Kurkdjian creates bubble installation sans fizzy lifting drinks

Or something like that. The haute perfumer Maison Francis Kurkdjian is going to set Great Marlborough Street afloat tomorrow in partnership with Liberty of London with a bubble fest not seen since the likes of Wonka. However, Kurkdjian's bubbles smells of lovely fragrance as the man was once perfumer to labels like Aqua di Parma, Gaultier and Armani.

The scent of choice for said bubbles? Aqua Universalis, a clean scent with notes of bergamot, lemon, lily of the valley and musky wood. Let's hope it can compete with the puffs of food-scented smog that funnel out of surrounding restos. From 1pm to 8pm, Saturday, December 5th, the bubble installation will happen every hour. Kurkdjian is known in France for his bubble installation and last staged one at Versailles (how Marie Antoinette must be turning in her grave to miss such a spectacle). 

Liberty of London beauty hall expanding

Joy of all joys! I tweeted last week how Liberty was expanding the size of their superb beauty hall on the ground floor of their magnificent Tudor location in central London. After the festive season this winter, they're going to re-allocate 400 sq. feet of storage space to all things beauty. There are a couple things I hope happen here:

1. I don't want the ground floor of Liberty to turn into another terrifying gauntlet of beauty counters staffed by sales girls desperate for a commission a la Harvey Nichols. So much of the charm of Liberty's beauty hall comes from the fact that it's not the size of a football stadium. It's smaller... it feels like you've stumbled onto a hidden gem of a shop. It feels cobbled together in a good way; the perfume hall is tucked away behind the skincare and cosmetics with candles across the way, through the paper goods. It's a bazaar of high-end finery that has struck such a rich and wonderful balance, I would weep to see it turned into a slick, glossy tiled, minimalist beauty boutique. We already have plenty of those!

2. They keep rolling out the cool brands... they stock the big names like Shu Uemura and Aveda but they also carry less well-known ones like Olivinia from Napa valley. 

In any event, this is clearly such big news to most, but if you've dedicated so many hours of your life to that pleasing space on Great Marlborough Street, like I have, then you'll be giddy to know there will soon be 400 feet more of floor space to explore.

Le Labo City Scents at Liberty of London

Cult New York perfumier Le Labo is exclusively offering their city scents in Liberty of London for the month of October. Get limited quantities of all their city scents right now: London (Poivre 23), LA (Musc 25), Tokyo (Gaiac 10), Dallas (Aldehyde 44), New York (Tubereuse 40) and Paris (Vanille 44).

The reason you care? Because these city scents are usually only available in their respective cities. As far as I know it's the first time you can get the whole lot in one go (without the advantage of an around the world plane ticket). 

Plus, you get to schlep your bum to Liberty's superlative beauty hall. What better way is there to waste a lunch break?

Le Labo City Scents available exclusively at Liberty of London until the end of October 2009.