merz looks incredible! I’d never heard about it before, but I’m sure I could spend the whole day there. It really does make a huge difference to have knowledgeable staff, especially with that kind of selection. Thank you for listing your discoveries, they sound right up my alley too. I might be going to Chicago next year, so I’ll have to stop in. In the meantime I’m glad Smallflower.com is easy for us Canadians to order from. If I won the GC, I would go for one of the Diptyque solid perfumes or a bunch of samples. I’d love to see Neela Vermeire added to their list. I’m in Canada, thank you.

  • Steven Goldstein says:

    I just discovered your site by purchasing some John darm perfume I’m interested in exploring new fragrances for a man I do not care for him the modern heavy sweet sense that’s why I have used John darm and Bvlgari they both have a fresh and clean scent I would be interested in a recommendation for a sent along that profile thanks m