Racquets Formula (1989)
by Penhaligon's

Powdery floral openings where I detect no real citrus at all despite what is listed in the top notes. Continues to get thicker and the powderiness remains throughout. Somewhat of a musky dry down, but I can't get past the overwhelming powdery scent. Really feminine to me and overall not to my liking.

27th March, 2011.

Sweet spiced sandalwood and florals, some rose. Not too bad at first, but it very quickly starts to get sweeter and heavier with a thick perfuminess...along the lines of Hammam Bouquet but not as stifling. I think this is because RF relies more on leather, and HB more on smoke, to thicken it up. They have in common the sort of florals that sometimes trick me into thinking they're something totally different...a cloying tropical fruit, or maybe cherry. Or anise with extra powderiness added. I'd think this would be too heavy to use while playing a sport like racquets. It might even get to be too much in hot weather in general. Even within one sniff, I find that the beginning brings the nice light flowers, but by then end they're wilting and someone has dumped baby powder over them. Still, intriguingly enough, if you only sniff it in passing and not directly, it's fresher, like Geir.

19th February, 2011.

I have been using this one since the mid-90s, finding it at Bergdorf's in NYC. This cologne has a blend of vetiver and citrus, compounded with a powdery aspect infused with musk that I have never experienced before. It all combines to produce a men's fragrance that is light, yet which has the olfactory strength to stand up and project itself, without being overwhelming or--gasp--cloying.

I often reach for this one when I can't decide one way (light and citrusy) or the other (heavy, spicy, woody). This fits the bill nicely in between those worlds to produce a scent that turns heads and results in violent pulls back into the hug from appreciative women who have never experienced it before.

Best,

Chris

15th October, 2010.

So up front, thank you Penhaligons for treating your users with respect and calling this a men's fragrance instead of unisex. (I hate the marketing term unisex)

That said this is probably one of the more enjoyable men's scents I"ve sampled, although I didn't care for the opening. I've now confirmed that I don't care for Lavender, as it opens too 'low and grating' on me. Geranium too is hard on the nose, but the base is something you can really sink into.

I put htis on before heading out for my weekend 9 mile hike. When I was done, (and sweaty and dusty), I was left with a floral, earthy base that I enjoyed very much. Everything came together perfectly in the drydown, and it does not slip into a 'manly stink' (sometimes basenotes in men's fragrances can get too heavy)

Here the base includes incense and oakmoss, which are a hard duo to ruin.

If my significant other owned this I would be 'sampling' it for myself when he wsan't looking, just for the drydown.

6th August, 2010.

What a hidden gem of a fragrance. The whole thing seems to play on a contrast between cooling and refreshing floral, citrus, and light spice notes and warming and lasting notes of musk, oakmoss, incense, and light, powdery amber. The bergamot and spice accord of the opening is downright old-school and sort of crinkles the nose and wakes you up. As it enters the heart notes, it becomes warmer and smoother, powdery verging on soapy, but still with a refreshing "lift" from something - citrus, floral, or spice, I cannot say. In this middle stage it reminds me of Etiquette Bleue a bit in that they both have this crisp, lightweight chypre character, with an almost balsam-like softness to the base. Later, the incense in Racquets becomes more apparent, making this even smoother, and a bit "glossy" in the feel of the powderiness (if that makes any sense at all). The whole is so well-blended that the changes are subtle, especially from the mid-notes on, and the effect is to essentially give it one overall Racquets accord rather than a mixing and re-mixing of individual notes. As noted in other reviews, it projects well and lasts a decent amount of time. Overall, it feels weightier and smells more contemporary than Etiquette Bleue.

Penhaligon's website refers to this as a vetiver fragrance. While there is likely vetiver in the blend, it does not, as an individual note, stand out to my nose, and anyone looking for a "vetiver" fragrance would be wise to ignore Penhaligon's classification. Michael Edwards calls this a Mossy Woods fragrance, which I think is a very good description. I believe it's his classing for what the rest of us call "chypres." So, I think this is best classed as a chypre - a lightweight, crisp, refreshing, uplifting, and yet, somehow, a somewhat rich chypre. I think it's this richness that leads some folks to read it as an oriental fragrance. Still, with bergamot, oakmoss, and amber as notes, and the old-school, powdery, soapy vibe, it seems more like a chypre to me.

14th July, 2010.

Just read Kaern's review for a good description of Racquets. This is refreshing, and it just makes me feel good. I am definitely getting a bottle of this. A big thumbs up.

17th April, 2010.