Scent and memory merge at the Paris home of Serge Lutens Parfums, the enchanting fragrance collection with cult followings in France and abroad. Here, at Les Salons du Palais Royal, Lutens spotlights his evocative creations in a dreamy landscape awash in indigo, violet and black (pictured below), where the scent-savvy traveler can sample perfumes sold nowhere else in the world.

Tucked beneath the arcades of the picturesque Palais Royal Garden, Les Salons provides a perfect distraction for visiting fragrance fanatics. Though only steps away from the Louvre, it nonetheless remains well off the tourist track.

As Serge devotees know, Lutens releases three scents each year -- two "Export" scents available at select retailers globally, and one "Exclusive" scent that can't be purchased in person outside of Paris. Look for the latter's signature 75 ml bell-shaped flacons (105 euros), shapely sisters to the lanky bottles sold in the U.S., when you visit Les Salons.

El Attarine, the latest of the Paris-only scents, is a golden, spiced-honey fragrance. Just released on August 1, it's consistent with the olfactory auteur's fixation on the Orient. The sensual aromas of Marrakech, Lutens' adopted home, haunt much of his collection. If the thrill of acquiring this Paris-only fragrance isn't enough, Les Salons also offers thirty limited-edition El Attarine flacons, intertwined with black arabesques and stamped with Serge Lutens's initials (850 euros; pictured below). 

Either way, the memories of your Paris trip are sure to smell sweet.

Les Salons du Palais Royal Shiseido
142 galerie de Valois
75001 Paris, France
+33 (0)1 49 27 09 09

While in Paris, check out our other favorite scent shops:

La Maison Guerlain -- Renovated in 2006 with the help of designer Andree Putnam, Guerlain's Paris flagship is an opulent place to sample timeless fragrances like Mitsouko and Eau de Shalimar.

35 rue Tronchet
75008 Paris, France
+33 (0)1 47 42 53 23

L'Artisan Parfumeur -- In addition to L'Artisan's own range of quirky scents, check out the elegant candles it created in cooperation with fashion house Bottega Veneta.

99 rue de Rivoli
75001 Paris, France
+33 (0)1 42 96 21 44

Le Bon Marche -- The esteemed department store's ground floor fragrance section features haute brands -- Annick Goutal, Tom Ford -- from both sides of the Atlantic.

24 rue de Sevres
75007 Paris, France
+33(0)1 44 39 80 00

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