Smells Like a Winner

Mix-your-own perfume boutique wafts into Dallas' West Village

This will be the brand's ninth location, and first in Texas.

Photo courtesy of Olfactory NYC

Tom Ford once said, "There is no one-size-fits-all in fragrance, just as there is no one-size-fits-all in life." Dallasites will soon be able to put that into action when Olfactory NYC, a craft-your-own-scent chain, opens in Uptown's West Village.

According to a release, the store will debut in October at 3699 McKinney Ave., #103A, two doors down from Van Leeuwen Ice Cream.

This will be the first Texas location for the modern fragrance house, which offers in-store blending or curated sample kits by mail for customers to create their unique, personalized fragrance.

The experience goes like this: First, customers choose a favorite from nine gender-neutral core fragrances. Then, with the help of a scent advisor, they layer in different accords to create a personalized blend. Guests get to choose their fragrance's bottle label color and hand-stamped label name before it’s created fresh in-store. All custom scents are available for under $100.

For customers who can’t make it to these scent studios, the brand offers an "at-home" version of the custom experience. In addition to fragrances, Olfactory NYC offers body washes, lotions, and solid scent palettes in core scents, all of which are available online.

The new location will be the brand’s ninth retail store and is part of a recent expansion from the original shop in New York City to Atlanta, Boston, Miami, and Washington D.C.

“We look forward to welcoming Dallas into our quickly growing family of stores," says Olfactory NYC founder JJ Vittoria. "For us, retail is designed to create an experience that you can’t find anywhere else — it’s where our customers get to explore, play, and create a fragrance that feels deeply personal to them."

Spa News

Spa Castle Korean bathhouse in Carrollton reopens after renovation

Spa Castle

Spa Castle indoor pool

An Asian spa is about to celebrate a grand reopening: Spa Castle Texas, located in Carrollton at 1020 Raiford Rd., will re-open on January 1, 2026, following a multi-million-dollar renovation.

Established in 2012 as a retreat combining traditional Korean bathhouse culture with modern resort amenities, the facility closed in late July with a plan to bring refreshed pools, enhanced saunas, modernized locker rooms, and hydrotherapy systems.

The renovation was designed to elevate performance, reliability, and the guest experience, while staying true to its Korean “jjimjilbang” roots.

A jjimjilbang is a large, 24-hour Korean public bathhouse and spa featuring gender-segregated wet areas with hot tubs and saunas, plus unisex zones with themed dry saunas like clay and ice rooms. Some also have snack bars, sleeping areas, and entertainment options like TV lounges or PC rooms. In Korea, it functions an affordable destination for families and a cultural hub for relaxation, socializing, and wellness.

Dallas has not only Spa Castle but also King Spa, a similar facility that opened in 2008 on Royal Lane in Dallas' Koreatown district. There is also a Spa Castle in New York.

Highlights of Spa Castle's renovation in Dallas include:

Re-Engineered Hydrotherapy Experience: Upgrades to indoor and outdoor pools, saunas, and hydrotherapy systems to deliver a more authentic Korean bathhouse experience.
Reimagined food and beverage menus featuring traditional Korean street food, barbecue, and beverages.

A day pass is $65 for adults on weekdays and $80 on weekends; for 17 and under, it's $45.

Phase II
The re-opening marks the completion of Phase I of Spa Castle’s renovation.

Phase II, slated for spring 2026, will include upgrades to the on-site boutique hotel and the expansive 8,000-square-foot banquet and event space, to position Spa Castle as a destination for weddings, corporate retreats, and special events.

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