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Which Penhaligon's

Poll Results: Which would be your choice?

 
  • 45% (21)
    Blenheim Bouquet
  • 26% (12)
    Castile
  • 10% (5)
    English Fern
  • 17% (8)
    Hammam Bouquet
46 Total Votes  
post #1 of 38
4/29/10 at 7:05am
Thread Starter 
Hi fellow Basenoters. I want to buy my first Penhaligon's fragrance so I am curious to get your thoughts on which one I should get. I've narrowed it down to the four you see in the poll. So, judging by your favorite and/or fragrances from my wardrobe, which one would you choose?
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post #2 of 38
4/29/10 at 7:13am
I think you would like Blenheim Bouquet.
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post #3 of 38
4/29/10 at 7:48am
Hmm...they're all very different! Having recently sampled all the Penhaligon's range in their Edinburgh shop I'd summarise as follows:

Blenheim Bouquet - Citrussy opening drying down into pine - not very long lasting
Castile - Citrus and Neroli - again, poor longevity
English Fern - Can't remember this although I definitely sampled it! Sorry!
Hammam Bouquet - Unique scent! - resinous, malt whisky (briefly) and florals drying down into a smooth fairly linear powdery accord

I sampled all the range and liked Elixir and Hammam Bouquet the most. I walked around Edinburgh for several hours with Elixir on one arm and Hammam Bouquet on the other with the intention of buying the one I liked the most, however, after around 2 hours I could hardly smell either and what was left was very linear and faded. The fragrances are all superb and very different but seemingly have poor longevity which put me off considering the £50.00 asking price. Great shop - excellent staff but couldn't bring myself to buy - shame!

If you are prepared to re-apply frequently or just want a subtle scent which will last a couple of hours then try Hammam or Castile. The Elixir is also excellent - lots of incense and spices
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post #4 of 38
4/29/10 at 8:13am
From the list you provided, I would plump for Castile. I am a big fan of Hammam Bouquet, but I tend to prefer it in the cooler weather. English Fern is a fine scent, but significantly inferior to the Trumper version in my opinion.
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post #5 of 38
4/29/10 at 8:15am
To my nose, Blenheim Bouquet smells like Fruit Loops and Castile smells like Eau de Cologne du Coq. EdC du Coq and Fruit Loops can both be had for a fraction of the price of the Penhaligons.
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post #6 of 38
4/29/10 at 8:17am
I bet you would like most of these, but I would recommend you get samples. Penhaligons offers a nice sample set at a reasonable price I believe.

I think BB is a great scent, but it tends to be austere. Not inviting, but dignified.
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post #7 of 38
4/29/10 at 8:33am
I voted for English Fern Dennard.

That seems to a very "Penhaligons" kind of scent and very green.

I don't know you that well, but Hammam Bouquet is very interesting but to me, pretty dressy or formal. Very old world-ish.

While Blenheim Bouquet has a strong cult following here and at our other forum, it is one of the few scents from Pens I find to have near zero longevity. I've sampled it twice and after a loud lemon drop opening, I get, well, nothing. Gone in under an hour. I also see that is a constant criticism of BB in the Directory here. You can try it.

Castile I haven't tried.

Racquets is my favorite from Pens.
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post #8 of 38
4/29/10 at 8:47am
Thread Starter 
Thanks for your input everybody. I'll probably end up taking scensitivity's suggestion and get samples first, since this is a pricey line of fragrances and I'm pretty sure I'd like most if not all of them.
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post #9 of 38
4/29/10 at 8:55am
Hi Dennard, yes get samples if you can. That is the best way to know how it suits you. Here's how I rank them.
Blenheim Bouquet. Lemon + pine, very dry and cool. No problems with longevity for me.
English Fern. Wonderful classic fougere scent, green moss and woods.
Castile. Gorgeous neroli (orange blossom) scent.
Hammam Bouquet. A rich oriental, too opulent for my tastes but a true classic.
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post #10 of 38
4/29/10 at 9:42am
Dennard,
I voted for Hammam Bouquet because I like it so much, but I also like and own English Fern. For your tastes and uses I think English Fern might be your preference of these two--very bookstore, calm, thoughtful, smart, unassuming, gentleman. Hammam would be good too, but not as comfortable--more extravagant. Stylin describes Hammam very well above.

I've meant to buy Blenheim Bouquet when I get around to it, and Castile sure isn't bad stuff.

Good list to pick from. The quality of the list makes it a hard choice.
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post #11 of 38
4/29/10 at 9:52am
Actually, Racquets would be my choice, but since that wasn't a choice, I picked Castile. BB is nice though the longevity could be better. Hammam to me smells like musty, dusty rose, and not overly attractive. I've tried English Fern, but i dont recall what it smells like.

For a first Penhaligon's, try BB or Racquets.
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post #12 of 38
4/29/10 at 10:11am
I can't vote as I only own two of them.

Blenheims Bouqet I bought dirt cheap, is quite nice for half an hour, then turns to something mainly like pine, which doesn't last strongly that long.
Castille I bought cheap too. I put on the other day, and it hung around with a bit of strength for over nine hours on me. I find it quite a pleasant experience, probably more suited to warmer weather.
Renato
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post #13 of 38
4/29/10 at 12:47pm
Thread Starter 
Thanks again for the further thoughts. I decided to order some samples from luckyscent. Out of the choices that were available, I went with:

Blenheim Bouquet
English Fern
Extract of Limes
Violetta

I'm still going to try to get Hammam Bouquet and Castile samples from Penhaligon's website because I really want to try those.
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post #14 of 38
4/29/10 at 1:11pm
aedes.com has that great sample deal - 7 samples for $15 shipped. They don't have Castile, but they have Hammam Bouquet, Raquets Formula and a bunch of others, if you're interested...

Quote:
Originally Posted by Dennard View Post

Thanks again for the further thoughts. I decided to order some samples from luckyscent. Out of the choices that were available, I went with:

Blenheim Bouquet
English Fern
Extract of Limes
Violetta

I'm still going to try to get Hammam Bouquet and Castile samples from Penhaligon's website because I really want to try those.
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post #15 of 38
4/29/10 at 2:18pm
The fact that LP No 9 for Men hasn't been mentioned is absolutely CRIMINAL!!!
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post #16 of 38
4/29/10 at 3:49pm
Love Castile, and I get exceptional longevity from it.
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post #17 of 38
4/29/10 at 4:02pm
I personally wear English Fern and love it. Especially in the Los Angeles summer heat! Feels like you just got out of a shower.
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post #18 of 38
4/29/10 at 4:08pm
As something as a Penhaligon's officianado, I would always go with Hammam Bouquet first, Castile joint second with Elixir.

Hammam is unique, utterly unique in the fragrance world, a beautiful floral oriental that is without peer.
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post #19 of 38
4/29/10 at 6:10pm
I know it's not on your list but Endymion is Penhaligons most gorgeous scent.
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post #20 of 38
4/29/10 at 8:13pm
Thread Starter 
I continue to take note of your reactions to the fragrances on my list, and those not on my list. Thanks again for all the input.
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post #21 of 38
4/29/10 at 8:16pm
Dennard,
I've got to give a tip of the hat to JonB who suggests a wonderful one not on your list: Racquets Formula. It's also an excellent one for who you are, since it fits very well with Guerlain Vetiver style genre type I think.
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post #22 of 38
4/30/10 at 4:42am
Douro is also a nice, clean, old-world gentlemanly scent
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post #23 of 38
4/30/10 at 5:19am
Quote:
Originally Posted by HDS1963 View Post

As something as a Penhaligon's officianado, I would always go with Hammam Bouquet first, Castile joint second with Elixir.

Hammam is unique, utterly unique in the fragrance world, a beautiful floral oriental that is without peer.

It is also, however, incredibly powdery and sweet. If, like me, you are not keen on those old school English frags which smell like a high court judge, my advice would be to steer clear of Hammam. Checking out your wardrobe, it looks like you might be okay with that type of scent, but I thought it prudent to give the warning.

I voted for Blenheim Bouquet. I love its combo of pepper and pine, however Castile is also good. My favourite Pen's of all, though, is Opus 1870 - a wonderful pepper scent which is not too disimilar from Blenheim and, on me, lasts for ages.
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post #24 of 38
4/30/10 at 5:57am
From your list I would pick Hammam and would also give an enthusiastic thumbs up to the excellent Racquets Formula.
Don't ignore the more contemporary releases - LP No.9 and Endymion are both excellent and definitely worth sampling.
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post #25 of 38
4/30/10 at 6:01am
Quote:
Originally Posted by JON RODGERS View Post

LP No 9...excellent and definitely worth sampling.

Has there been a bit of a 180 on LP No 9? I remember it coming out to loads of negative reviews, but now people generally seem to think highly of it. I've never smelt it so can't offer my own thoughts, but found it interesting the number of people now recommending it.
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post #26 of 38
4/30/10 at 6:17am
Quote:
Originally Posted by great_badir View Post

Has there been a bit of a 180 on LP No 9? I remember it coming out to loads of negative reviews, but now people generally seem to think highly of it. I've never smelt it so can't offer my own thoughts, but found it interesting the number of people now recommending it.

For me it gets top marks all round. I find it a highly indulgent and addictive spicy oriental. Sillage is robust and longevity as good as it gets. I have only received positive comments on it so far. Girlfriend loves it.
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post #27 of 38
4/30/10 at 8:49am
If you decide you like Blenheim Bouquet from sampling, but would like to consider less expensive alternatives, consider Eau de Rochas Homme as having a similar character, easily available at a lower price point. I prefer BB, but certainly could see someone going for the Rochas offering instead.

Additionally, if you like English Fern, Trumper's Wild Fern is an alternative for this type of fougere, that in my mind is a little smoother and easier to wear.

You mentioned Extract of Limes. It is nice, but much too ephemeral to my liking. It has no base notes and it is among a handful of scents that disappoint me for longevity issues.
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post #28 of 38
4/30/10 at 9:05am
One comment on Castile. I have only worn it twice and both times there was a brief period maybe 30 minutes in that I found very unpleasant. It went away quickly. I need to wear it again and see if I can replicate it and understand it as well.
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post #29 of 38
4/30/10 at 3:14pm
Thread Starter 
I got a follow-up email from Penhaligon's website today. I had written them and asked for samples of the four in my poll plus violetta and extract of limes. They told me that they were sending these, so I'm hoping I will get them before too long. But I've read a few stories of people having a tough time actually getting the samples which makes me nervous. Crossing my fingers, anyway.
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post #30 of 38
4/30/10 at 3:22pm
Of the listed scents, it has to be Blenheim Bouquet.

Vibert writes "To me it smells stiff and overly formal, and I couldn’t imagine wearing it unless I were going to meet with foreign dignitaries, and highly conservative ones at that"

This is one review from the great Vibert which I disagree on. The scent is a brilliant sour citrusy one, perfect for summer in my opinion. I think one would be able to wear this casually with no problems.
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post #31 of 38
4/30/10 at 4:48pm
Racquets Formula.
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post #32 of 38
5/1/10 at 8:04am
I buy my hisband the set of 4 in a box, because he gets tired of how long it takes to use a bigger bottle, & Endymion is his & my favourite. I just wish they'd vary the content of the set more frequently.
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post #33 of 38
5/1/10 at 11:06am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by CAM1956 View Post

I buy my hisband the set of 4 in a box, because he gets tired of how long it takes to use a bigger bottle, & Endymion is his & my favourite. I just wish they'd vary the content of the set more frequently.

That's the only reason I didn't order the sample set. I wanted to try specific selections from the line. My luckyscent samples came in today, which was extremely fast. I'm looking forward to going through the samples over the weekend.
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post #34 of 38
5/1/10 at 11:43am
Among the given choices, yet another vote for Blenheim Bouquet
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post #35 of 38
5/20/11 at 12:45pm
Castile. Do you think it`s more on the masculine or feminine side of the scale?

- My favourites are: Zizonia and Elixir.

-I do also like Opus 1870, but It`s veeery weak and short-lived on my skin :-(
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post #36 of 38
5/20/11 at 12:48pm
I don't wear any of these but a friend of mine swears by Castile.
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post #37 of 38
5/20/11 at 1:31pm
I have recently bought Castile and had concerns that it was flowery when I first sampled it. But the more I wear the fragrance it comes across as a unisex/neutral scent. I would not describe it as feminine or masculine but more along the lines of a orange blossom soapy clean fragrance that anyone could wear. Longevity sucks though but the opening is great.

Out of all the Penhaligons I would rate the best for me as :

1. Opus 1870
2. L P No 9
3. Castile
4. Sartorial
5. Elixir
6. Endymion
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post #38 of 38
5/20/11 at 2:19pm
I don't wear any of these either, but maybe JC's suggestion hit the target. I'd say:

Sartorial
LP No 9
Opus 1870
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