“How wonderful would it be to combine an atmosphere of relaxed sharing with a diverse range of niche perfumes?” (translated from Chinese)
— Terrence, founder of NOSEWAY
Some friends looked surprised when offered a perfume; others responded with admiration. A fragrance collector who loved seeing those reactions went on to open a shop introducing scents from around the world to Taiwan. Its name is NOSEWAY, known in Chinese as 迷香人.
With locations at Taipei’s Q Square and in the Xinyi district, it is a multibrand perfume retailer carrying BDK Parfums, Etat Libre d’Orange, Zoologist, Ormonde Jayne, and Fragrance du Bois, among others. Although it also has fragrances under its own name, understanding the shop’s history begins with its work gathering scents by different makers and introducing them through conversation.
Essential Information
- Name: NOSEWAY / NOSE WAY (迷香人)
- Retail expansion began: 2019
- Founder: Terrence
- Business: Importing and retailing niche fragrances from multiple brands; operating physical stores and an online shop
- Official website: NOSEWAY 迷香人
The Founder and the Shop’s Beginnings
An Idea Born of Perfume Collecting and Business Trips to Europe
Terrence enjoyed not only collecting perfume but also introducing fragrances to his friends. Frequent business trips took him to Europe, where he encountered perfume shops that brought many brands and scents of widely differing character together in one space.
Could the easy exchange of fragrances among friends also happen in a shop? He spent roughly three years preparing his idea of introducing a variety of niche perfumes in just such an atmosphere. The name NOSEWAY also expresses a wish for people to follow scents with their own noses and find a path connecting fragrance with their memories and lives.
The 2019 Q Square and Kaohsiung Openings, and Larger Retail Spaces
An opening announcement from late August 2019 stated that the Taipei Q Square store would open on September 1 and the Kaohsiung Hanshin Arena store on September 7. Shops bringing together independent fragrances from around the world emerged in Taipei in the north and Kaohsiung in the south. Early introductions mentioned Pierre Guillaume and Zoologist, indicating an interest in both everyday wearable scents and expressions that challenge the sense of smell.
The Kaohsiung store reopened in April 2022 after expanding to 99 square meters. Expansion was not centered solely on Taipei. In a 2024 account, Kaohsiung store manager Sean also described his continuous involvement with the shop since its opening in 2019.
In 2023, Puredistance launched across a retail network that had expanded beyond Taipei’s Q Square and Shin Kong Mitsukoshi Xinyi Place A11 to Taichung, Banqiao, and Kaohsiung. In 2024, NOSEWAY also introduced perfumes bearing its own name. Its activities had grown from retailing multiple brands to creating fragrances of its own.
Negotiating to Bring Puredistance to Five Stores
The negotiations with Puredistance illustrate how the shop’s selection comes into being. In 2023, brand manager Mendy explained that, besides being drawn to the quality of its fragrances, she had heard requests from customers to stock the brand.
Initially, however, the brand asked that in-store sales be limited to one location. Through repeated negotiations, Mendy expanded that permission first to three stores, then to all five locations operating at the time.
“Finally, we were allowed to stock it in all five Noseway stores!” (translated from the published Japanese interview)
— Mendy, brand manager, 2023
The following June, in 2024, Puredistance founder Jan Ewoud Vos visited Taiwan. More than 30 customers attended an event in Taichung, which also offered a preview of DIVANCHE, then scheduled for release the following spring. Securing the brand had led to an occasion where its maker and customers could gather around its fragrances.
NOSEWAY Timeline
| Year | Key Events |
|---|---|
| 2019 | September openings are announced for Taipei Q Square and Kaohsiung Hanshin Arena. |
| 2021 | The Shin Kong Mitsukoshi Xinyi Place A11 location is featured in VOGUE Taiwan. |
| 2022 | In April, the Kaohsiung store reopens after expanding to 99 square meters. |
| 2023 | In April, Puredistance launches in all five stores then operating. |
| 2024 | In June, Puredistance’s founder meets customers at an event in Taichung. NOSEWAY also introduces an own-name fragrance collection that year. |
The Thinking Behind Selection and Sampling
Experimental and Everyday Scents on the Same Shelves
NOSEWAY describes its approach to selection as “10% experimentation, 20% artistry, 70% everyday life” (translated from Chinese). These are not percentages in a perfume formula, but an expression of the range of fragrances the shop wants to offer. The intention is to provide choices both for enthusiasts seeking surprise and for people looking for a bottle to wear every day.
As of October 2026, the official website lists specific fragrances, not just brand names: BDK’s Gris Charnel, Etat Libre d’Orange’s You Or Someone Like You, Zoologist’s Rabbit, Ormonde Jayne’s Yong Rose, and Fragrance du Bois’s Brume du Matin, among others. Pierre Guillaume, Parfum d’Empire, MDCI, and Puredistance also appear in its brand categories.
Here, visitors can explore the work of different perfumers and brands rather than experiencing only the shop’s own perfumes. Comparing them in the same place means more than having a large number of names to choose from. Even if one brand’s style is not to someone’s taste, the conversation can move on to another maker: that is part of the role of a multibrand shop.
Training Staff to Communicate Fragrance Face to Face
In 2023, Davina, speaking for the business, explained that 96% of sales at the time took place face to face. Although online shopping was available, customers trying fragrances themselves and handling the actual products remained central to the business.
“We put considerable effort into staff training.” (translated from the published Japanese interview)
— Davina, 2023
Other staff should be able to help even when a particular colleague is absent. Her words reflect an approach that avoids concentrating product knowledge in only a few people. At the time, the shop also removed testers from display when it had no stock available for immediate purchase. This brought the fragrances customers could sample into closer alignment with those the shop could actually supply.
A 2024 account of a visit to the Kaohsiung store describes staff offering scent strips and several colleagues using a translation app to convey more complicated explanations. However, a past example of service does not guarantee foreign-language assistance at every location or describe current practice. Products listed in the official online shop also need to be checked separately against each store’s stock and tester availability.
Two Taipei Locations to Visit
For a visit in Taipei, Q Square and Shin Kong Mitsukoshi A11 are two possibilities. The addresses below were cross-checked against the official website and the shopping centers’ information in October 2026.
| Store | Address | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Taipei Q Square | 1F, Q Square, No. 1, Section 1, Chengde Road, Datong District, Taipei City | Inside a shopping complex connected to Taipei Main Station. Convenient to combine with a stay or travel around the station. |
| Taipei Shin Kong Mitsukoshi A11 | 2F, Shin Kong Mitsukoshi Xinyi Place A11, No. 11, Songshou Road, Xinyi District, Taipei City | Inside a department store in the Xinyi district, accessible from Taipei City Hall Station and other nearby stations. |
A 2023 visit report describes a sofa in the center of the A11 shop, where visitors could sit and explore fragrances on scent strips and skin. The Q Square store was recorded as the larger space. These are accounts of the interiors at that time and should be distinguished from descriptions of their current layout or size.
The official information also lists Kaohsiung Hanshin Arena, Taichung Top City, and Banqiao Mega City. Before visiting, check the official list of retail locations and ask the destination store about any particular fragrance you want to try. Whether stopping near Taipei Main Station or setting aside time in Xinyi, visitors can choose a location that fits their itinerary and compare fragrances by several makers.
References
- Founder Terrence’s concept and selection — VOGUE Taiwan, feature on a new fragrance destination in Xinyi (2021, Special feature)
- Q Square and Kaohsiung opening announcement — BEAUTY, feature on finding a personal scent at NOSE WAY (2019)
- Interview with the Kaohsiung manager and store visit — La Parfumerie Tanu (2024)
- Interviews with Mendy and Davina on the retailer’s Taiwan operations — Puredistance Japan (2023)
- The founder’s Taiwan visit and Taichung event — Puredistance in Taiwan (2024)
- Launch of the own-name fragrance collection — VOGUE Taiwan, feature on finding memories through scent (2024, Special feature)
- Official philosophy, brand categories, and store addresses — NOSEWAY
- Gris Charnel product listing — NOSEWAY
- You Or Someone Like You product listing — NOSEWAY
- Rabbit product listing — NOSEWAY
- Yong Rose product listing — NOSEWAY
- Fragrance du Bois product listings — NOSEWAY
- Current Q Square floor guide — Q Square
- Current A11 floor guide — Shin Kong Mitsukoshi
- Access to A11 — Shin Kong Mitsukoshi Japanese-language guide
- The spaces and sampling experience at two Taipei stores — La Parfumerie Tanu (2023)
- Official retail locations and visit reservations — NOSEWAY
