How to make a Blenheim Bouquet cocktail, courtesy of Penhaligon's. Named for their 1902 fragrance Blenheim Bouquet, of course: "a bracing mix of citrus oils, spices and woods".
Fragrance gifts for Mother’s Day 2011, part 3
Still shopping for Mother’s Day? Check out part 1 and part 2 if you missed them.
From Penhaligon’s, a silver-plated solid perfume compact in the Bluebell fragrance…
Penhaligon’s LP No. 9 for Women ~ perfume review
Since we’re closing in on Valentine’s Day, it seems like an appropriate moment to review Penhaligon’s LP No. 9 for Women, which is characterized as “a truly intoxicating love potion…a sorcerer’s recipe for irresistible female sensuality.” This fragrance, and its counterpart LP No. 9 for Men, were originally released in 1998; they were discontinued in 2006 and made a re-appearance in late 2008. LP No. 9 for Women, which was reportedly brought back in its original formulation, was created by Christian Provenzano. Its composition is listed as having top notes of lemon, mandarin, lavender, bergamot, geranium, and tarragon; heart notes of rose, jasmine, and carnation; and base notes of cinnamon, cedar, patchouli, amber, musk, and vanilla.
LP No. 9’s name, of course, is a nod to the classic pop song “Love Potion Number Nine,” first recorded in 1959 by The Clovers and later covered by The Searchers (among others). Penhaligon’s traditional bottle is trimmed with a twist of black velvet ribbon for LP No. 9, and the liquid within is a fascinating magenta hue. This appearance sets LP No. 9 apart from some of Penhaligon’s earlier releases for women, which tend to have Edwardian-style labels and a garden-party aesthetic. But does LP No. 9 smell so very different from those more traditional fragrances? Yes and no. Its opening notes, which last for the better part of an hour, confused me at first. This dry, herbaceous accord, with lots of lavender and greenish notes — and, wait, is that oakmoss? — feels like a lighter interpretation of a traditional fougère, and it would not be out of place in Penhaligon’s masculine fragrance range…
Holiday fragrance gifts 2010, part 7
Time is running out: get that shopping done! If you need more ideas, check out part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4, part 5 and part 6. More to come!
From Penhaligon’s, a candle in their popular Elixir fragrance: “Opening with eucalyptus and the harmonising hot spices of cardamom, cinnamon and mace, the senses are massaged with the dark magic of Turkish rose and jasmine, sharpened with a twist of orange. Heat and smoke rise and the incense and woods mingle with the earthy rub of resins and spices. A touch of vanilla and the soft persistent roundness of hypnotic Tonka bean complete the atmospheric dry-down.” 30 hour burn time, $50 at MiN New York…
Cumin in Perfume
Few notes in fragrance are as polarizing as cumin. Some people associate cumin with sweat or food, and even the tiniest hint of it will cause them to double-bag a perfume sample and take it to the garbage can in the backyard. Other people, including me, like the carnal edge cumin adds to a fragrance.
For people who want to experiment with cumin-laced fragrances, I’ve put together this cheat sheet of a few perfumes and their ratings on the cumin-o-meter. I hope you’ll chime in with your favorite fragrances, too.
Cumin-o-meter rating 1: Serge Lutens Chêne. Have you ever leaned your head toward a four-log fire in a fireplace that draws well and breathed deeply? Riding the heat is a touch of cumin…