Essenza

I wasn’t even thinking of buying perfume as I was on my way to pick up a cake but I decided to pop in and see what the store was about. Immediately I was warmly greeted and invited to take a look around. Shortly after was I was assisted with finding the perfect perfume based on my favorite scents. After trying closed 10 scents I landed on that I absolutely adore. It was pricey but my choice is intoxicating and a scent that I won’t smell on other women.
I’m surprised to see all of the reviews about customer service because I was treated exceptionally well. I work in customer service so the minute something is off I’m quick to throw a flag on in. I hope Unilocalers who have had a bad experience in the past give this place a chance again as it seems they have turned a new leaf.

The staff here is so pleasant. The scents, jewelry, etc are all incredibly well sourced thoughtful items. Easy to find a very special gift and they will be more than happy to help. Whether it is $ 20 or $ 500 you are spending, I feel like they really just want you to walk out happy.

Really cute store full of soap, perfume, toys, robes, and more. I love the big water fountain in the center! Nice place to find little gifts for friends. :)

The store is lovely, the items are well curated but the staff can be quite rude and aloof, not to mention extraordinarily frumpy. Seriously Essenza staff… you need to be way more fabulous to rock the attitude you do. All in all, get over yourselves, try to crack a smile, project warmth and friendliness and remember what side of the counter you stand on… your attitudes make those pretty smelling perfumes stink.

I’ve bought a couple bottles of perfume from Essenza since I graduated from being a mere dabbler in perfumes to a full on obsessive. I think the service is a bit misunderstood. Essenza serves a clientele and passion that’s probably unknown to many people who wander in as Fremont foot traffic, the «perfumista.» Essenza even serves a very specific part of that population (they only sell «niche» perfume — that which is not carried in department stores or associated with brand names). We are total lunatics. We know the history of reformulations of our favorite perfumes. We do fragrance testing on a piece of cardboard in order to let the perfume «open up.» We talk about perfumes having many notes (which might only appear, say, after the perfume dries down on the skin).
We take this stuff seriously! I know, right? The staff at Essenza certainly does, too. It’s great to come here and find people who share your nerd-​religion. They’re all serious experts. It may make the place seem weirdly churchy sometimes? It’s really not snobbery — it’s like going into a wine store.

I’m don’t wear perfume or use smelly soap but if you do this place must be super awesome. I wandered around looking at the jewelry. There’s all types from very affordable to expensive (IMHO). I didn’t buy anything but had fun looking around.

This is one of those places I really want to shop because of all the beautiful smelly things that I like to spoil myself and loved ones with… But it’s also one of those places I avoid because I feel the staff are rude and condescending. This might sound like an exaggeration but when you are not greeted kindly and asked if you would like help in a store this small and see that service extended to other customers you start to get the hint.

I just walked out of this store 20 minutes ago after it being made clear that my family and I were not welcome. I really beg anyone who is considering shopping here to call and ask how they plan on treating any person of color who walks in.
It is a gorgeous sunny day today, and my family and I were dressed to enjoy it. We certainly were dressed appropriately to be shopping, but I just have a lingering feeling that we were not dressed in a manner befitting someone they felt should be in the shop. However I do not feel like justifying the way we’re dressed.
My boyfriend and son took me to Fremont today specifically to buy a celebratory gift after I got a new job with my dream company. I was looking for a fragrance from Keiko Mecheri and a new piece of jewelry.
No one greeted or acknowledged us, other than to follow us around the small shop. I had to go find someone on the other side of the shop who just flatly answered no when I asked for Keiko Mecheri fragrances. They never asked what fragrance from the line I was looking for, or tried to find me an alternative. I took a deep breath and started looking at the jewelry. My best friend owns a beautiful topaz ring from essenza and I have been eyeing the designer for a while. When my boyfriend asked me how much the ring had cost her some just laughed and said 500 to 1000 before I could even say 400 back to him. So despite the fact that they had barely acknowledged us it was apparent they were listening to what we were saying.
We rushed our six year old out of they shop before I told her that she he made it clear that they were racially profiling and did not want us there. She rolled her eyes and made no attempt to disagree.
So sadly I am left hoping that someone will take this review to heart, and understand that no one should be prejudged this way. I should not be afraid that I just do not look the part of one of their customers. I hope someone hears the message and understands how hurtful this was.

I have been buying my candles and room scents here for years. I really love the store, and the location is very good as well. The staff is very knowledgeable and the owner tries to support local artist as well as artisans from far off places.
my only wish is that they had a larger selection of Dypitique and various other French brands. I think it must be due to limited space that they don’t.
Anyway, lovely little gem of a shop.

Love this store! Amazing jewelry and body care. Every time I go Rachel is so helpful and knowledgable.

I’ve been coming into Essenza on and off for about ten years now. At the beginning, I was younger and poorer and could rarely buy anything, and didn’t know anything about fragrances, and the owner and staff were always polite and friendly to me then. It kept me coming back, since I’ve always loved fragrance. Now that there are perfume blogs and boards and sites I’ve been able to educate myself in something that interests me, but nothing can substitute for the experience of a shop like this.
They didn’t talk down to me when I was young and ignorant, and now that I know like, three things about perfume and have a little disposable income, they are getting my patronage.
Also I feel like I should talk about the experience of service there. It’s like dealing with a great librarian. I mentioned I liked the ingredients and notes of Shalimar, but not Shalimar itself (on me anyway). This was followed with, «Do you like Oriental fragrances in general? Which notes in particular do you like? What do you dislike?» After I was «interviewed» a little, then I was given guidance with samples. «This is greener, this one is more gourmand, this one is spicier.» Based on my positive and negative reactions, I felt like I was led closer and closer to something I love, and have worn almost daily for the past year.
I have NEVER felt pressured to buy, and they are very good when you say «Okay, I think I need to walk around town for a bit and check out the drydown.» And then I come back and buy if it works out, because they are so nice.

Its a beautiful store with cute things and I’ve shopped there before for clothes and soaps, but sales people are very stuck up! I wanted to tell them come on take your heads out of your asses, you are not in Paris you are in Seattle!!!
join the rest of merchants in Fremont and come back to reality people! sales people at this place have bad attitutes. that’s why I am not shopping there as much as I would like.

You know that scene in Love Actually where Mr Bean takes like 30 minutes to gift wrap a necklace? It’s kind of like that but you can understand because they are so friendly. Staff was very helpful in helping me pick a gift for my lady friend (wife) based on very limited knowledge of nice smelling things. Great collection of nice things at good prices.

Quality infused elegance at this über cute store. Huge selection of gorgeous perfumes, soaps, bath products and more. I just wanted to buy everything in the store :)

Music: Waterfall
Layout: Organized
Price: expensive
Customer Service: Friendly but seemed she was going through the motions rather than the emotions.
There is a wide selection of glassy selections of perfumes and necklaces that was like looking in a meseum of pretty.

Absolutely adore this shop! My husband will go here to pick out a bauble for me for Mother’s day or Valentine’s day, and they always help him make the best selection. They even have a gift registry you can make a wish list for!
One of my favorite places to shop in Seattle.

The two workers in the store didn’t even acknowledge me when I walked in. Beautiful merchandise, ugly attitudes. They won’t be getting my business!

My husband and I decided to check out Essenza because of the adorable baby clothes, hoping to find something stylish for our new son. As we were entering I overheard one of the workers state «It is always like this on Sunday people just roll out of bed late and just come in late.» It was not said nicely as the worker looked everyone in the store up and down with sneer, yes a sneer. Mind you it wasn’t quite 4:30 pm and they are suppose to be open until 5pm. That alone was enough for me to walk out.

Pretty scented soaps. Some of them are so beautifully wrapped that I thought I was back in Japan. Great as gifts or party favors/​stocking stuffers. Not nauseating like Lush, more upscale and unique than Body Shop or Bath & Body Works.
Staff does giftwrap for free!
You can also find scented oils, perfumes, robes, and other bath and body products here.
The designer jewelry is delicate and lovely to look at, but many items cost a few hundred dollars.

Linger, look, linger, look…
Such is the sequence of my activities when in Essenza. The sister store to Les Amis, if you need perfume, lovely soap or lotion, baby clothes, decadently soft robes, makeup, or jewelry, stop in.
If you’re a kept woman, even better for you!
I’m not, but there are still plenty of nice finds in here. I’ve bought lovely baby clothes as gifts on sale before, and since I’m a fan of Fresh soaps I often stop in to replenish my supply here. In fact, they carry pretty much the full Fresh line from lotions to perfumes and everything in between, so you’re stocked.
This is the kind of nice little boutique where so many small things are tucked into nooks and crannies between larger displays that it’s fun to browse just to see what’s there. Speaking from experience, a nice bar of soap makes the morning that much more lovely, so even if that’s all you treat yourself to, just do it!