Things to love about New York: Lafco NY

So there are a slew of stores that sell beauty wares in Manhattan. From Ricky's to PIR, Sephora, the old-school chemists (like the one on Lex and 84th or the original C.O. Bigelow's on 7th Avenue) to SpaceNK and all of the stand-alone beauty boutiques. Most of them are amazing if you're a beauty junkie. However, we don't think there are many for the luxury and beauty junkie out there.

Those obsessed with quality (not quantity), niche products (we mean really niche. They carry online 9 brands) should go to Lafco New York on Lafayette Street (or the one on Melrose Place in L.A.). They do Claus Porto, Santa Maria Novella, Eau d'Italie, Trilogy, Linari, Lorenzo Villoresi, Sapone per Cucina and House and Home Candle Collection. Now we haven't had the longest time to browse around yet, but so far our favourite products are:

1. SMN Idrasol Body Cream

2. Claus Porto Banho Citrus Verbena Soap with Shea Butter

3. Trilogy 100% Pure Organic Rosehip Oil

4. Lorenzo Villoresi Alamut

5. House and Home Duchess Peony and Fresh Cut Gardenia Candles

Of course, we will be back there later this week, pouring over every single item on offer. As a parting comment, the lovely team at Lafco NY put me onto Sniffapalooza. If you like fragrance, check it out.

Best bathroom

This might seem like an odd entry. But really, let's think about how often we've had to relieve ourselves in manky and urine-scented stalls, hovering over a dubious-looking seat whilst trying to simultaneously keep your trousers from hitting the floor and stretching towards the just-out-of-reach loo roll (which happens to need to coaxing out of the dispenser). Nothing beautiful about that except maybe your superhuman balance.

I was bursting for the loo as I left a meeting with the amazingly cool Lafco New York and scampered into McNally & Robinson Bookstore (which has free Wifi, a blessing in a city that's overrun with Starbuck's and their $10-a-day Wifi). I wandered down the stairs of the cafe/bookstore past a little table scattered with both Luxe and Wallpaper guides (great for browsing whilst queuing for das loo) and eventually through a door behind the stairs. When I found the switch and flicked it, I suddenly seemed to be in a forest rather than a neglected loo. The walls are wallpapered, floor-to-ceiling, in the great outdoors, nice birdsong is piped in through speakers, the few surfaces are immaculate and the sink and counter countrified (basins and granite not formica). It was cool and so strangely relaxing to use their loo (and actually come out the other end of a bathroom experience without worrying that I might have contracted something from accidentally touching anything).

If you ever find yourself at the corner of Mulberry St. and Prince St. and in desperate need of a loo, you'll be happy to know there's one just a step away where you don't need to use your foot to flush the toilet.

Aedes de Venustas

There are many many scent blogs out there that do their perfume paces better than I ever could because, well, I'm not a scent expert, clearly. It's very specialised and my olfactory senses have been so dulled after years of living in polluted areas (not that it was ever the highly trained tool that scent masters and sommeliers possess). But we like reporting on little nuggest of scentful information that we think you'll appreciate.

So next time you're in Manhattan check out Aedes de Venustas. They do endless cult fragrances (although they don't do Le Labo, for which you need to go to Elizabeth Street) and even carry our favourite Annick Goutal and have a magazine.