TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Dadaocheng, once the heart of Taipei's trade and commerce, now blends its historic tea houses and textile shops with a new wave of luxury beauty and fragrance brands.
Among the diverse offerings, Jo Malone London weaves stories through scent, while Le Labo creates a tranquil haven through fragrance. MAC Cosmetics, meanwhile, breathes new life into a historic structure, transforming it into a contemporary beauty destination.
Together, these brands bring new stories to the area, inviting visitors to slow down, engage their senses, and craft unforgettable experiences.
Jo Malone London
Nestled in the historically rich district of Dadaocheng, Jo Malone London seamlessly blends Taiwanese tradition with British elegance. At the heart of its brand is storytelling, where each fragrance tells a personal journey, inviting visitors to experience a unique connection between scent and memory.
Dadaocheng, with its deep cultural and historical significance, has long been a hub of rich stories. Choosing this iconic location pays homage to the area’s heritage while allowing visitors to create new memories through fragrance.
The store is housed in a century-old Baroque-style building, once a consulate and guesthouse, and the design reflects its storied past. The interior features cypress wood and natural stone tones, traditional terrazzo flooring, wooden shelves, and window frames, elements that honor the craftsmanship of the past.
To further celebrate Dadaocheng’s role as a former textile trading center, the store incorporates a linen-embroidered logo screen and locally sourced Guanyin stone shelves, adding to the cultural authenticity of the space.
Jo Malone London offers more than just perfumes. It provides a multi-sensory experience, inviting customers to explore their personal scent identity.
The “Archive Collection” stands out as a space akin to a fragrance archive, where limited editions and discontinued scents await discovery. One notable gem is the “White Jasmine & Mint Cologne,” a fragrance that captivates collectors with its invigorating blend.
The top note of wild mint evokes the refreshing sensation of sipping mint tea in London’s morning air. Jasmine, orange blossom, and rose bring an elegant floral warmth that mirrors the early sunlight of a new day.
Fragrance layering and scent pairing are an integral part of Jo Malone London’s DNA, allowing customers to craft their unique scent combinations. The brand’s fragrance consultants work closely with visitors to understand their wardrobes, scent preferences, and moods, offering personalized guidance in creating a perfect fragrance blend.
At the Dadaocheng Concept Store, customers can explore and experiment with different scents in a relaxed setting. Attentive service and a welcoming atmosphere allow for an immersive shopping experience. The goal is for every visitor to enter with curiosity and anticipation and leave feeling joyful and fulfilled.
Additionally, Jo Malone London embraces the philosophy of “The Art of Gift Giving,” emphasizing that meaningful gifts need no special occasion. Whether for friends, family, loved ones, or even self-care, the brand offers a range of services that make giving a gift an art form. These services include:
- Ceramic fragrance tags
- Colored ribbons
- Embroidered stickers
- Engraving services
- Colored bottle caps
- Personalized cards
Exclusively for Dadaocheng, Jo Malone London offers unique gift items, such as:
- A globally exclusive illustrated gift box inspired by the area’s architectural heritage and famous fireworks celebrations.
- Customized drawstring bags with foil stamping, allowing customers to select personal photos for a one-of-a-kind keepsake.
Guests can indulge in hand care rituals with the brand’s bath and body collection, which features cleansing gels, hand creams, and signature perfumes, creating a complete fragrance experience. Beyond personal scent, the store offers linen sprays, diffusers, and candles to fill homes with sophisticated fragrances, turning daily moments into sensory rituals.
More than just a fragrance boutique, the store serves as a space where history, culture, art, and craftsmanship come together. Here, the timeless allure of Taiwan blends with the refined elegance of Britain, offering every guest an unforgettable olfactory journey.
The aim is for each visitor to leave with a sense of joy, discovery, and fulfillment.
Le Labo
Entering a Le Labo boutique feels like stepping into a peaceful sanctuary. The wooden interiors, exuding a quiet elegance, invite a sense of calm — a moment to slow down, breathe deeply, and allow scent to become a form of personal reflection.
The air is thick with nostalgia, a comforting blend of wood, spice, and vanilla, each note telling its own story, each fragrance an intimate memory waiting to be rediscovered.
Le Labo, known for its artisanal approach to perfumery, believes that while the world is filled with fragrances, only a rare few possess true soul. The brand emphasizes craftsmanship, with each scent created through careful intention and human touch—whether it’s hand-picked roses, hand-poured candles, or individually blended perfumes.
Among Le Labo’s scent collection, Tonka 25 stands as a tribute to warmth and depth. Loved around the world, this fragrance is particularly comforting during colder months when the need for coziness is strongest.
For those accustomed to the bold spice-forward scents of other regions, Tonka 25 evokes a familiar, comforting richness, like mulled wine simmering on a chilly evening, blending cinnamon and vanilla with a sweet yet subtly salty contrast.
The scent wears like a cherished wool sweater, thick, protective, and comforting, offering a sense of belonging. The spice lingers at the edge of coolness, creating a paradox that endures long after the wearer has left the room.
In bustling cities abroad, where bolder scents dominate the streets, Tonka 25 stands out, a fragrance that whispers yet demands attention.
Available in eau de parfum and a range of personal care formats, including shower gel, body lotion, and liquid balm, the scent allows wearers to extend the experience beyond perfume, wrapping themselves in its warmth from head to toe.
- Encens 9- the essence of stillness
For those who seek peace in simplicity, Encens 9 embodies the serene strength of nature. Its creation is rooted in the resin that oozes from trees, hardening into milky crystals.
When diffused, the scent evokes the sensation of an intimate embrace with an ancient tree—its bark rough yet grounding, its roots deeply embedded in the earth. The interplay of wood and earth is gently softened by a hint of vanilla, making the air feel warmer and denser, as though wrapping the room in a protective cocoon.
It’s the fragrance of slow weekends, cold Saturdays spent deep in conversation, and the quiet calm that fills a space shared by close friends.
Designed as an interior scent, Encens 9 transforms any space into a retreat, where time slows and the outside world feels far away. Available in candles and home fragrance sprays, it infuses surroundings with a meditative stillness, creating an atmosphere of quiet luxury.
- The Grooming line: nostalgia in black
Le Labo’s grooming line is a tribute to classic American barbershops, presented in sleek black packaging that blends tradition with modernity. The subtle scent of tonka bean weaves through the collection, tying everything together with understated sophistication.
The after-shave balm, designed for all genders, offers soothing comfort with quiet confidence, while the multi-purpose balm nourishes dry skin and tired hands. The all-in-one cleanser is infused with aloe vera, and seamlessly transitions between face, hair, and body, creating a simple yet indulgent ritual.
For those who prefer structure, the styling concrete adds the perfect finishing touch, sculpting hair without disrupting its natural flow.
Each product like each fragrance tells a story, not just of self-care, but of moments and fleeting experiences. In a world that moves too fast, Le Labo offers a gentle reminder to pause, savor, and find beauty in the intangible.
Beyond scent, the brand’s ethos is a call to disconnect from the noise of modern life—if only for a moment—to pause, reflect, and rediscover the simple pleasure of truly experiencing a fragrance.
M·A·C: where history, beauty, sustainability, and innovation converge
MAC Cosmetics' first-ever global gifting-concept store in Dadaocheng blends traditional architecture with contemporary beauty trends, offering an immersive experience that transcends a typical makeup shopping trip.
Originally built in 1918 as a chamber of commerce, the building retains much of its historic charm. Once a Minnan-style street house, the structure has been carefully preserved, maintaining its original layout and architectural details.
As visitors step inside, they’ll be greeted by traditional masonry flooring and Qilian stone elements, materials once used in the Taipei city wall but banned since the 1970s. Known for its temperature-regulating and fire-resistant properties, Qilian stone is a rare architectural gem found in Taiwan's older buildings.
While honoring its roots, MAC seamlessly integrates its modern brand identity. A striking red wall, inspired by traditional Taiwanese tiles, is adorned with “Ruby Woo,” one of MAC’s most iconic lipstick shades.
One of the store’s most captivating features is its lantern-inspired art installation, designed to reflect the essence of MAC’s iconic foundation. Illuminating the store at night, the installation draws in tourists, making the space a must-visit for beauty enthusiasts and architecture lovers alike.
Sustainability is a key focus, with tables and furnishings crafted from recycled wood, underscoring the brand’s commitment to environmental responsibility.
A standout feature of the store is its smart makeup station. Equipped with adjustable lighting to mimic various environments, the station allows customers to test products under different settings.
The station also includes a smartphone holder for visitors to capture the makeup artist’s techniques for later reference, while wireless charging ensures convenience during the beauty experience.
Adding a unique twist, the store introduces an exclusive “gift wall”—the only one of its kind in the world. This concept caters to tourists and makeup enthusiasts looking for personalized souvenirs, offering customizable gifts such as engraved names, Dadaocheng-inspired totems, and color prints on lipsticks.
With nine distinct designs, ribbons, and tags, the gift experience enhances the store’s appeal as a destination for meaningful keepsakes.
Beyond shopping, the MAC store offers a range of services, including quick 15-minute touch-ups and comprehensive 90-minute professional makeup sessions. Whether customers need help perfecting their eyebrow shape, finding the right foundation, or preparing for a special occasion, skilled makeup artists provide personalized services.
Looking ahead, the second floor will feature makeup classes led by experts and introduce MAC Pro products, an exclusive collection typically reserved for professional makeup artists and unavailable elsewhere in Taiwan.
MAC’s Dadaocheng store is more than just a retail space; it’s an experience that celebrates the past while embracing the future of beauty. Whether visitors come to shop, learn, or simply admire the harmonious blend of history and innovation, they are sure to leave inspired—and with a flawless makeup look to boot.
These stores offer a unique blend of history, culture, and modern luxury, creating an immersive experience that invites visitors to explore, discover, and indulge in the artistry of fragrance, beauty, and design.
