With its herringbone parquet and art nouveau friezes, natural cosmetics boutique Huygens has really perfected its chic Parisian look. Based in the Marais since June 2013, owners Daan and Sébastien propose a diverse variety of personalisable beauty products like shower gels, body lotions and creams, with a selection of 17 different essential oils. The duo’s goal is to share their knowledge of aromatherapy, carefully informing customers of what each essential oil can be used for and how and when they should be applied.
Oils are divided into four broad categories: comfort and relaxation, energy and tone, balance, and stimulation. You can choose between fragrances like the ‘Mélange du Martin (citrus and camomile), the ‘Hercule’ (lavender and rosemary) or ‘Verve’ (vetiver, black spruce and ginger).
Once chosen, the oils are then mixed on site into your chosen shampoo, bath oil, moisturiser or shower gel. Customising your toiletries obviously comes at a cost, but it’s rarely this affordable – think around €16 for a shower gel, €22 for a body cream or €17 for a massage oil.