“We have a very different point of view when it comes to beauty,” say Victoire de Taillac and Ramdane Touhami, the couple behind the remarkable revival of French beauty emporium L’Officine Universelle Buly 1803, which opens its first store in Hong Kong today. The pair believes that true beauty is achieved through simple, time-tested solutions while using all-natural ingredients and of course, the right tools.

Their wood and glass apothecary of aromatic creams, clays, oils and powders on Wyndham Street comes straight out of 19th century Paris, with most offerings formulated and bottled in France. The experience of choosing from over 600 beauty products (all in glass or aluminium packaging to retain efficacy) is made even more special with personalised wrapping and calligraphy.