The Magic Shop
Hello 2011! I took a break from blogging over the Christmas/New year's holidays but it was definitely not a fragrance-free vacation. I was lucky enough to receive perfume from my secret store.
You may recall I mentioned my "secret store" in a previous post, well, I want to start the new year by sharing it with you. Fritsch Pharmacy, in Kitchener, Ontario, has been owned and operated by Michael Fritsch for decades. Although he once ran it as a full-service pharmacy, Mr. Fritsch followed his heart and turned his love of perfume into a business. The shop now sells only perfume and perfume bottles from his extensive collection. And what collection it is! From floor to ceiling, the little shop has a big exclusive collection of fine, imported perfumes from classic houses like Caron, Coty, Carven, Guerlain, Jean Patou, Lubin, Molinard, Givenchy, Dior, and more. He even stocks the hard-to-find Teo Cabanel, although the last time I was in he only had Julia.
Many of the bottles at Fritsch Pharmacy are vintage, and there are some pre-reformulation gems in there. The photo on the left shows some of the perfume I have bought there, including my Christmas gift, a bottle of Jacomo Silences, and a whole box full of samples put together just for me by Mr. Fritsch. Some of the samples are for classics, like Carven Ma Griffe, and Rochas Femme, but many are perfumes I've never heard of. If you recognize any of the bottles on the left, you'll see that I've been focusing on green chypres lately, but who knows, I may discover a new love somewhere in that box of sample goodies.
So in 2011, I'll be writing about my discoveries from Fritsch, as well as some of the samples I've received in swaps with online friends, and a few new releases here and there, as they take my fancy. And if you're ever in Kitchener, stop by Fritsch Pharmacy and say hello to Michael Fritsch for me. Just don't buy it all before I can.
Photos: Mine, all rights reserved.
Lovely, lovely, lovely! I dream of such a store, sadly I did not find it yet.
ReplyDeleteSilences, Vent Vert, Ma Griffe, aaahh! I have to say it again-lovely!
I love the photo of Mr Fritsch, he looks so benevolent.
Great post, I can live vicariously through you and your finds ;)
Amazing! And is that a vintage Bandit I see?
ReplyDeleteolfactoriastravel.com: Mr. Fritsch is very nice and was extremely patient with me when I spent a couple of hours in his store asking to try everything.
ReplyDeleteMarina: That is Bandit! It's a plash bottle, I don't know the year, but it is deeper and mossier than the current formula.
Why, oh why don't we have such places here in Europe???? I'm so jealous, I can't stand it...But I'm glad you received SIlences...a deathless favorite Green Fiend! And pre-reformulated Bandit in a splash bottle - does it get any better? Is that another Carven in the green bottle I see in the background?
ReplyDeleteOf course, should I ever make it to Ontario...I'd better bring an extra suitcase for the bottles...and bubble wrap...
tarleisio: The bottles in that photo are Vent Vert, Emeraude, Givenchy III, Silences, and the lovely Bandit.
ReplyDeleteUargh! Vent Vert! The Greatest Green ever created! And I do declare, I'll bet those stunning canisters of Rive Gauche are The Real Thing...not the pallid, wilted shadow it is today!
ReplyDeleteI now know what 'green with envy' means...;)
Wow! Very kind of you to share your secret! What a wonderful store, and Mr. Fritsch sounds just lovely. Those are some fine fragrances you have there!!
ReplyDeleteI was only a 90 minute drive away from this store a few months ago. I'm hoping to visit Ontario again this year, and this time I'm heading to Fritsch's. I should start saving now, gonna need lotsa dough...
Hi and welcome back! I missed reading your posts. I treated myself to Silences earlier this year and it's a beauty! 2010 was the year of the rose for me, so many chypres were part of that quest. Now, however, I am rather stuck on the aouds and can't seem to move on yet. Phase after glorious phase...that's how we do it, right?
ReplyDeleteGreat post! Happy New Year!
I want a shop like that in my city! :)
ReplyDeleteHow lucky for you that you found Mr. Fritsch's shop.
Can't wait to hear about the gems you are discovering there.
If those Rive Gauche bottles are vintage - I WANT!
ReplyDeleteHmm, so much love for Rive Gauche. I've obviously been missing out on something good. I'll check if they're vintage next time I'm in. Which may not be until Feb.
ReplyDeleteJEALOUS.
ReplyDeleteUh, but happy for you. (Love Silences, though it took a couple of wearings to "click" for me.)
I have a friend who lives in Kitchener.... It will give me another excuse to visit her again!
ReplyDeleteOh my God... sounds like a GREAT STORE! I'd be leaving my paycheque there every week. I, too, am jealous!
ReplyDeleteNormand
Bless that dear man, I certainly would love to pop in.
ReplyDeleteLucky you, Blessed the man too. I love to see here the Silences of Jacomo bottle. who knows if here I live there could be a surprising shop like this one eh?
ReplyDeleteOh, what a wonderland. The very idea sends me! Enjoy your Fritsch gifts and continue telling us all about it! :)
ReplyDeleteWhat a wealth of experience Mr Fritsch must have accumulated over his lifetime in the trade, and how many scents he will have seen come and go! His store looks like a veritable treasure trove.
ReplyDeleteTarleisio, you do occasionally stumble across shops like this in Europe, notably in Germany, even in really small towns. Stocking surprising ranges of niche alongside designer, though not usually with such a wealth of vintage items as Mr Fritsch carries.
Oh my gosh! This is almost too much to bear! I literally dream of stumbling onto a shop like this. Waaaaa...I'm so far away. I see vintage Madame Rochas on the shelf, boxes and boxes of it. Do you think he still has any vintage Givenchy III, and is it the old version? I smelled a version from the 80s or 90s that had fruity and big-floral notes in it that were not present in the original. I'm trying to figure out how to distinguish the original version from the 'bad version' in terms of packaging. How much did you pay for your bottle, if you don't mind my asking. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteHi perfumefountain, I don't know the date of the Givenchy III i bought, it was a tester bottle with no box, but judging from the age of the rest of the stuff in the store it was probably 80's. I may have bought the last bottle, but you could call Mike Fritsch and ask. His number is in my. Jacomo Silences post. I think i paid $90 for it.
ReplyDeleteHi, I'm in the UK (Scotland) and would like to contact Mr Fritsch but does he have an email address and do you know how I can contact him with regard to vintage Bandit??? :)xx
ReplyDeletemariagreenlees@msn.com
I love Fritsch Fragrances! This kind gentleman loves fragrances and will take the time to discuss your preferences and find out what you are looking for. He knows his store from top to bottom and is a pure delight. You will find perfumes there that are considered very hard to find, and many vintage formulations. It is a gem that any perfumista should try to visit if even remotely in the area. Be warned - you will not leave empty handed.
ReplyDeleteHi KJanicki,
ReplyDeleteDo you remember if Fritsch happened to have any vintage Climat by Lancome (i.e. in the blue box)? I'm desperate to find some of the old bright green parfum. Thank you!
R.
Hello! No, I'm sorry I don't remember any Lancome perfumes at Fritsch's. Good luck in our search.
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