Penhaligons fragrances any good?

[Professor Value]

This is wonderful; spicy nicey with a touch of leathery tobacco. Performance is great. I'd buy a bottle if it wasn't so expensive.

 

[lfc1892]

Halfeti is great, as are it’s flankers. Cairo and Babylon are decent too.

 

[Andy the frenchy]

This is wonderful; spicy nicey with a touch of leathery tobacco. Performance is great. I'd buy a bottle if it wasn't so expensive.
View attachment 180849

I agree. Same here. Great, but even at discounter pricing, I find it to be a bit too expensive to pull the trigger.

 

[woodnotes55]

I agree. Same here. Great, but even at discounter pricing, I find it to be a bit too expensive to pull the trigger.

Penhaligons have winter sale now..... I missed it and a lot of things are sold out, but they have Halfeti 3.4 with shower gel 6.8 for 155. Still steep for me but a significant discount from retail and it seems rare to nonexistent at discounters. One of the Halfeti flankers had a similar deal but was about 190..... I picked up a sample set, Halfeti, George, and Luna, 3 x 10 ml for $48 so will get to try it. They had it single in 10mls but sold out..... most of the sample sets are gone so lucky to get that I guess......

 

[slpfrsly]

I've enjoyed nearly everything I've tried from the house after only getting stuck in to their scents at the end of last year. They're not overpriced in my opinion, they're good fragrances that are a cut above a lot of the competition, which is probably going to be found from brands like Acqua di Parma and a lot of vintage scents/houses. Unfortunately the ownership model looks like it is trying to turn the house in to a pastiche of Britishness for a certain sort of international client, but evenso, many of their fragrances are still excellent and well-priced. They lack the rough edges or outright synthetic-cheapness you're likely to find from some other traditional or pseudo-traditional alternatives, which is the sort of nuance that makes all the difference between a passable or flawed scent, and something which is excellent. I'm bemused at complaints about price tbh, they blow the vast majority of pretentious, unwearable niche fragrances that are lauded by many people online out of the water. Many seem content to pay more for that sort of experience than Penhaligons are charging. Bottles for most of their fragrances can be found for £60-80 on ebay in the UK. Their upmarket range is, again, a cut above many other boutique lines from other houses. Even at full price, which is around £1 per ml, their fragrances are good to excellent value.

 

[Andy the frenchy]

Penhaligons have winter sale now..... I missed it and a lot of things are sold out, but they have Halfeti 3.4 with shower gel 6.8 for 155. Still steep for me but a significant discount from retail and it seems rare to nonexistent at discounters. One of the Halfeti flankers had a similar deal but was about 190..... I picked up a sample set, Halfeti, George, and Luna, 3 x 10 ml for $48 so will get to try it. They had it single in 10mls but sold out..... most of the sample sets are gone so lucky to get that I guess......

$155 for Halfeti is the lowest it will get!

 

[DoctorM81]

I'm bemused at complaints about price tbh, they blow the vast majority of pretentious, unwearable niche fragrances that are lauded by many people online out of the water. Many seem content to pay more for that sort of experience than Penhaligons are charging. Bottles for most of their fragrances can be found for £60-80 on ebay in the UK. Their upmarket range is, again, a cut above many other boutique lines from other houses. Even at full price, which is around £1 per ml, their fragrances are good to excellent value.

I think it's that, as with certain other houses I could name, their prices seem to have climbed steeply over recent years. They also seem to have really tightened up their distribution - for example, they've disappeared entirely from certain online discounters, where just a few years ago there was plenty to be had. I have a hard time with their retail pricing now for these reasons.

Was impressed with Cairo btw, but again a full bottle of it isn't in my budget right now...!

 

[Dry_Martini]

Penhaligons Racquets, barbershop King,

 

[rum]

I think it's that, as with certain other houses I could name, their prices seem to have climbed steeply over recent years. They also seem to have really tightened up their distribution - for example, they've disappeared entirely from certain online discounters, where just a few years ago there was plenty to be had. I have a hard time with their retail pricing now for these reasons.

Was impressed with Cairo btw, but again a full bottle of it isn't in my budget right now...!

Dave, be advised that Penhaligon's have some 'outlet' stores dotted around the UK. These traditionally had some really good discounts on (at least when I was last there some years ago). Well worth checking out if you can.

 

[lfc1892]

They’re a nice brand. Not the best performance from them but decent enough. I own Halfeti and love it. Sartorial is really nice too. Wide range so worth checking out

 

[Hazzle77]

I've got mixed feelings on them as a house. It might be coloured by the fact that I'm not keen at all on Sartorial - it doesn't smell the same but it has the same off-putting vibe that I get from (sacrilege alert) Caron Pour in Homme which smells to me like a lavender bag.

I do love Hammam Bouquet but it's definitely not your everyday office scent. Blenheim Bouquet is boring to me and I've never been bowled over by any of their other scents. Opus 1870 is nice and inoffensive I guess.

I think Penhaligons go too hard on the hackneyed 'English Gent' marketing too. Their nearest larger comparator is probably Floris, who I think have much better fragrances.

As a commercial offering though, hats off to them as it clearly seems to be working

The one thing I would say is that the sales assistants in their UK stores tend to be a pleasure to deal with. All of the ones I've encountered (London stores, Leeds, Edinburgh) know their fragrances and are happy to chat. I love the handkerchiefs they give away in place of blotters too.