A scent question with too many possible answers

Bechet

Bechet

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Southampton
..... but Vinny will know.

I've fallen down the scent rabbit hole and need to find the bottom very soon!

Plan is to buy a single C&S fragrance this month and two Penhaligons at York outlet next month. First disruption has been the non-arrival of my C&S sample pack. Second disruption has been the sudden, uncontrollable, irresistible purchases of a BRW razor and an SB Tradere - this will come to roost next month, though.

So the scent question comes in two parts -

1. As I can only have one, which C&S should I buy? Xmas is coming but that is another question.

2. As I can only have two, which Penhaligon fragrances should I buy? A female companion at the outlet shop may disrupt this plan. Bound to be some dress and shoe shops there to distract her, I suppose.

I hope I'm asking about definitive fragrances rather than most popular.
 
I think one of your Penhaligons has to be Blenheim Bouquet seeing as we're talking "definitive" and not only popular. I think Hamman and English Fern have to be classed as definitive also, seeing as they were the first and third scents produced and they're still going now. I'm not keen on any of the newer scents except raquets.
 
No opinion from me on the Penhaligon scents - I went to Selfridges to try them and none really set my world alight.

Re. C&S, I'm a fan of Frankincense and Myrrh which I think is a very distinctive and classy scent. However, depending on your preferences, the Rose fragrances get the thumbs up from all the ladies in my life (aged 37, 5 and 2).
 
Almost word-for-word what Canuck said.

From Czech and Speake it has to be #88 (incense, geranium and rose) and from Penhaligons I would pick two from Blenheim Bouquet (very dry peppery pine with lavender and citrus), Hammam Bouquet (musky rose) or English Fern (fairly standard 'green' fragrance).

Those are the iconic scents that made those companies famous. I have found that, as with just about every fragrance house in the world, their newer stuff has been geared towards attracting new (younger) customers and really pales next to the oldies.

I would never suggest that anyone buys any scent 'blind' though as everyone's nose is different ... as seen in the Cuba thread.
 
'Iconic scents'' do it for me!

The plan is to resist the urge to buy blind - now! - and await the arrival of C&S samples and to visit the Penhaligon's outlet shop. Have a good sniff before buying - however, I just go into a dither when confronted with too much choice (of anything) and I react allergically to too much perfume - so a short list makes a lot of sense to me.

Penhaligon - Blenheim Bouquet, Hammam, English Fern.

C&S - No.88, Castile (mainly 'cos it looks good in Jamie's photos).

Thank you very much, guys! I wonder if swnnnbo will agree or sulk.
 
Two sets of C&S samples turned up with Postie Colin! Oops! about the Castile listing.

No. 88 wins by a country mile but Cuba is 'interesting'. I like several others but can resist at the price - and there's the next problem.

Seems like a cartel - it costs the same everywhere - but I got a £5 voucher from C&S for joining their club. Now - £65 for 100ml shake AS; £75 for 100ml spray cologne (not fond, danger of spray going up nose and causing allergic reaction); £110 for 200ml shake cologne. So the question is - be sensible (ha!) and spend £65 on AS or test the limits of "am I worth it?" with the lowest cost per millilitre big bottle at £110?

Can I afford either? Not even a little bit so we can ignore that.

Am I/is it worth it?
 
If you were going for the Cuba, I'd suggest looking at Mankind:

http://www.mankind.co.uk/brands/czech-speake.list

And then applying the NEWMAN voucher code Boab mentioned here:

http://www.theshavingroom.co.uk/forum/thread-15302.html?highlight=mankind

It knocks 10% off the price, making it an altogether more palatable £63 (who am I kidding?)

Sadly, they don't stock #88 so no good to you on that front :(
 
Bechet45 said:
Two sets of C&S samples turned up with Postie Colin! Oops! about the Castile listing.

No. 88 wins by a country mile but Cuba is 'interesting'. I like several others but can resist at the price - and there's the next problem.

Seems like a cartel - it costs the same everywhere - but I got a £5 voucher from C&S for joining their club. Now - £65 for 100ml shake AS; £75 for 100ml spray cologne (not fond, danger of spray going up nose and causing allergic reaction); £110 for 200ml shake cologne. So the question is - be sensible (ha!) and spend £65 on AS or test the limits of "am I worth it?" with the lowest cost per millilitre big bottle at £110?

Can I afford either? Not even a little bit so we can ignore that.

Am I/is it worth it?
Click to expand...

See what you spend in Penhaligon's first, id recommend English Fern and Opus 1870. If you PM me your address i can send a little something to wet your appetite.

Looks like you have narrowed the C&S down, so really it depends on not finding anything nicer at the outlet. How did you find the Oxford & Cambridge ?
 
You can get 50 per cent off both the men's and women's scents from the York Penhaligon's outlet Carll, the Ladies Ellenisia Eau de parfum is lovely perfume for a lady friend, I'm not a fan of the Blenhiem Boquet myself I much prefer the Castile.

Jamie.
 
'S'a bugger! Having found and bought the 200ml for £99 I would have thought the itch would be well and truly scratched, the monkey off my back - but not a bit of it!! That bloody £5 voucher is nagging away at me! Coupled, of course, by little dabs from the sample phials to keep me gingered up.

It's a computer voucher linked to my account so I can't even give it away, let alone tear it up and throw it away. Three pucks of travel sized shaving soap? An absolute snip at £18!!! Less the fiver, of course.

If only Mankind took C&S vouchers as well as discounting, Chopper!

I liked Oxford and Cambridge but already have oodles of lavender so it didn't make the short list.

The 50% Penhaligons is the reason for two Jamie. English Fern keeps cropping up. Hammam sounds great. Maybe three at 50% to include Blenheim as well? I should be there before this months credit card bill hits home!

PM to you shortly, Richard - I have a great appetite for wet little somethings.
 
RB73 said:
If you PM me your address i can send a little something to wet your appetite.
Click to expand...

The appetisers have arrived - many thanks, Richard.

I like the Batucada in French best of all - Vibrant, joyeux, sensuel. Ah! memories! I shall investigate this further!

The creme also smells sublime but no clue as to what it is! so I can't investigate further - but I'd very much like to!

Muchas gracias, amigo!
 
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