In the Burlington Arcade just off Piccadilly in London is Penhaligons. Penhaligons make and sell delicious perfumes in a very old fashioned way. Their shop is a haven of polished oak counters and big glass bottles with stoppers that you can lift off to release the aroma of limes and orange blossom and other scrumptious scents. It is luxurious and traditional, and has been around since 1870.
They are quite good at what they do, having had that much practice. Penhaligons is not really about contemporary perfume trends. It is about real, old fashioned, lovely smells, that smell like what they tell you they’re going to smell like, and not the contents of a chemical dump with the acrid tang of fake roses poured on top.
As well as their regular scents, they also have a scent archive, and can recreate perfumes from as early as 1927. They describe themselves as purveying vintage English perfumes. I love the word vintage, but it is getting a trifle over used these days. On the other hand I think if you’ve been making perfume since 1870 you are entitled to use it. I give you my permission.
I’m so gracious.
We popped into Penhaligons (one should always pop into shop that is as onomatopaeic as Penhaligons I think) on our travels, and sniffed everything in sight. The lady behind the counter, who was a lady of a certain age but immaculately presented (her entire outfit probably cost as much as my entire wardrobe), took a shine to Matilda, and smothered her in delightful smells whilst giving her a lecture on how important it was to lead a life of luxury and privilege, while at the same time making sure you paid for it with your own money, and didn’t sponge off a rich husband! Another valuable home educating lesson learned.
We had great fun.
On the way out, I stopped to take a photograph of the shop to remind me to write everything down. I noticed their tag line and loved it. Look:
When I grow up, I’m going to be a Merchant of Attraction.
I wonder if you can take lessons?
I’m still using a couple of bottles of delicious bath oils – Bluebell and Lily of the Valley – that I picked up cheap from the Penhaligon’s at Bicester Village 7 years ago, just lovely.
The last of my Penhaligon’s ran out several years ago ;-( I’m pretty sure the very last one was Orange Blossom.
Mrs Jones
It’s the lime one that gets me every time.
Sharon
That is a gorgeous smell. I have a small bottle of the Jo Malone orange blossom scent that I am saving for high days and holidays.
Ooh, lime! One of my most favouritest smells in the entire universe – I must check it out once I’ve gone through my collection of L’Occitane bath stuff…