Running your own retail business requires long hours and hard work, not to mention a real dedication to providing the utmost in customer service.  Many businesses struggle after opening, but I’m happy to say that the Washington DC’s one and only shop dedicated to niche perfumes is thriving and continuing to grow.  In fact, Ari Weinberg and her store just celebrated their first anniversary!  Of course, carrying lines like Neela Vermeire, Arquiste, Maison Francis Kurkdjian and many others is good enough reason enough for visiting the store, but it’s the personalized knowledge and service provided by Ari that keeps you coming back.  In addition to celebrating this momentous one year celebration, it was revealed that there are some big things planned for the future which are truly exciting.  I’ll keep any knowledge close at hand…but trust me, Ari’s “passion” for perfume will be front and center.

So what makes this proprietor such a force to be reckoned with in the perfumer world?  Maybe her responses to the Random 10 will reveal a little about that inner spark!

1. The one skill I wish I could master is …better handwriting. Making chalkboard signs for the shop has made me acutely aware of just how awful my handwriting is. 
2. If I could meet any living or deceased famous person in the world it would be…Mel Brooks. I deeply admire his gift for turning pain into comedy. 
3. The fragrance that I can’t ever imagine living without is…L’Artisan Parfumeur Safran Troublant. And I never have to, because I’m hoarding nine bottles like a crazy person.
4. In 50 years the world…will have perfected cryogenic freezing. Friendly warning: I fully intend to freeze each and every loved one. 
5. My idea of fun is…playing video games with my brother. 
6. In 10 years, I see myself …frantically begging a cutting-edge researcher to cryogenically freeze my cat.
7. My best friend would say the following about me…“I had no idea a human being could eat that many Nerds.”
8. My fragrance preferences over time have…are even more deeply entrenched. A good 75% of my collection fall under the category Michael Edwards calls “soft orientals”.
9. The first job I ever held was…Subway, at age 17. You went home smelling like meat. The smells of my current job are quite an improvement!  
10. You can never own enough…books.

Ari’s sense of fun is infectious and is another reason that Arielle Shoshana is shining bright.  Happy Anniversary to Arielle Shoshana and thanks to Ari for participating in The Scented Hound’s Random 10.

And you don’t have to live within the Washington DC area to purchase some great perfumes from Arielle Shoshana, there’s also a fantastic website to make all your perfumed dreams come true.  Check it out!

www.arielleshoshana.com