Officine Universelle Buly

While in Paris last month, one of the addresses I was most looking forward to was Officine Universelle Buly on Rue Bonaparte. I had my eye on the bespoke personalization that turns an everyday object into a keep forever. The shop feels like a little piece of time travel, with dark carved wood, old tile floors and warm, low lighting that makes you want to slow down and take a look around.

Jean-Vincent Bully opened his original Paris apothecary in 1803, and that history still runs through Buly today. The Beauty of Time Travel, its beautifully illustrated book, follows the house through perfume, typography, advertising, design and changing beauty rituals. Once you’ve been inside the shop, the book makes total sense. That history is everywhere, right down to the way something is wrapped before you leave.

Buly’s Eaux Triple perfumes are water-based rather than alcohol-based, which makes them feel softer on the skin and less sharp when first applied. Several of the scents also appear in the bath and body line, so if you fall for one, you can keep it going well beyond the perfume bottle.

The combs are gorgeous. Inside the heavy, red velvet-lined drawers are rows of tortoiseshell and marbled acetate, with every shape and style you can imagine.

The personalization may be my favorite part. Buly is very good at the details. Initials cut into acetate, lettering done by hand, and wrapping you hate to open. There’s a level of care to everything that makes the experience feel personal from beginning to end.

Their hand cream is worth knowing too. Pommade Concrète comes in Buly’s blue tube and has the rich, almost old-fashioned texture of a seriously intense hand cream. It feels substantial, smells beautiful, and looks great sitting out on the counter.

I knew I wanted a personalized comb before I went in, but I hadn’t completely made up my mind. Buly is the kind of store that makes you think, “I’m leaving here with something", and I spent much longer than expected deciding what.

Only in Paris could buying a comb feel this romantic.