perfume shopping | The Scented Hound

May 27, 2021
by The Scented Hound 2 Comments

Perfumed Travel 2021

In the United States, Memorial Day weekend traditionally kicks off the start of the summer travel season. After a long year and a half living with the constraints due to COVID, many are jumping at the chance to do a little exploration. So, why not use your perfumed passion to hit the road?

The New York Times Style Magazine has compiled a list of hidden perfumed treasure destinations from around the world. Luckily for me, one of them is in my home town: Coqui, Coqui.

So what’s your first destination going to be?

Special thanks to Serenity Now Scents and Sensibilitie s for sharing this article.

November 10, 2016
by The Scented Hound 10 Comments

The Random 10: Ari Weinberg of Arielle Shoshana

pic: Arlington Magazine

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!

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.
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.
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.
In 50 years the world…will have perfected cryogenic freezing. Friendly warning: I fully intend to freeze each and every loved one.
My idea of fun is…playing video games with my brother.
In 10 years, I see myself …frantically begging a cutting-edge researcher to cryogenically freeze my cat.
My best friend would say the following about me…“I had no idea a human being could eat that many Nerds.”
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”.
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!
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

September 28, 2015
by The Scented Hound 13 Comments

Open for Business: Arielle Shoshana Scented Luxuries

The Washington DC area is lucky enough to now have it’s own premier destination for niche perfume shopping. This past Saturday, Arielle Shoshana opened its doors for the first time and the Scented Hound wanted to experience the excitement of this new perfume hotspot.

Your proprieter, Ari!

The owner of Arielle Shoshana, Arielle Weinberg, better known as Ari from the Scents of Self perfume blog, worked hard to make this new venture a reality. Located in the very hip and happening Mosaic District in Fairfax County in northern Virginia, Arielle Shoshanna is the right fit for what has been missing from the DC perfume marketplace. The store is beautiful in its simplicity, but luxurious in its appointment. The perfumes are the stars of this new store and rightly so. And of course, when you enter the store, you’re greeted with the smiling face of Ari who lives, breathes and loves this industry and it clearly shows.

So what does one do when you go to a beautiful perfume store? You buy perfume of course. Since the better of half of the Scented Hound always complains that he gets my perfume hand-me-downs, Ari walked him through a multitude of perfumes that would fit his personal style and taste. And he walked away with a bottle of Atelier Cologne Cedre Enivrant. The man does have good taste! Of course it was hard to choose the right perfume, because Arielle Shoshana carries some incredible lines. Besides Atelier Cologne, they offer Maison Francis Kurkdjian, CB I Hate Perfume and even Neela Vermeire as well as many others! Thankfully, DC is not the only way to experience Arielle Shoshana, their lines can also be purchased through their website. I took some pictures while we visited,, but they don’t nearly capture the beauty of the store. If you’re in the area, please check them out. And next weekend is the official gala opening which means that party pics will be coming! Congratulations Ari!