Beauty shopping in Italy
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Il Mirto e la Rosa
Pantelleria has a healthy supply of slips and sandals shops to cater for all those fashion victims. What you should stock up with is the island's own range of cosmetic products.
Il Mirto e la Rosa, just off Via Borgo Italia, stocks the island's own range of cosmetic products, Linea Cosmetica Lago di Venere, made from the mineral-rich mud of the Bagno dell'Aqua.
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L’Olfattorio
Those with a nose will adore this place. It’s like a bar, but with perfume instead of drinks, with scents made by names such as Artisan Parfumeur, Diptyque, Les Parfums de Rosine and Coudray. The bartender will guide you through different combinations of scents to work out your ideal fragrance. Exclusive handmade French perfumes are available to buy. Smellings are free but you should book ahead.
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Aquae Calidae
You can't argue with the divine massages, but these ritualised Roman baths are sometimes too authentic. Instead of the usual bachelor party, this spa suggests a Roman-style cosy steambath with 10 of your closest buddies, and a 'farewell to spinsterhood' bachelorette party involving saffron tunics and nut-strewn floors. Um, is Greco-Roman wrestling allowed? Because that could get interesting.
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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. It was founded in Florence in 1612 by the Dominican monks of Santa Maria Novella, and many of its cosmetics are based on original 17th-century herbal recipes.
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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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Culti Spacafé
This uber-chic lifestyle temple features Japanese-style homewares, signature beauty products, a fashionable florist, a sassy restaurant/bar and a fabulous day spa complete with glam hammam (communal bath house). Shop for silk slippers, sip a Campari, then get horizontal for a spot of shiatsu.
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Ai Monasteri
This apothecary-like, wonderfully scented shop sells herbal essences, spirits, soaps, balms, and liqueurs, all created by monks and beautifully packaged. 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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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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Acqua di Parma
Better living through chemistry, with fresh scents that have worked their charms since the 1930s. The classic signature scent for men and women exudes confidence in interviews and first dates, while the unisex Amalfi Fig and Arancia di Capri are much-needed getaways for the senses.
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Limoni
Binge on beauty with two floors of the most sought-after perfumes and products. Italian favourites include Perlier bath foam in yummy honey, and Pupa make-up for its winsome packaging: yank the tail of that giraffe or lion compact, and out slide trays of lip gloss and eye shadow.
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Olfattorio Bar à Parfums
This huge shop sells a wide range of perfumes including L’Artisan Parfumeur, Les Parfums de Rosine, Diptyque and La Compagnie de Provence. While the selection is broad, it’s not particularly cutting edge, but the woody salonlike decor makes for lovely back of wrist sniffing.
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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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Madina Milano
Madina is Milan’s own cult cosmetic label. Complimentary makeovers let you experiment with the extraordinary range of colours and finishes.
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Carthusia I Profumi di Capri
For a lemon-scented perfume try Carthusia I Profumi di Capri in Capri Town.
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