Racquets Formula (1989)
by Penhaligon's

Racquets opens with a beautiful soapy/barbershop accord of lime notes which is almost smoky in nature as it's supported by a brittle musk note. such an amazing mix. the first 15-30 minutes, lime accords just play on skin with different citrus elements coming back and forth every minute...a beautiful interplay of notes. Accords so lively and fresh that the mere thought to apply this after a tough game under the sun is well, just refreshing.
Somewhere in the midnotes, this fragrance morphs into a powdery floral scent with hints of clove. again, smells refreshingly cool. The base is where i got a bit of surprise element, a sort of revelation - dusty frankincense?? i never expected incense!!! such a beautiful accord(of incense) which had actually controlled the whole scent..a note which gave it the "white" "smoky" & "powdery" feel thruout.
One just has to picture this, a scent with citrus top notes, a very english floral touch on a musky, incense based basenotes!! unique combination it is and a one which works so well. The incense notes acts as some sort for coolant for the summer. a very well thought of composition which works like a charm when the temparature is soaring high. so, get your racquets and wear your lacoste white classics!!...its time for a game!!

Fresh, clean, soapy and spicy with a beautiful musky finish. This is the best fragrance in the range imo. The sillage is good and the longevity excellent. I can't really imagine anyone not liking it. I love it -- it just makes you feel good.

Very underrated, maybe because the name. Racquets is a semi oriental with a delicious top of citrus, and a floral/spicy heart. Amazing texture: fresh but powdery at the same time. So well blended that its astonishing!! Very versatile, and great longevity. To me, one of the best Penhaligons, period.

Penhaligon’s Racquets opens largely herbal with a slightly less emphasis on geranium: It’s retro… there’s something rustic, something charmingly clumsy, about that opening accord – I love it; it has character; and it is just as refreshing as those numberless citruses that are used for sports versions. The middle keeps up the fresh greenness with cedar. There are supposed to be ylang-ylang, rose, and leather in these heart notes but I don’t get them as more than a whisper in the background. Then there’s the traditional drydown that screams the good old days in a wonderfully good and clean way. Soapy is right! Racquets is considerably soapy, but in a delightful and charming way; it has good sillage and its longevity is pretty good.

I thought this would but like a Lacoste, Polo or some other "sporty" scent for golfers, tennis players or other gentlemen style sports. I'm surprised that this is more of a huge citrus powder with a quince tartness to it (the clove I suppose). Lasts a good while. It smells "barbershop"-ish to me. Actually, I imagine this is what those big ol' powdered wigs that the judges wore back in the 1700's.

I'm surprised nobody thus far has picked up Racquets Formula being so similar to Heritage.

When I first went into one of the Penhaligon's stores to try this, the first thing I said when I put some of the EDT on the back of my hand was "I already have a fragrance that smells like this, Guerlain Heritage".

Racquets is a good fragrance if you haven't got Heritage, it shares some of the same qualities - but Heritage is the better of the two.