Penhaligon's Question

[Obsessed]

You think Elixir is not floral? Smells VERY floral to me. Smells a lot like a white peony, although I don't think it lists that note specifically. The neroli on top of the fragrance is floral.

By the way, I LOVE Elixir. I think it's the best of the regular Penhaligon's line.

Interestingly, when I wear it my wife says it smells feminine. So I told her she should try wearing it, since it's "unisex." She put it on one day. She tells me on her it smells "masculine." Bizarre, right? On a man, it smells feminine, and on a woman, it smells masculine. That's her story and she's sticking with it. Maybe that's one of the problem with the whole concept of "unisex." Ultimately, I told her that I'm going to wear it now and then, whether she likes it or not, because I like it too much to let it go to waste.

I like Elixir, but I don't think of it as floral, despite the floral notes.

The masculine/feminine thing is odd. Basenotes lists it as masculine, but for a while The Perfumed Court described it as the "best women's Penhaligon's" scent. I e-mailed Penhaligon's and they said it was a men's fragrance. Now The Perfumed Court describes it as unisex.

So I'm with kingfisher - wear it if you like it.

 

[kingfisher]

Here's what Pen's says:

Head Notes
Eucalyptus, Cardamom, Orange Blossom Absolute and White Cedar

Heart Notes
Red Turkish Rose Absolute, Egyptian Jasmine Absolute, Cinnamon Leaves, Mace and Rosewood

Base Notes
Benzoin, Tonka beans, Vanilla, Incense, Red Sandalwood and Guaicum Wood

So no doubt you are right that it has floral. Nothing as flroral as Castile. I love Elixir, too. Just an outstanding, original, creative frag. High scentmaking! It seems masculine on me. But I would be happy if my wife wore it. I am not much much overall on dividing scents between masculine and feminine, but Pen's E Rose seems very flroal and veryu feminine.

OK, I'm a complete idiot. The scent I was talking about was not Elixir, but rather Castile. Please disregard everything I said. D'oh!

 

[The Knize]

OK, I'm a complete idiot. The scent I was talking about was not Elixir, but rather Castile. Please disregard everything I said. D'oh!

Please! Much longer discussions have been held on this forum about misremebered scents! You are not idiotic at all!

Besides the result is good. As a result of this thread I have gone back and sniffed Elixir and Castile. I had not fully remembered the floral notes in Elixir, but they are there. I had not fully appreciated the jasmine in it either. Still seems unisex to me and thanks, Obsessed, for the back story. I have seen it on EBay as both a masculine and as a feminine, too.

Ah, Castile. The gateway drug for me as to nerolis and rose scents both! Very floral but with a bit of dirt to it. I think it works for either sex.

 

[solar]

Blenheim Bouquet: For me, the far-ahead winner, crisp, light, not cloying or heavy, with a unique and light formula. I found this one turned the ladies' heads more than anything else I wear.

Racquets: Unique in the softness of the scent, sweet but not back-of-the-throat cloying. It has a slight feminine edge in my opinion, and I find a little goes a long way. Second place for me.

Quercus: Feels a bit more more like something to wear to the office, but still bracing and sharp.

Vetivier: Simple, straighforward floral that is manly and floral, no hint of being chemical.

Hammam Bouquet: Very heavy rose smell, rich and heady, not for everyone.

Limes: A friend said it smells like a citrus floor cleaner! If is unmistakably lime based, fresh and clean.

Opus: Complex blend, like this. Spicy and long lasting, warm.

Love Potion # 9: Also complex and spicy, bit less of a favourite because there is something there that just catches in the back of the throat for me, like when you put on a scarf a few days later and still catch the faint smell of the cologne.

Lords: Too much bergamot for me, I can't wear this one anymore. Its nice, and my wife loves it, but I gradually didn't like the bergamot base.

I may be missing a few, but Blenheim and Racquets are the tops. Could wear those forever. Classics, warm, unique, and I always get compliments from someone during the day when I wear one of those.

Good luck, Pen's is a classic perfumer house, great products in my opinion.

Best,

Chris

 

[The Knize]

Great notes, Chris. Thanks for posting.

My problem with LP No. 9, and it is not an absolute deal killer, it is has a distinct accord to me of bubble gum and not Bazooka, but specifically Double Bubble. It is otherwise a nice modern, quality scent, but it just has that association for me that Ihave trouble getting past, even though I do wear it sometimes. I guess I appreciate it more than I wear it which is true of other scents, too.

I can tell I need to spend some more time with Racquests and Quercus!

 

[Sam]

TK< that's it, bubble gum and yes, DOuble Bubble. On me, Royal English Leather has the smell of the bubble gum that used to be in baseball gum packs years, and years, ago. A tad sweeter even than Double Bubble.

 

[The Knize]

TK< that's it, bubble gum and yes, DOuble Bubble. On me, Royal English Leather has the smell of the bubble gum that used to be in baseball gum packs years, and years, ago. A tad sweeter even than Double Bubble.

Wow that is evocative. I can precisely recall that baseball card gum smell!

 

[bran]

Thanks guys...ordered my sample kit today...10 samples on the way.

 

[JaDo]

Thanks guys...ordered my sample kit today...10 samples on the way.

Interesting discussion. I had better get a sample, as well. I have never sampled any of the Penhaligon's fragrances. I'm intrigued by the descriptions.

 

[StylinLA]

Interesting discussion. I had better get a sample, as well. I have never sampled any of the Penhaligon's fragrances. I'm intrigued by the descriptions.

They seem to strike a chord with wet shavers and they have a wide range that are all great in their own right.

Racquets is one of my all time favorites and I have a lot of scents. Too many.

Bran: Let us know where you come down.

 

[solar]

I have a number of Pen's fragrances, as does my wife. Many of them are classic florals, which for many years have been the mainstay of the Penhaligon's line.

I think that in an attempt to modernise, Pen's has in the past 10 years been working on making more complex modern blends as opposed to roses and bluebell for women and English fern and bergamot for men. Some of these newer blends include Opus, Love Potion # 9 and I Endymion for men and Cornubia, Artemesia and Malabah for ladies.

You can choose as you see fit, going with the more modern concoctions or remaining with the traditional blends or, as I do, having both modern and traditional scents in the olfactory battery.

A scent library is available from Penhaligon's, in a nice flat metal case not unlike a cigarette case, with 10 samples to work with.

When I was detailing the various Pen's aftershaves/colognes, I forgot to mention a venerable and baseline men's fragrance, English Fern. Very warm, very rich and masculine. A little goes a long way, and it has also produced many remarks and compliments over the years. Its also a favourite for me as a shaving soap. It just smells like serious man's morning shave soap. Maybe my grandfather used something similar and that's why the scent is so reminiscent to me of a solid man in suspenders and undershirt shaving before the start of a full day.

I don't like every scent Penhaligon's makes, but there is no denying their quality to me, and the Pen's fragrances that I do like are absolute true-blue soldiers in the cologne rotation.

Chris

 

[The Knize]

Great post and notes, Chris/Solar! Thanks. I am guessing your analysis of of Pen's goals/efforts is quite accurate.

I really like English Fern myself, and I was surprised that a recent thread revealed how few true "fern" scents there are in the world. (Actual ferns have no scent whatsoever, but I think folks know what I mean.) Your image of "a solid man in suspenders and undershirt shaving before the start of a full day" is very evocative to me, and I think it is a classic old school scent. But because it is so green and outdoorsy, I think it works for the younger guy in a modent context, too. Sort of reminds me of the piney greeness that is Polo green!

 

[Will P.C.]

I am interested to hear what you come out with.

I have horrible allergies as well. My last test, I reacted to 50 of the 52 things they tested for. I don't let my allergies slow me down though. It is the migraines that I get that slow me down.

I am fairly new to the cologne world and have been buying decants like a madman.

BB- light, not much staying power, but not necessarily a bad thing with the way the scent works. I haven't smelled anything like this before, so it took a few apps, but I like the frag.

English Fern-too strong for me, heavy, I "get" why they call it unisex, but I don't think it has that "sweetness" level for a woman's scent

Endy- not much to say about this one...not offensive, even lighter than BB
Average which means not special or in love with it, but don't hate it and used up the decant

Hamman- I probably am not refined or experienced enough to give an opinion of this, but too flaming for me

 

[StylinLA]

Hammam- I probably am not refined or experienced enough to give an opinion of this, but too flaming for me

Ummm, I think that is an opinion.

 

[dbconlin]

Wearing a sample of Pen's English Fern today, while I work from home, and loving it! Seems to stay close to the skin, very green with a little spice to the top notes - is that the Geranium???

 

[BladeRunner001]

Ordered the following first:


Endymion (created in 2003)
Head Notes: Bergamot, Mandarin, Lavender and Sage
Heart Notes: Geranium and Coffee Absolute
Base Notes: Vetiver, Nutmeg, Black pepper, Cardamom, Musk, Leather, Sandalwood, Incense, Frankincense and Myrrh


Opus 1870 (created in 2005)
Head Notes: Bourbon black pepper, Yuzu fruit, Coriander
Heart Notes: English Clove Rose, Cinnamon, Incense
Base Notes: Cedarwood, Australian Sandalwood, Ciara wood, Musk


Love them both so much that I recently ordered the following 3:


Blenheim Bouquet (created in 1902)
Head Notes: Lemon, Lime and Lavender
Heart Notes: Blenheim Bouquet has no heart notes
Base Notes: Pine, Musk and Black Pepper

Racquets (created in 1989)

Head Notes: Geranium, Lemon, Lavender, Bergamot and Lime
Heart Notes: Rose, Ylang Ylang, Clove and Cedarwood
Base Notes: Musk , Amber, Oakmoss, Frankincense and Vetiver

Quercus (created in 1996)
Head Notes: Lemon, Lime, Mandarin and Bergamot
Heart Notes: Jasmine, Lily of the Valley, Cardamom
Base Notes: Oakmoss, Sandalwood, Galbanum, Musk, Amber




Vendor will ship me 10 samples for free too (along with some ladies' samples for my wife to try)


Cheers,
Robert

 

[Featherweight]

Hammam Bouquet is nice.

Skip Castile.



.......

 

[bran]

I am interested to hear what you come out with.

I have horrible allergies as well. My last test, I reacted to 50 of the 52 things they tested for. I don't let my allergies slow me down though. It is the migraines that I get that slow me down.

I haven't decided yet. My sampler has yet to arrive for some reason. Like you I test positive for many allergies. Every seven years I my allergist runs the full battery of 250 allergens. Last October as she was checking what I was allergic to she threw that away and checked eight things I was not allergic to.

 

[blary54]

I'm a big fan of Opus for a winter scent. IMO dries down to a complex cedar/sandlewood scent. Worth checking out. I would never wear this in the summer though.