Rome Shopping

  1. Ai Monasteri

    So this is how monks pay the rent. This apothecary-like, wonderfully scented shop sells herbal essences, spirits, soaps, balms, deodorants, antiwrinkle creams, bubble bath and liqueurs, all created by monks and beautifully packaged with the sense of another era. Even the propolis is made from holy bees. To boost your love life try the Elixir d'Amore (Elixir of Love), though quite why monks are expert at this is anyone's guess.

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  2. Casamaria

    It looks like any old profumerie (perfume shop), but it's been plying its trade for almost a century, and stocks all the leading cosmetic brands and hundreds of lesser-known names. Straining shelves line the shop like an old-fashioned pharmacy, while the knowledgeable staff show admirable athleticism in scaling the towering ladders.

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  3. L'olfattorio

    Those with a nose will adore this place. It's like a bar, but with perfume instead of drinks. The bartender will guide you through smelling different combinations of scents to work out your ideal fragrance. Exclusive handmade French perfumes are available to buy. Smellings are free but bookings are appreciated.

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  4. Materozzoli

    Materozzoli, with a beautiful Art Deco front, is the sort of shop where Bertie Wooster would send Jeeves to stock up on toiletries before a weekend in the country. With a wide range of perfumes, shaving tackle, make-up and hairbrushes, it has everything one might need for one's toilet.

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  5. Officina Profumo Farmaceutica Di Santa Maria Novella

    Step in for the scent of the place, if nothing else. This bewitching shop - the catchily named Roman branch of one of Italy's oldest pharmacies - sells exquisite lotions and potions under a Murano-glass chandelier. Founded in Florence in 1612 by the Dominican monks of Santa Maria Novella, many of its cosmetics are based on original 17th-century herbal recipes.

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  6. Roma-Store

    With no sign, Roma-Store is an enchanting perfume shop crammed full of deliciously enticing bottles of scent, including lots of unusual brands as well as English Floris, Italian Aqua di Parma and French Etat Libre d'Orange.

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