#penhaligon's

[moratoirenoir]

[bebemoon]

a look featuring my current favorite selkie dress | requested by @allthestoriescantbelies

selkie "the ivory carriage" voluminous organza gown w/ ruffled lace trim

simone rocha bell charm crochet ballerinas in silver

antique embroidered silk bridal bow, c. 192o's

penhaligon's "luna" eau de toilette

dilara findikoglu "boleyn" pearl choker w/ custom silver initial pendant

[milkandhoneyhearted]

Penhaligon's - The Favourite EdP

[glamsadness]

Monsieur Beauregard

Our French friend’s lingering gaze says he’ll take it from here. His opulent eau de parfum is a ménage à trois of orris, sandalwood and cinnamon. Ooh la la! One look is all it took.

[pocketvenuslux]

Springtime escapes for the winter

These last few dreary winter days have left me dreaming of spring. The vernal equinox may still be weeks away but until then we can still spritz a beloved spring-time scent.

Coven by Andrea Maack

I live in Toronto so we have brief spring seasons that tend to begin later in the year. There’s often still snow on the ground during the vernal equinox  though everything is melting. Coven’s earthy notes remind me of the moistening earth of spring, like sinking your hands into the ground and pulling up fistfuls and clods of soil.

Absinth by Nasomatto

Absinth isn’t the most obvious choice for spring - it doesn’t deliver the anise-y green you’d expect from the name. Rather it has a rooty, earthy side that’s reminiscent of beets paired with clean woods. It makes me think again, of the earth turning in preparation of spring.

Lily of the Valley by Penhaligon’s

Lily of the valley is a more typical symbol of the start of the spring. Although Dior’s Diorissimo is arguably the benchmark classic for a muguet fragrance, Penhaligon’s has an unfussy, pretty take on the flower.

Ealing Green by 4160 Tuesdays

Ealing Green is a lovely herbaceous scent. This is a peak spring fragrance to me, capturing the vigour of new growth. A little earthy but still fresh and crisp with an uplifting boost of hedione. Although it’s supposed to include freshly cut grass, I don’t really detect this. Grass is a scent I associate with summer.

Premier Figuier by L’Artisan Parfumeur

One of Olivia Giacobetti’s most popular fragrances, Premier Figuier delivers exactly as promised: the entirety of the fig tree from its earth roots to fresh green shoots, until you reach the milky sap of its sweet fruit. This is a late spring/summer fragrance, well deserving of its classic status.

I want to finish this post with a wildcard suggestion. We often think of spring in terms of pretty pastel watercolours, but spring is also a time of violent upheaval, as captured by Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring. Think of ice cracking across a stream as it melts and frigid waters gushing forth. Young shoots vying for sunlight as they break through the earth. Animals shaking off hibernation driven by the need to feed and procreate. For this kind of spring-time energy, maybe something like Tyrannosaurus Rex by Zoologist will fit the bill more for you than a limpid floral?

[oxfords---notbrogues]

Last weekend, I popped in a men’s grooming shop while visiting Kansas City and discovered this gem of a fragrance. Inspired by the scents of the workroom at Norton & Sons, the bespoke Tailors of Savile Row, Penhaligon’s Sartorial is a contemporary interpretation of a classic fougère. It contains notes of oakmoss, tonka bean, lavender, woods, ozonic and metallic effects, leather, violet leaf, honey, and spices.

I can’t say enough positive things about this cologne. It has a very mature, masculine, and classic sense about it. Something about it reminds me of that just-come-from-the-barber-shop smell, and wearing it invokes that same feeling of being freshly groomed. While it not overly powerful, this is an extremely long lasting scent. I tested its longevity by spraying a small spot on my wrist before work. I could still smell the scent when I got home 12-hours later! 

Highly recommended to anyone looking to try some new cologne. Definitely worth the splurge.

[theolfactorist]

Do you have any incense-y perfume recommendations that don’t smell super hippie-ish?

Chanel No. 22, Armani Privé Bois de Encens, Serge Lutens Fille en Aiguilles, Donna Karan Black Cashmere, Penhaligon’s Agarbathi

[tardismama]

4/6

Penhaligon's - Ostara

" Ostara inspired by daffodil flowers! Just like this floral scent which is one of the first signs of spring, fragrance Ostara carries bright yellow color and an optimistic composition full of character and cheerfulness.

Composition of the fragrance Ostara opens with a blend of bergamot, clementine, juniper, red berries CO2, mint, currant buds CO2, violet leaf absolute, green leaves and aldehydes effect. The heart adds floral notes of daffodil, hyacinth, cyclamen, ylang-ylang, hawthorn and wisteria along with intense accords of beeswax. Base notes combine styrax resin, vanilla, benzoin, musk, amber and blond wood."

Spring in a bottle!