Dutch beauty products & perfumes

[CoolCarrie]

We are on holiday in Amsterdam at the moment and I am just wondering if there are any fab perfumes or products to look out in the shops here that I can't get anywhere else. Tia

I don't know about beauty products but I would recommend getting some Dutch cheese (super strong Gouda is my favourite, I also like their goat's cheese (geitenkaas). You can try samples in many places to find out what you like. Also fig conserve and devil's mustard which go so well with Gouda (and other cheeses and cold meats in sandwiches), and Dutch apple cake which travels well as it's quite sturdy and secure inside its box.

Ehm, I'm Dutch but there's little I'd tell you to go out of your way to buy. Things like Weleda are always on offer so comparably cheaper than the UK. There are some European brands like Decubal (Danish pharmacy style) available at Holland & Barrett and Louis Widmar (Swiss pharmacy style) who do a few decent SPFs which aren't in the UK IIRC. The drugstores like Etos, D&A, etc. are all quite small in Amsterdam so their assortment is quite varying, just have a nose and see if anything takes your fancy. For more specialised shops visit Cosmania and Skins both situated in the Negen Straatjes. For some really high-end stuff including a lot of brands (including niche fragrances), that you'd struggle to find anywhere worldwide, Danny Diop in the Jacob Obrechtstraat. You have a specialised perfumery of more unknown brands in Oud-Zuid too, called Annindriya (I think). Babassu is another cosmetic/perfumery Valhalla with a little city spa attached.

For your known stuff, check out ICI Paris XL mostly for their continual deals, eg. very often they have 25% off everything including high-end brands like Chanel, YSL, Sisley, etc. Mascaras with 40% off is another recurring offer.

Oh, and the Dutch apple pie (it doesn't seem very cake-like to me ) is much better made at home, it's the easiest thing ever and the house smells amazing. Ahem, a good one should not travel well...