Paris Shopping Experience With A Personal Shopper

I really didn't want to write a negative review about a small, independently owned business. I gave Violaine an opportunity to make things right by offering a 50% refund, but she refused. Given that, I feel it's important to share my experience so others can make an informed decision before booking. **In short, I would strongly advise against booking this experience. What was advertised and what was actually delivered were two very different things.** Here's what happened: I booked and paid for a shopping experience with Violaine for myself and three friends through TripAdvisor, largely because of the overwhelmingly positive reviews describing both Violaine and the experience. Based on those reviews and the service description, we expected a thoughtfully curated, three-hour shopping tour of Le Marais, with Violaine personally accompanying us and using her knowledge of the neighborhood to introduce us to shops we might not discover on our own. Violaine and I began corresponding four days before our scheduled appointment. I shared the types of stores we were interested in visiting, as well as our budget. We continued exchanging emails right up until the evening before our confirmed appointment, when Violaine informed me that her "colleague," Kannelle, would be taking us instead because she was unavailable. I was understandably frustrated by this last-minute change in personnel, particularly since I had booked and paid specifically for Violaine's experience and expertise. When I questioned the switch, she assured me that Kannelle had been given a curated itinerary for our group. Since the experience was already paid for and the appointment was the following day, I felt I had little choice but to proceed. To be clear, Kannelle was very kind and clearly wanted to do a good job. This is not a criticism of her personally. My concern is that Violaine had not adequately prepared her or set her up for success. Within minutes of meeting us, Kannelle was asking where we wanted to shop and what we were looking for—despite the fact that Violaine and I had already discussed these details extensively over several days. Rather than following a curated itinerary, she seemed to be improvising the experience as we went along. In the end, she took us to just two stores that we likely could have found on our own. Beyond that, we essentially planned (and executed) the shopping experience ourselves. There was also an underlying pressure throughout the day to try things on and make purchases. Kannelle was never aggressive, and I don't believe that was her intention. My impression was that she felt she needed to demonstrate her value, which is understandable given the circumstances. Nevertheless, it made the experience feel less like a personalized shopping tour and more like we were expected to justify having hired a guide. Kannelle also frequently offered to retrieve different sizes or speak with shopkeepers in French. While well-intentioned, these were services we neither needed nor particularly valued. We were perfectly comfortable navigating stores, asking for sizes, and communicating with shopkeepers ourselves. These interactions did little to enhance the experience or justify the cost. **Ultimately, what was missing was precisely what we had paid for: expert guidance, insider knowledge, and a thoughtfully curated itinerary based on our interests and preferences.** Instead, we found ourselves leading the day, deciding where to go and what to see, with Kannelle essentially accompanying us along the way. I have no issue with a business occasionally needing to make staffing adjustments. But if someone is paying a premium for a personalized experience based on the expertise and reputation of a particular individual, simply substituting someone else at the last minute is not an equivalent service—particularly when that person hasn't been properly briefed. I made a good-faith effort to resolve this directly with Violaine by requesting a 50% refund, which I felt was a reasonable compromise given the significant difference between what was promised and what was delivered. She refused. I walked away feeling that I had paid for a curated, expert-led shopping experience and received very little beyond what my friends and I could have arranged on our own. **TLDR: Save your money. There are plenty of ways to explore the shops of Le Marais without paying for an experience that ultimately adds so little value.**

V is the sweetest and so very helpful. Not only does she take you to the stores, she becomes your stylist! She gave us so many great tips on colors, materials, and shapes which we used while shopping long after our time with her. AND she really guided us on how to stay safe during that protest. We really could not have had a better experience!

V was very friendly and personal. She understood French fashion very well. Employees of the various shops really liked her. She was honest and kind. She wanted to do more than just shop; she wanted me to understand the concepts of fashion and what styles would most suit me. Highly recommended! Three hours well spent! V, thanks for the end of shopping sweet treat!

Excellent experience for those wanting guidance on how to shop the Parisian style with a kind, knowledgeable, and helpful guide. V is an absolute gem.

V was a wonderful person to work with, most of the time was devoted to helping my wife and she even was able to make me purchase something and knew exactly what I liked. Without her guidance we would have no place to start in Le Marais. Her knowledge and demeanor and a sense of what made a client happy was a pleasure. We would do a tour with her again!!!

This was a fun opportunity for my daughter and me! V met us punctually at our designated time and place and she took us around to many French boutiques to look for things that matched our styles but stretched us a bit at the same time. My daughter is 17 and I’m in my fifties so helping two people with different tastes is no small feat. V helped us learn the ropes and by the end of the day we felt much more confident in navigating French fashion. Both my daughter and I came away with some lovely finds. V also had advice on styles that looked good on our shapes, how to style things in clever ways, as well as general tips on Paris restaurants and shops. This was definitely a highlight of our trip!

Our guide well exceeded my expectations. She was kind, patient, helpful, and thoroughly knowledgeable about both Paris and fashion. I came home with nearly ten outfits I still adore, and I don't have a body type that is easy to dress; plus, I'm used to nice clothes, and I am very selective. Our shopper knew better than I what I wanted and/or needed and made recommendations with authority but tact, never making me feel inadequate; and she even saved us some money. Do not hesitate, book her. Marcella Hunyadi-Riddle

This was my first personal shopping experience and from the start, V was an absolute gem! She’s a lovely person inside and out - friendly, stylish, positive, and knowledgeable. After asking about my goals, usual style and color preferences, and budget, we explored little boutiques in Le Marais (that I’d probably never otherwise dare enter) where she picked out pieces for me to try on. Despite my protests, she even kindly carried the pharmacy haul that I unwisely picked up on my way over, so that I’d have my hands free to look through the clothes. She also pointed out fun places to explore later, like her favorite crepe place or a good shop for gifts. The best thing about V is that she is so positive and non-judgmental - she truly wants you to celebrate your body shape and will help steer you towards silhouettes and styles that do so. I haven’t been shopping for years so this was like spending an afternoon with a good girlfriend who also picks out clothes for you to try on and gives you kind, honest feedback. Would 100% do this again!

Violaine was wonderful and knowledgeable. I highly recommend this tour if you want to find great shops in Paris and what works for your coloring and body type. She was flexible and easy to work with for both myself and my 12 year old daughter. Her English is excellent.

Our experience with V went above and beyond our expectations. My mom and I went on this tour together and we both felt completely satisfied. First off, I greatly appreciated V's correspondence. She reached out to me ahead of time and asked what we were hoping to find on our shopping extravaganza. As you'd imagine, my mom and I have obviously different needs and desires when it came to our styles, and V - being so skilled and talented at what she does -- not only effortlessly catered to both of us, equally; but also lead with an on-point-intuitive-hunch that really allowed us to capitalize on the very short amount of time we had together. She showed us a variety of French brands that we would never have found on our own, and explained why they are popular and in fashion. She accommodated our budget needs and maintained great communication throughout the tour to make sure we were seeing what we wanted to see. She prepped fun trivia games about iconic fashion brands that made it feel oh-so-Parisian. She gifted us council for our body shapes and suggested colors that we'd look great in.... some of these were new to me (and I thought I knew my colors!). We walked away knowing the 5 simple, go-to questions, to ask yourself before you make a purchase. The Parisian tips are smart and timeless! V is passionate, efficient, patient, and has a great presence! Her energy is welcoming and light-hearted; she's very professional and also makes you feel like you've found your new Parisian bestie. V, we had such a great afternoon with you learning all about Parisian fashion. You are a real gem. Thank you for being part of our very meaningful mother/ daughter trip. Wishing you all the best. With gratitude, Amberlee & Barbara.

The was such a wonderful experience. V took us to an area with an amazing variety of different boutiques. She focused on French brands, which we really appreciated. V was so sweet and knowledgable. This experience so much fun!

V, was an excellent personal shopper! I am a person who enjoys clothing and fashion and I wanted to learn french styling because they do it the best. V was so polite, knowledgeable, and helpful. She really educated me french clothing and also helped tailor the information to myself. I learned how to balance masculine and feminine pieces, my colors, which bags are good for me, belts, shoes, lingerie, fabrics and more. It feels like you’re shopping with your fashionable bestie. She asked great questions. She is so sweet and kind. This is exactly what I was looking for, and I recommend you book with her! Thank you so much V!

V was absolutely amazing. Such a great way to experience unique Parisian boutiques. I love what I purchased and V helped me very step of the way! She even carried my bags! Queen for a day!

I hope you get the chance to experience Violaine’s personal shopping tour. Violaine is so great and knowledgeable when it comes to fasion. I enjoyed her guidance throughout the finest shopping streets and beautiful boutiques without any pressure of buying, she gave me great tips about colours and cloth styles. Now the day later I’m glowing like a princess in my new outfits and couldn’t be more happy about myself.

ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL! V was so professional, knowledgeable and shared educational. V has strong knowledge of Parisian fashion and style kind with sharing. I had such a great day and look forward to booking with V again & recommend V to others! I wish I did this on my other trips in Paris. #worthit !

My guide was V - a true Parisian with knowledge, grace and a sense of fun that you will truly enjoy. She will tailor your shopping tour to meet your goals and there is no pressure to purchase. It was lovely to see a new neighborhood and have someone to help translate for me. Thank you V !

I really enjoyed my shopping experience with Violaine! She reaches out to me shortly after I booked to tour to see what my goals were, find out about any questions I had and anything else I wanted to share. I met up with her in Paris and it was clear to me that she had no only listened to my concerns and questions (and answered them all during the course of the tour!) but also hand picked stores that were to my taste and budget, which is no small feat in Paris! She helped me to better understand what looks good on me based on my body type, the best colors for me (and those to avoid!), how to dress more Parisienne and she answered all of my questions, and I had a lot! She figured out my French clothes size like magic (she never asked my American size!) and spoke with the salespeople in the stores and helped me select the best clothes! We only visited brands that were French (other options exist if you want them) and I saw and tried on the most amazing clothes! She is very sweet and easy to speak with which made the time fly! I will book with her again the next time I am in Paris! If you want a personalized Paris shopping experience that is fun and will make you feel amazing afterwards, book with Violaine!

Shopping with Violaine was an amazing experience and a highlight of my trip to Paris. She was extremely knowledgeable, professional and insightful. She was able to quickly decipher what I was trying to accomplish and with her help I left with some amazing new clothes and wardrobe tips I can use in my everyday life. V took me to smaller boutiques I would never have explored on my own. V made our time both fun and educational. I will never forget this experience.

Very good shopping experience. My daughters had a very good time and did buy some clothing and shoes and perfume that they are excited with.

Violate was absolutely perfect! She is both a model and has a fashion design education, and used her knowledge to guide me through a wonderful shopping experience. Her gentle tutelage (yes, I needed it) helped me learn to make fashion decisions based on true design principles as well as current trends. As we went through the various boutiques she had selected, I began to understand more and more, and when it came time for us to part, I was enabled to continue my own fashion journey with new confidence.

We had such a wonderful time! We enjoyed learning about the local designers and checked out several boutiques. We also enjoyed learning about some of the skincare lines and bought products that are less expensive in Paris and then had help with the VAT tax! Thoroughly enjoyed the experience and the great recommendation for a late lunch!

I had such a wonderful experience with V. She is very knowledgeable, kind and styled me based on my body type and style preference. Loved all the pieces she styled me with. I can’t wait to come back to Paris and hire her again!

Christine took me to many boutiques and found some great finds. She tailored my shopping experience to my needs and more. I ended up finding a lot more than I had expected which was a lovely surprise. Christine was extremely helpful and fun! I never would have found these shops. I was able to get French designers not available in the US.

Took my daughter prom dress shopping with V. She got to be a queen for the day, attended to and doted on. She found a dress she loved with matching shoes and jewelry. All in all, it was a wonderful experience.

An amazing experience that made Paris a dream come true! Tailored shopping to each locations nd event I had with French pieces that just adds to the glam. Well curated advise on mix match. Overall worth it and highly recommend

I had the best experience shopping with V, I wanted to get some French designer pieces that I can't just get in NYC and I have a larger body frame, so I was nervous and intimidated to go into shops where I don't speak french, I wasn't sure how I would be able to communicate that I would need different sizes, that and I didn't really want to go shopping alone (my husband was not interested in going shopping). V took me to a cute area in Marais, I never would have found it on my own. We probably went to 7 stores, she was determined to help me find all the items I was looking for, which I appreciated. In each store she walked around and found some items for me, while I browsed around and looked for items too, which was very helpful and I really liked some of the items she picked out and I purchased them. She made sure I was ok with the prices and didn't pressure me to purchase anything, she also ensured that I knew what kind of fabric it was and how I'd need to take care of the pieces. She also made sure I got the VAT tax paperwork that I'd need. I'm grateful for the experience, and so happy that I booked with V. I highly recommend spending the afternoon shopping with V, the experience was absolutely priceless!

This was such an amazing experience. Our tour guide took us to all the local shops where items were made in Paris only and we loved every shop. Fabulous choices and of course some purchase. She explained all about Paris and we learned so much. Then lunch at a perfect true Paris restaurant eating local choices. We loved it and would highly recommend this tour.

Une belle expérience. Violaine s'adapte à nos goûts notre budget et surtout, sait nous faire sortir de notre zone de confort-mode en douceur. Très professionnelle et des conseils que nous garderons précieusement. Merci !

I needed to redo my wardrobe so I decided to call on Violaine to be an advisor. I’ve never been more satisfied and happy coming out of a shopping session. She knew how to find me complete outfits and advise me on my morphology. Thanks to Violaine for her professionalism and efficiency.