Thame Out The complimentary magazine for the Thame area
Heaven scent
Opened in December 2021, Floralia Perfume Boutique is a welcome addition to Thame town centre. Owned and run by Avril McLoughlin this independent business is a delight for the senses.
Avril called her business Floralia after the ancient Roman spring festival in honour of the Goddess Flora, it is still celebrated today in parts of France.
Avril inherited a love for flowers and scents from her Mother, whose stories of growing up in the Caribbean were often nostalgic for the wonderful floral fragrances of the islands.
She developed a passion for niche perfumery in her twenties. Having lived in the Mediterranean for many years Avril became fascinated by nature’s olfactive wonders and began learning about perfumery and its raw materials as a hobby.
Avril soon learned to love the smaller, niche perfumes and dreamed of owning a small boutique where these could be celebrated for their art-form and individuality, hand-made procedures and environmentally friendly ethos.
She finally realised her dream during the Covid-19 pandemic. With retail in her blood (a shopkeeper’s daughter), plus her passion for perfumes were the perfect combination for her to start her first business.
Floralia is all about carefully crafted fragrances. From the North Street outlet, you will find a selection of quality niche, small-batch environmentally-conscious perfume brands from across the world. The focus is on quality perfume materials using hand-crafted methods.
Floralia’s carefully sourced luxury and artisan perfume blends are gender neutral, eco-friendly, vegan and cruelty free. The packaging is also recycled.
One brand that is particularly close to Avril’s heart is the Caribbean inspired perfume , “Nateeva”. Beautifully packaged that includes a bespoke poem, it’s an ideal anniversary gifts for a loved one.
Floralia is the only retailer throughout the UK and Europe to hold this wonderful range.
Floralia understand that finding your perfect perfume is a very personal process and can at times be overwhelming. Our skin changes as we age, so some fragrances work better for teenagers and some for older customers, for example
Avril can guide you through the range and discover scents that resonate well with you and suit your budget.
At Floralia, gender-neutral fragrances encompass the entire fragrance wheel, from the deep oud of Sexycrush by Maison J.U.S (100ml, £165), zesty citrus of Bohemian Lime by luxury Australian perfume house Goldfield & Banks (100ml, £135), fresh florals such as Une Fleur d’Oranger by French perfume house, Obvious (£95 for 100ml), and the sweet and indulgent Gourmand, by UK perfume house, Olfactive O (30ml, £65) and amber fragrances such as Oriental Rose by Abbey Perfumery (50ml, £25).
Home Fragrances
The lower ground floor features quality home fragrances. If you are looking for a thoughtful gift or something special for your home or workplace, then come and discover Floralia’s range of luxury candles and diffusers.
As with their perfume fragrances, Floralia carefully research and source home fragrance products from ethical and small batch producers.
Brands in stock include KULT, Holistic London, Ilara Candle Company and the Home County Candle Co.
Events.
Floralia will be hosting various events over the coming months. On October 13th for example is the Perfume Mood and Personality Evening.
In association with UK perfume brand “Olfactive O” and local supplier of fine wines, “GinVino”
Check the website for other evening events such as perfume master classes. Floralia is available for hire as well. Ideal for a private consultancy, birthday or private perfume party perhaps?
Avril is also available for private wedding consultations.
If you can’t call into Floralia, Avril sells online – samples are available for £4 (2ml). She can also send out free scent cards.
Discover the wonderful fragrances at Floralia Perfume Boutique. You know it makes scents.
You can read more articles like this one in the latest edition of Thame Out.
