Twisted Lily Fragrance Boutique & Apothecary

Super-​friendly, low-​pressure staff who are happy to lend a hand but won’t hover over you as you’re browsing. They cram a huge selection into a pretty small store and there’s lots of stuff you won’t find elsewhere. Amazing.

Came here during the holidays while window shopping. It’s a beautiful and small fragrance boutique. The staff was very helpful in choosing something that matched my taste and budget. The fragrance I got smells really good and lasts long. This might be my new fragrance spot.

Best place ever. 3 free samples every time you go to the store. Just go.

I haven’t felt compelled to review anything in years but scream to anybody out there that this shop is magic! I randomly wandered a few weeks ago and was impressed by how bright, cozy, beautiful and well organized it was. I wasn’t looking for a new perfume but love to keep up on what’s out there anyway. The owner was the most charming, thoughtful gentleman who truly understands what a customer needs and is brilliant with fragrance. Based on my mumbling request of violet similar to my mainstay Creed «Love In Black» he showed me Vioja by Nishane– the trippiest, futuristic floral. I was immediately obsessed. Upon looking up reviews of Vioja by Nishane the comparisons are to– Creed «Love In Black»!!! Hole in one! Amazing. But this perfume feels more special. Actually anything you buy from Twisted Lily feels more special and «you». That’s how good this place is. I’m now only buying perfume from this shop. I urge everyone who loves fragrance and pretty things to ONLY shop here as well! Thank you so much Twisted Lily!!!

I can’t even.
I CAN’T EVEN.
This place is nirvana, and Eric and the staff are tremendously welcoming and helpful. I purchased two Cire Trudon candles and a bottle of Histoire de Parfums 1899. Can’t wait to return next time I’m in town to score some new delicious finds.
Thanks Twisted Lily!

i received a sample pack and the perfumes seemed watered down, very little fragrance. Also ordered one of my favorite perfumes and the same thing. Before I ordered it from the source and it had a much better smell. Wouldn’t order from these guys again

Best customer service, hands down. This is a special place.

Lapin and I came in here to shop for a new fragrance. He came in here before and loved the attention he got and the selection of niche fragrances. He thought I would love a visit here since I have a habit of collecting unique fragrances. When, we went there was one sales rep working with a customer and one behind the cash register who didn’t really pay us any attention. We walked around the entire store trying to find a perfume or something that would catch my interest. I already know the base notes I usually like but Lapin said that the reps usually can recommend something based of the base notes you currently like. I figured it would have been a great way to find a new perfume. But of course, after receiving no help or even being acknowledge for 30 minutes, I left disappointed. For a small store, one would think instead of cashier busying himself behind a computer he would be more inclined to help make a sale.

This is hands down my favorite shopping experience in all of Brooklyn!
Some stores look at you like a cat that can’t be bothered or a hawk that’s waiting for you to make one wrong move. They make you feel like Julia Roberts walking into the boutique on Rodeo Drive in Pretty Woman, pre-​Richard Gere. You might almost expect to feel like that at a place specializing in niche fragrance like Twisted Lily, BUT YOU WOULD BE SO WRONG!
Eric, the co-​founder, welcomed us and encouraged us to take our coats off and get comfortable. He let us look around and then offered suggestions based on my affinity for aquatics. Then he did the most unexpected thing – he let me explore on my own! What a concept! This element of exploration is so key to approaching fragrance. For me, a fragrance experience is never static and varies over the course of its dry down and over a range of notes as they interact with my specific body chemistry. This complicates the process of finding something I will continue to adore from day to day. I don’t just need a moment alone with the smell – I need an hour, maybe more.
There are also stores that look at you like vultures, desperate for the commission or profit you might offer. I tend to like shopping online so I can try things on and take my time assessing my purchase without being swayed into buying what costs more instead of what I really want. However, I can’t really know what to expect in a fragrance just from reading a description online. I need to smell it in person.
Although Eric gave us breathing room, he was attentive, approachable, and accomodating. I didn’t feel like I was being treated any worse for buying a $ 100 fragrance instead of a $ 500 one. I had trouble remembering which tester paper I sprayed with which perfume and he was happy to help. He gave me some tidbits about the ones I was looking at and the price points. This brings me to another aspect of what makes selecting a fragrance more of an ordeal – when you think of the value per ounce, it generally isn’t cheap so it should be something you really enjoy wearing. I don’t want to buy all of them and I shouldn’t have to in order to find the right fit.
I was like a kid in a candy store, facing their comprehensive selection of fragrances that you would be hard pressed to find elsewhere. Par example, Twisted Lily is one of only three stockists in all of the US of a particular line and the only place on the east coast. To help guide your exploration, each fragrance line has its own cubby accompanying a print denoting the family (e.g. chypre) and the range of notes it has – kind of like a good wine menu.
I came out with the most beautiful woodsy floral and I have my eye on several others. Eric even gave me samples of some others I might like. I didn’t even have to sheepishly ask. Go be a patron! You’ll like it!

Eric is lovely and a brilliant curator of fragrance and his staff are equally amazing. The selection is vast and has many special and hard-​to-​find items all beneath one roof. It’s an enchanted fragrance library. One can sample anything and bring it home to wear, an incredible treat and valuable commodity when searching for the perfect fragrance.

What can I say about Twitsted Lily that hasn’t already been said. I ventured across the bridge from Manhattan on a goegeous fall day figuring I would go in an pick out a new fall fragrance or two. My previous experience with a niche fragrance store left me completely nonplussed. The staff at the West Village store was snooty and rude, I vowed never to return. Twisted Lilly is the exact opposite. What I received was a pleasurable leisurely paced hour of sniffs and samples, laughs and questions. Eric coud not have been kinder and more devoted to helping me pick out some new fragrances. Eric took me on a journey or as it was referred to a «flight» of fragrances. I ended up purchasing two and a candle and am so pleased with my purchases. Eric even threw in some deluxe samples of the fragrances I purchased to I could travel with them rather than the big bottles. I will defintely be back! I truly can’t say enough good things. Skip the West Village and head to Brooklyn, you will be very glad you did.
PS Eric –If you are reading this «Chad» says hello.

As a lover of niche fragrances, I’ve had the pleasure of visiting dozens of shops around the world and I have to say that my recent visit to Brooklyn’s Twisted Lily was perhaps the best experience I’ve had to date. It all began with the friendly greeting we got from the stellar Anna, who proceeded to work with me for about an hour. She listened carefully to the sort of scents I like and then carefully introduced me to dozens in the store that she thought I’d like. Not once did she try to push something that didn’t fit my expressed preferences… she stayed on task and, in the process, gave me a fantastic education on each brand. Clearly, Anna knows her stuff, and made what could have been a confusing experience a blast. And again, I stress that she didn’t leave my side and find other things to do. And he knowledge of each brand and of the industry in general were wonderful. The customer service at Twisted Lily was really brilliant.
On top of all this, the store is delightful to be in, as is the neighborhood in Brooklyn. They sell far more than fragrances alone, by the way (candles, diffusers, shaving products, etc.).
In the end, I tested 25 or 30 fragrances and purchased two. There will be many more purchases in the near future, especially since Anna and the store’s owner were incredibly generous with samples of the fragrances I have on my short list to purchase.
This place is a must-​visit for those who like niche fragrances.

My perfume-​loving friends took me– a complete novice– here to introduce me to boutique fragrances. I’ve tried to find a scent I wanted to wear in department stores or at Sephora before, but nothing ever really captured my imagination the way the amazing selection at Twisted Lily did!
The manager Anna was incredibly friendly and helpful. After I had browsed long enough to get an idea of some things I liked, she set out an array of personal recommendations for me to try, all but one of which I ended up taking home as samples.
Twisted Lily carries many non-​traditional lines that are not afraid of bold, exciting combinations. I found many smells there that transported me into another world (some of which bordered on transgressive!), and I’m happy to say I’m now a huge fan of perfume.

Love this spot. Eric truly takes his time in educating and informing you

I made a trip here because they are the only NYC stockist for a perfume company I had gotten a sample from in Portland. At first I was hesitant about going in because I know zilch about perfume and was overwhelmed by the zillion beautiful bottles inside the shop, but necessity made me bold.
Anna helped me find the perfume I came for and also showed me another Portland company called Slumberland that she thought I would like. At that point I started becoming interested for real as I noticed the strange and intriguing names and note lists for all of the different scents, as well as Anna’s creative descriptions of them. For example, wouldn’t you want to more about a scent described as reminiscent of a hog-​skin football game in the 1920s? I know I did!
In addition to the associative paradise of scents, names and packaging (did I mention everything is beautiful?), service was top-​notch. Have a question? Want a recommendation or a sample? No problem, you got it.
In the end I left with the perfume I came for as well as two samples that I don’t think I can live without. So I will be back!

I came here with my friend and we had such a wonderful experience! The lovely lady helping us was incredibly knowledgable without being pretentious. This is my new destination for perfume in the neighborhood!

Twisted Lily is a gem. The level of customer service is unparalleled. Eric, the co-​owner, spent over an hour helping me find the perfect scent. He is incredibly knowledgeable, friendly, engaging and helpful. I had such a great experience and
cannot wait to go back and bring all of my friends!

This newcomer is a strong contender for best boutique fragrance store in NYC. Its airy space and unpretentiousness plus the helpful printed descriptions make shopping for perfume less mysterious and esoteric and more like shopping for wine, which I guess some traditionalists might not like but I love it. It reminds me of Scent Bar in LA, another shop that knows you can be knowledgable about perfume without taking it too too seriously. And the selection is so good. I want to smell everything here and probably I will, eventually.

Wonderful fragrance boutique, and as mentioned. Eric is extremely friendly and does not pressure you into hastily purchasing something. I was offered water and cookie upon greeted, thought that was very nice.
The selection is different than most of the other boutiques I’ve visited. The only fragrance houses that is shared amongst other shops in the city is Amouage, E’tat Libre D’Orange, and Parfums de Nicolai. So it’s great change up with great new houses to explore.
Walked out with Imaginary Author’s Cobra and the Canary upon Eric’s recommendation and would love to drop by again soon!

I was so excited when I saw that a fragrance boutique had opened near my apartment in perfect timing as I had been searching for a signature scent to wear on my wedding day. I came here during their first week of being open and was so impressed with the level of customer service I received upon walking into the store. One of the owners and another woman, were so incredibly helpful. They started by asking what scents I liked, then went into as much detail as what flowers were going to be in my bouquet, what the theme of the wedding was (re: ?woodsy/​soft/​romantic etc) in order to truly encompass the scent of my wedding day. After having me and my guy smell over 10 different fragrances, we were able to narrow it down to the perfect perfume a Ramon Monegal.
The store itself is going to be dangerous as it’s so close to my apartment and they carry so many hard-​to-​find perfumes, including a section of scents locally created in Brooklyn. Not only do they have unique fragrances, but they also have candles, nail polish etc. Ugh, I love this place!