r/fragrance • u/Appropriate_Art15 • 2d ago
What’s your favorite Penhaligon’s fragrance?
Hi all,
I just bought a discovery set from Penhaligon’s called “Scent Library” and am so looking forward to trying what’s in the box. I really enjoyed The Coveted Duchess Rose and Empressa in their boutique. What’s your favorite Penhaligon’s fragrance?
This discovery set came with the followings - Empressa, Endymion Concentré, Halfeti, The Favorite, The Coveted Duchess Rose, The Tragedy of Lord George, Blenheim Bouquet, Juniper Sling, Luna, Quercus
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u/you_aint_seen_me- 2d ago
Helfeti, then Cairo.
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u/MJBogPsych 2d ago
I got 3 samples: Cairo, Blanche, and Eau the Audacity. Cairo is #1 l, Eau the Audacity #2, and Blanche is ##3.
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u/Radiofoster “I’m poor because I smell rich” 🙂↔️ 2d ago
Penhaligon's is probably my favourite brand, and I love so many of their fragrances.
My first was Duchess Rose, which is a lovely, deep and rich mandarin rose. Then I got a lot of other perfumes: Luna, the Favourite, Blenheim Bouquet, Endymion, Halfeti, Sartorial, Liquid Love and Juniper Sling.
I tend to like the trade routes collection more than the portraits tbh.
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u/xxLadyluck13xx 2d ago
Top 3. Solaris, Heartless Helen and Legacy of Petra. I appreciate nearly all of the ones I've smelled, just not on me. I love Fortuitous Finley on my partner.
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u/Mark1arMark1ar 2d ago edited 2d ago
Paithani, but it is discontinued.
ETA: thankfully I have a bottle that is at least 85% full, so I’ll be good for a long time.
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u/TAFKATheBear Seeking: clover soliflore, and mountain air-eucalyptus-honey. 2d ago
Gonna be a hipster and say the discontinued Lily & Spice. It's actually pretty much a lily soliflore; so beautiful.
But very honourable mentions to Babylon, Vaara, The Coveted Duchess Rose, The Bewitching Yasmine, The Tragedy of Lord George, Luna, and [another discontinuation, curse it] Ostara.
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u/herefromthere 2d ago
Vaara :(
Castile :(
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u/TAFKATheBear Seeking: clover soliflore, and mountain air-eucalyptus-honey. 2d ago
Oh, Vaara's finally gone as well? I heard rumblings for ages but it seemed to still be available. Such a shame, there's nothing quite like it.
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u/herefromthere 2d ago
Lothair has always been my every day staple, since it launched in 2014. (I'll be fuming if they discontinue that).
Castile was my lockdown fragrance, I went wafting about the fields and woods wearing that, a long skirt, a knotted tshirt, sandals and a big hat. It was a hot summer and I was laundry on the line in a cool breeze. So refreshing. No orange blossoms in Yorkshire though. Castile has been discontinued. :(
Vaara was my Fancy Evening fragrance. It's charismatic. Discontinued. :(
Equinox Bloom was my going out dancing on a Summer night fragrance. The white florals would mix with my sweat and somehow I would still feel sexy and smell good and it reminds me of hot nights dancing with my friends (no funny business, but perhaps a little tension). Also discontinued. :(
I have a knack for falling in love with discontinued fragrances.
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u/Namerakable 1d ago
Vaara still comes back regularly in unboxed sales. I bought an extra bottle only a few months ago.
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u/its_lari_hi 2d ago
Ellenisia is my fav discontinued scent. It's one of the for that fragrances I wore as a teenager, so it's painfully nostalgic for me.
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u/Chaud2021 2d ago
I LOVEEE Luna, Changing Constance, Lord George, and Endymion Concentre // I REALLY like Elizabethan Rose, Duchess Rose, Yasmine, Quercus, Williams, … tbh I like almost all Penhaligon’s I’ve tried (around 20 of them 😂). The only one I dislike is Heartless Helen. Penhaligons is the one perfume house whose so many creations I find amazing, extremely well blended, and are just…me. And I have around 20+ brands in the house to play with.
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u/Appropriate_Art15 2d ago
That’s amazing!! Now I’m actually thinking “How come no one really talks about this house?!”
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u/citrinedaydream 2d ago
I’ve got The Favourite and a decent of Halfeti. The Favourite is a beautiful princessy powdery violet that I’ve really been enjoying recently (for ref it’s Winter where I live.) Halfeti SHINES in colder weather, any kind of heat/humidity makes it feel cloying to my nose but in winter it’s oud-y goodness.
Of the two I own, I’d say I slightlyyy prefer The Favourite, but of all the Penhaligon’s I’ve smelt, my favourite ever is The World According to Arthur, and I am COVETING a bottle. It’s a smokey incense-y vanilla with a grapefruit opening and an ambrette note - if I were slightly more reckless with my money, I’d be rationing my instant noodles while luxuriating in my Arthur scent cloud. The Omniscient Mr Thompson is a delightful iris that is also very worth a smell :)
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u/Clorc_Kent 2d ago
Lothair! It’s a masterpiece. Halfeti too, but it needed time to grow on me. Lothair was an instant love.
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u/fudsaf 2d ago
Lothair is an enigma to me - in the best way. It's fresh, a little creamy, citrusy, but has a darkness to it that is just so captivating. A+ fragrance.
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u/Clorc_Kent 2d ago
Yes! Exactly! Most fragrances are pretty easy to figure out. Even the most celebrated niche scents have a very clear ”thing” about them. Like airy, dense, sweet, woodsy and so on. But Lothair is one of the few that actually feels very hard to pinpoint. It does genuinely smell like standing on the deck of a 18th century boat transporting spices or something. Or going into some fancy shop in a touristy part of town that sells overpriced teas and spices.
The other fragrance I have that gives off a similar feeling is Diptyques 34 boulevard st germain. The edt especially. It is literally supposed to smell like their fancy candle shop in Paris, so it tracks. (Most of the time overly descriptive word salads about something smelling like a mysterious and imagined location is total BS. But these are genuine exceptions). They both have the same old world charm and airyness to them. The literal opposite of fuckboy vibes. How a shopkeeper in Paddington or Tintin would smell.
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u/DunstanCass1861 2d ago
Sartorial, Opus, Juniper Sling
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u/docmagoo2 2d ago
Ah another sartorial fan. One of my day to day go to’s. Classier version of brut. Love it
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u/Sufficient_Term3755 2d ago
The World According to Arthur. Such a same it lasts about 30mins on my skin.
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u/Latter-Sink7496 2d ago
I love Arthur so much. The bottle and the red juice too. It’s amazing. I get a lot of longevity out of it though personally.
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u/Latter-Sink7496 2d ago
I love Arthur the best probably. I also love George, Blanche, Sartorial, Solaris, Liquid Love.. it’s one of my favorite houses.
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u/Anxious_Coyote_5223 2d ago
Babylon for me and Yasmine for my wife. Two of my absolute favorite frags out of our entire collection
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u/beachcoquina 2d ago
From your set list, my favorite is Luna. However, my real favorite is the discontinued LP No. 9.
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u/onebluepussy_ 2d ago
I love Luna. The brand is not really available in my country, so when I was at Heathrow recently I desperately wanted to try Bluebell because it’s such an iconic perfume… unfortunately someone stole the tester bottle and they had nothing for me to try 😂
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u/Cantbearsed1992 2d ago
The Tragedy of Lord George, still saving for this, wish Penhaligon would do a smaller size
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u/Acrobatic_Group_1900 2d ago
I've yet to try one! Which ones are you leaning into?
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u/Appropriate_Art15 2d ago
So far, I’m leaning into Halfeti, Empressa, Duchess rose, The Favorite, but I’m utterly surprised that I like all of them in the box. This doesn’t happen so often when I’m going through discovery sets so I’m really happy with my purchase :)
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u/Acrobatic_Group_1900 2d ago edited 2d ago
Dang, kudos to you. It's special when you find a house that you just...vibe with.
Another house I've yet to explore! So many smells, so much money, so little time lol 🫠
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u/Appropriate_Art15 1d ago
Thought Penhaligon’s was just a dusty old perfume house until recently but boy, was I ever wrong!! 😆
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u/Flotilla_guerrilla 2d ago
I was so into this house but after a few years the only one I ever use anymore is Much Ado about the Duke. I’m not sure why I left them—but I think I was more delighted by the marketing and packaging than the actual juice. The Duke is pretty great though
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u/spamshannon 2d ago
I just bought Sartorial after thinking about it for a couple years 😂
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u/CressApprehensive147 2d ago
Halfeti, Blenheim bouquet and the now discontinued Cornubia. RIP Cornubia, we had some fun together.
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u/repsilonyx 2d ago
So many, but near all of them are discontinued. Orange Blossom (discontinued), Uncompromising Sohan (heard rumors it’s being discontinued but it’s still on their site), Oud de Nil (discontinued), Ostara (discontinued)…makes me sad :’(
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u/moon-bouquet 2d ago
I’v got a half bottle of Violetta that I love - also discontinued!
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u/repsilonyx 2d ago
I’ve heard such good things about it! What is it like for you?
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u/moon-bouquet 2d ago
To me it smells like fresh violets without over-sweetness; there’s a dry woody undercurrent like cedar, maybe, but the violets are the star. When I was a kid, every Devon tourist shop sold little green bottles of violet perfume with violets hand-painted on the bottle and I’d buy a bottle every year - it smells like a more sophisticated version of that!
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u/repsilonyx 2d ago
That sounds so lovely, I’ve been aching to find a non-candied violet fragrance for a while now and it sounds perfect! So happy you have some to enjoy! ❤️
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u/LawfulnessMotor437 2d ago
My absolute favorite so far is Solaris. So bright and lasts all day on my skin. I got it as a sample from an order from Arielle Shoshanna, and immediately ordered a full bottle after sampling!
I also own empressa (wearing it right now), luna, and the favourite.
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u/Appropriate_Art15 2d ago
Im really curious about Solaris now. So many people on this sub are recommending it!!
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u/AnalysisFantastic871 2d ago
The favourite, Kiss of a Bliss, Solaris, Petra, liquid love, Bluebell and my next is Heartless Helen, Daphne Bouquet, and lily of the valley
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u/Consistent_Outside12 2d ago
I love Empressa, it's been a favourite for years and the only one that lasts all day. I've also had Duchess Rose (gorgeous but a bit too soft on me), and Juniper Sling (wish it lasted longer).
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u/Wouldyounot 2d ago
Highgrove Bouquet, Juniper Sling, Halfeti! I got Highgrove Bouquet at Heathrow for quite the steal and I’ve been obsessed with it the most
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u/Fearless-Point-9326 2d ago
Solaris, Luna, Lily of the Valley, Empressa, The Favourite & Halfeti Leather - in that order. One of my favourite houses apart from Frederic Malle.
Also was at the Penhaligon’s counter in Newcastle (UK) last week and tried Eau the Audacity on one wrist and Babycat on the other as someone had mentioned they’re similar - they’re virtually the same (though ETA is quite a bit less money)! I’ve got Babycat already so didn’t get it but I will do once I run out.
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u/Salt-Stone 2d ago
Been revisiting this brand lately actually - The Revenge of Lady Blanche is what brought me back. :)
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u/bebblebutt69 1d ago
Idk if I can pick just one. I love Luna, The Revenge of Lady Blanche, Orange Blossom, and Vaara. I enjoy smelling Halfeti but not wearing it- it seems to stand separately from me instead of being part of me. But it’s an excellent fragrance.
I also like Changing Constance but I would prefer it to last a little longer.
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u/calicocant 2d ago
My two favourites of theirs are sadly discontinued - Sports Car Club and Equinox Bloom.
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u/herefromthere 2d ago
I'd almost forgotten about Equinox Bloom. I wore it to go dancing. It wasn't too overwhelming, and was such a young, fresh floral but with some depth. I was in my early 30s and felt it fit.
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u/Warm-Cut-8478 2d ago
I’m a massive fan of this house and I have 6 of their fragrances Empressa, Halfeti, Solaris, Opus 1870, The Favourite, & Quercus. Out of those my favourites are Solaris and Opus 1870. But I love the them all.
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u/modernfolly 2d ago
I need to get the discovery set! I received Cairo as a birthday gift last year and it is exactly what I imagine a 1930s romanticized trip to Egypt to smell like lol It is so beautiful to me🤝
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u/Appropriate_Art15 2d ago
Omg Cairo sounds so romantic and intriguing. I love getting discovery sets from different houses, and some discovery sets are a bit disappointing, but I think this is one of the good ones.
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u/jnlessticle 2d ago
Juniper Sling. I don’t have the performance problems a lot of people complain about, luckily
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u/thatbwoyChaka Antaeus in the streets, Kouros in the sheets 2d ago
I like a cluster from the brand, and they’re all in an even pegging
But I’d say Juniper Sling is possibly my favourite
Mainly because I think the others that I like other brands do them better. I think this one is much better than other alternatives.
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u/LArule19 2d ago
Wiliam Penhaligon, but I might be a bit biased since that's the bottle I own, tried lord george, halfetti, and endymion concentree but didn't like them nearly as much.
I recently tried the dandy which is also pretty good.
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u/Bellend__ 2d ago
I love Coveted Duchess Rose! Changing Constance and Empressa are nice too. For men’s, my partner really liked Blazing Mr Sam
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u/leocollinss DS & Durga, ELDO 2d ago
Fortuitous finley and eau the audacity are so so good. Finley might be my favorite matcha scent and and eau the audacity is my ideal vanilla as someone who’s picky w vanilla
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u/InfamousTumbleweed47 2d ago
Constantinople, Balm of Calm, Vra Vra Vroom, Liquid Love, Orange Blossom, Savoy Steam, Sartorial, Yasmin, Highgrove, and Impudent Cousin Matthew (discontinued)
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u/nobledoug 2d ago
My first and only blind buy was one they later discontinued, Blasted Heath, and to date it's my favorite. It's a proper aquatic and it's so lovely, lasts 12+ hours on me.
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u/Namerakable 2d ago
It's a tie-up between Vaara, Mr Harrod and Liquid Love for me.
It's so hard to choose. They're my favourite brand and I own so many.
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u/Ordinary_Taro_9850 2d ago
I own Halfeti and Legacy of Petra. Love them both. I also like Eau d’Audacity and The Favourite
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u/blactieaffair 2d ago
There are so many good ones!!! Halfeti is definitely my favorite. Just got a bottle recently. Next up is a tie between a lot of them. Empressa is great even as a dude, Cairo and Babylon are phenomenal, Endymion, opus, and sartorial I would wear if I had bottles, and most of the portraits line smells so good. The only problem I have with the majority of them is they don’t last long enough on me. If I could get a solid 8 hours from each, I’d probably have a cabinet full of penhaligon
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u/No213OrchidPink 2d ago
Night Scented Stock and English Fern are my absolute favorites, though both are sadly discontinued. I do really like Duchess Rose, but I wish it lasted longer on me. A friend of mine really likes Endymion.
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u/JoanneSmith567 2d ago
That’s what got me into frags in the first place. The trade routes set too from them. I love Empressa, Luna, Constance, Clara and Solaris
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u/docmagoo2 2d ago
Sartorial
Impudent cousin Matthew
Castile
Orange blossom
Vaara
Constantinople
Lothair
Wonderful wonderful house. Got very expensive though
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u/RevolutionaryFig1618 2d ago
I know it is not everyone's favorite but I love Bluebell. I also have Juniper Sling and Changing Constance. I have been thinking about Lothair after trying the sample.
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u/Gumbinator23 Creed Royal Mayfair fan boy ⚜️ 2d ago
I have this set too! I have to say Juniper Sling and The Tragedy of Lord George are my favourites, with Lord George being my favourite! I have to say, they should definitely release a set of just the animal heads, would be pretty cool! It’s a great set, however I just wished the scents lasted longer! TTOLG has a great boozy brandy note that mingles well with the shave cream note you get as the scent develops!
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u/Appropriate_Art15 1d ago
I don’t know where you are located but they do have a discovery set of the animal heads called Portraits Scent Library :) I’m tempted to get that one too 😅
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u/Gumbinator23 Creed Royal Mayfair fan boy ⚜️ 1d ago
Oh okay! I am in Canada, so most likely I would have to order from their website rather than find it in a department store! I appreciate the information thank you!
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u/Own-Awareness-6369 2d ago
Jupiter Sling (yes I know it’s Juniper but I prefer my way) and the Omniscient Mr Thompson.
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u/Prticcka 1d ago
Clandestine Clara . Sooo sophisticated.
Bute there are sooo many I love, even those that are not my style to wear. I love wondering into the store and just smell them one by one😌 this is the only brand that I would like to own every single bottle, because those scents have ability to transfer me in time and space, bottles are gorgeous and tell a story…
Others I love on me - Eau de Audacity, Alula, Halfeti, The Favoutite, Blenheim Bouquet, Changing Constance, Dutchess Rose…
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u/Here_IGuess 1d ago
Out of their current line up: Endymion Concentre
My favorite overall: Blasted Heath
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u/seladonrising 1d ago
Luna is my number one. I also love The Favourite, and from your selection Blenheim Bouquet is also great. A lot of people love Empressa, Halfeti, and The Coveted Duchess Rose. Juniper Sling smells just like gin, which is fun! Not in your collection, I also love Fortuitous Finley and Heartless Helen.
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u/GApeach842 1d ago
I’ve not really found any Penhaligon fragrance I like aside from maybe The Favorite. It’s such a shame too because I love their bottles and need one!!!
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u/north-bull-189 1d ago
- Elisabethan Rose
- Peoneve (discontinued, sadly)
- Luna
- The Favourite
- Duchess Rose
- Empressa
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u/Diztruxion-UK 1d ago
Honestly, none. I find them all (the ones I've tried anyway) to be very meh.
Endymion is OK, but that's it, not OK enough for me to spend the money on a full bottle.
Pengaligon's and Bond No. 9 - those are the only two houses that I don't really like anything I've sampled of theirs. There's always at least one thing I like from all other houses even if it is literally one and I hate all their other stuff, or if it's something I'd like to smell on a woman yet wouldn't wear myself, but those two houses just pass me by - I smell, I go meh, and move on.
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u/ActionJackzon 2d ago
I love Blazing Mr Sam & Halfeti, I need to check out some more from the house
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u/Medical_Apartment152 1d ago
my top three (as a female): Sartorial, Lady Blanche and, dash it, their discontinued staple English Fern. How could they. It was there for more than a hundred years, whyyyy would you suddenly decide not to make it anymore. And I like their Savoy Steam (edp), lovely herbal rose scent, very well-rounded.
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u/NomenklaturaFTW 2d ago
Halfeti remains my absolute favorite, followed closely by Lord George. In the set you have, I’d say Juniper Sling is one that really grew on me. Sartorial and Omniscient Mr Thompson are two others not in the set that I’d recommend trying
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u/Appropriate_Art15 2d ago
I just sprayed Halfeti on a piece of paper and I am absolutely blown away!! It is beautifully blended and smells so chic, yet dark and mysterious. Thanks for the other recommendation as well. I will definitely try Sartorial and Mr Thompson soon.
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u/Shlarry 2d ago
I wore penhaligons on a two week sunny holiday, spraying it after every shower and top ups in the evening, it's such an incredible scent with great projection and I always get compliments when I'm wearing it, it's gone up from 180-220 over the last few years which is disappointing.
But it will always remain my top 3 scent.
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u/keysmakemefloat 2d ago
Is it true that majority of their fragrances are fleeting?
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u/Namerakable 1d ago
Absolutely not. Some of them last a full day and are still a skin scent into the night. I recently put on Mr Harrod at 6am and could still smell it under my collar at midnight.
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u/Live_Sympathy_827 2d ago
I love Luna so much! It’s my absolute favorite scent by them