Best British Cologne

For British, try the Trumper Cologne. Fresh and simple.

http://www.trumpers.com/product_deta...ctID=111547177

Other eau de Colognes I like are French: L.T. Piver and Molinard eau de Cologne. The Molinard is actually longer last with 20% of fragrance oils. The Piver has only 10%.

If you can find a reliable sorce for Crown Perfumes, I suggest getting Crown Imperial this is an excellent fragrance in a eau de cologne style.

Nothing touches Dr. Harris's "Arlington." a *perfect* english fragrance.

Trumper Portugal, of course

There are so many it will depend on personal taste but for me I would nominate C&S Oxford & Cambridge. The following write up from fragrantica sums up the fragrance for me:

"Oxford & Cambridge is a fresh and invigorating fragrance reminiscent of the English countryside, varsity matches and the great British sporting tradition. The scent is quintessentially English, containing a blend of English and French lavender, topped with herbaceous peppermint, rosemary and bergamot on a base of warm oak moss."

I love T&H Grafton, both aftershave balm and cologne. Icing on the cake, after a nice wet shave.

+1 on Trumper Eau de Cologne, a very nice and strong neroli centred cologne with good longevity.
You might want to try Angela Flanders' Cologne Premiere:
http://angelaflanders-perfumer.com/h...ogne-prem.html

It is a lovely EDC with a quite prominent bergamot note, good longevity and dirt cheap for a niche release.

Jo Malone has got some very good colognes too: 154 is a classic cologne, probably a bit more woody than others, and Vetyver is very much classic citrus cologne with a hint of vetyver. I'm not a fan of Lime Basil & Mandarin, it turns a bit sour on my skin, but that might not be the case for everyone

I agree Arlington is very good. For a longer lasting 'cologne', although getting away from the classical style, try Trumper's GFT.

Edit: how could I forget Penhaligon's Racquets, my favourite. It is very powdery, however, and somewhat sweet.

GFT Limes

It's interesting that anyone might find C&S's "O&C" to even rank in British perfumery. To me it is the worst lavender soliflore I've ever smelled: It borders on obnoxious. I've smelled it on others, tried to like it--going through TWO bottles and a bottle of bath oil, and finally just gave up on it. When you get a whiff of it on someone, (there's no mistaking it*) it is so loud and so unsubtle and has such explosive sillage that it seems to be a forced effort to embody the anti-thesis of British Perfumery, which has for its trademark a kind of natural simplicity and abstraction vis a vis the French--a bit like comparing an "English Garden" with a "French Garden." At any rate--the British really only shine in the manufacture of bathing products--soaps--bubble baths--bath oils: Here they are peerless. In the realm of fragrance, the English have never really touched "legendary" in their attempts at actual perfumery--only "Yardley English Lavender" has had the importance, historically, of, say, a "Shalimar." I have always liked English perfumes, though, and have worn them off and on my whole life. My favourite is the very innocent "English Fern" by Penhaligon's, and then of course "Arlington" which is a kind of masterpiece of balance. Floris has quite a following in France among the higher born and the pseudo/ersatz/aspirational "Nobility" as well as the actual "Nobility." I would also mention "Hammam Bouquet," and "Blenheim Bouquet" as beautifully woven scents--both by Penhaligons.

*Interesting tidbit: As everything Tom Ford does, in both fashion and fragrance and marketing, is merely derivative, with virtually no originality, the now much touted "Lavender Palm" is a literal carbon copy of C&S's O&C.

Roger & Gallet Lavande Royale is much worse IMHO. Smells like blue paint.

Oui mais: Do you remember the original? "Lavande"? I LOVED THIS in my childhood--it was a very different scent than today's "Lavande Royale" which I think just smells like the kind of cheap "sent bon" that tries to be sophisticated, (now all of Roger&Gallet is a bit like this, unfortunately) while the "actual" cheap "sent bon" bottles-- those "Eau de Toilette a la lavande" (etc) you get at Prisunic (or wherever in France--Monoprix--even Carrefour) smell better, and work better as "anti-moustique."

(PS: je vois ce que tu veux dire au sujet de l'odeur de "la peinture bleue:" Clairement, ce serait une teinte tres vulgare--genre--"bleu ramasseur de poubelles*" lol)

Someone should e-mail Etat Libre d'Orange and suggest that ^^^^^ as their next frag. "Rubbish Collector Blue" --as a reference to all the "xxxx bleue" fragrances--

Well, I happen to be delirious over Oxford & Cambridge, I think it strikes the perfect balance between those whiff-of-lavenders (that I find refreshing, but struggle to actually smell on myself) and synthetic harshness (like Lavender Palm and well...Febreze). The only other lavender that sort of approaches its minty zingy texture is vintage Caswell & Massey, which is harder to find these days. As for it smelling 'British' I'm not sure if it qualifies.

My 'favorite' British Cologne would most likely be something from Jo Malone...Lime Basil & Mandarin or that Amber & Lavender one that le mouchoir raves over. Malone's British - right?

p.s. - I would kill to smell vintage Lavande by R&G. I 'like' the new one but its sort of eclipsed by the Acqua di Parma and vintage Yardley I recently acquired.

Yes indeed--as said below: "to each his own bad taste." My motto. I happen to LOVE Jo Malone's "amber & Lavender"-- mostly only the bath oil and body cream--the cream *is* a fragrance--it is so richly perfumed--but, unfortunately, I'm allergic to it--which took 5 years of a rash and of my using it every day to figure out--(ALL derms: "so--do you use any fragrance products?" ME: "Um......no."LOL--would rather suffer than delete fragrance from my life) Obviously, fragrance is subjective and a matter of taste: Generally--I detest LOUD fragrances--I find them gauche, especially on a man. But--of course--that's just me. Like dyed hair, in my opinion, loud fragrances just *never* strike the right note on a man--but then--to each his own bad taste!! Hail Freedom! Hail!

(giggle)

Douro, Arlington, Trumper's Eau de Cologne are all great. WAY back in the day, when they had a barber shop down the King's Road and before the Boots deal, Hackett had a great classic cologne that was the goods. Yardley's Citrus and Wood is a contender, too.

I don't know why but I tend to associate a light floral element with English colognes, esp. considering their sweetish powdery feel. Perhaps something along the lines of Chevrefeuille or Windsor?

Bokaba, no, this is the Molinard Extrait Double d'Eau de Cologne by Molinard. It comes in a 250 ml bottle with a very 19th century label, with the 80% alcohol rating.

My favorite British citrus fragrance is C&S Citrus Paradisi. I know it's too "skanky" for some people, but I think it's sexy as hell.

Penhaligon's Blenheim Bouquet, Racquets, Douro

Penhaligon's Esprit de Lavande was SUCH a lovely scent. Truly, I don't understand how or why they would replace it with this "Essence of Gran" Lavandula monstrosity. (This will be the one and only time I *ever* say something "smells like an old lady" but oh my: "Lavandula" is SUCH the "Ode To Gran" that it's as if they did it expressly. I LOVED esprit de lavande--I think I may have a few bottles of it in the cave--Interestingly, way way way back in the day, Bronley of all people did a lovely "Lavender"--it was dry and very english-- unfotunately now not one of their scents would even be appropriate to consider wearing but I certainly went through my share of that Bronley "Lavender After bath Spash" when it was lovely--and it was: all peppery and just precisely the way you would want it. (Now I swear by Puig "Agua Lavanda" which is the very best--bar none--it's.....supreme.) Those new Penhaligons are all so awful! Sartorial, Juniper Sling--Gross!!!! I suppose, though, they must appeal to the English of Today.....which, just as in every country, have different tastes and ideas of appeal than their parents and grandparents would have/would have had. But honestly I have smelled every single recent comp from Penhaligon's and they are just flat out bad--confused, over wrought, trying so desperately hard to be clever--not at all what we expect from a house such as this.

Racquets was my first and still is my favourite British cologne, and I'd also agree with GFT being a great one for the longevity... also a big fan of Grafton; it's cheap enough to use with abandon but has a very pleasing and classy scent

Wow, how wonderful. Do the vintage bottles look the same as the current ones?

The bottles of Penhaligon's have changed, but not that much. I still have boxes full of the empty bottles of English Fern edt, English Fern shampoo, English fern Bubble Bath--all of which I used as a child--beginning around 7. The difference is most remarkable in the round shoulder of the flacons, which is now slightly angular, though still oblique, in the stopper, which was a flat squarish looking one, attached to ground glass, and not crenulated plastic as they are now, and was not a marble, as they are now. The labels were different, too: The English fern one had the same shape the current label has and basically the same design except it was all in black and white without the "English Fern" being green. Each bottle was sealed with a bauderuche at the stopper--and over this was wound a bit of blackish-green gros-grain ribbon, which looped over to cover the stopper, then tied in a bow. (now we just have the pre-made bow--like a clip on bow tie) also: All boxes from penhaligon's were identical--dark maroon--with gold stamped writing, but constructed exactly as they are now--in that "pull off the top" type way. The paper that covered these boxes was stamped in relief to appear to be made of fine calf skin.

Although I don't own it, another vote for C&S Oxford & Cambridge.

Completely agree. But it is French.

GFT's - "GFT"
Penhaligon's - "Quersus"

This is the new look for the Piver. I had a smaller bottle with a different label.

http://www.piver.com/en/eaux-de-colo...ne-des-princes

That's what I meant by "ground glass stopper"

Sadly. even Guerlain uses plastic caps on many of their scents, although I cherish my bee bottles.

I know Cartier and Chanel have used glass. I think the plastic tops on the Pens really look cheap. They go to such pains for their paper cartons printed with Royals Warrants and then present with a plastic top. For shame!

The bottle from the Cartier Les Heures collection are pure luxe.

I'll second C&S Neroli. I recently wore my sample out in the heat of Singapore and it worked a treat. Will spring for a bottle one day.

Why no mention of Mark Birley for Men or Hugh Parsons? Probably because not enough people, even in this rarefied gathering, have sampled their charms.

Penhaligons Douro and English Fern

I am a big fan of Trumpers and Czech & Speake and Creed. I give all three of these credit for a few really nice and exceptional fragrances. Trumpers Limes is almost transcendal, its so good Penhaligons have some very nice bottles too. Miller Harris has several that i don't' want to be without so i would add Miller Harris. Ormande Jayne should be added due to pure potential. Creed still turns out a sell worthy bottle of juice in: Aventus, Royal English Leather, Royal Oud, Bois du Portugal, Millisime Imperial.

I know the bottle shouldn't matter so much, but those little bow ties just kill Penhaligon's for me. Waaaay too precious.

I don't know if that's why I don't like any of their perfumes, but it certainly doesn't help!

Why don't you own it?

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I would recommend Hugh Parsons, but not Mark Birley.