Penhaligon’s Christmas 2011 Gentlemen’s Fragrance Collection

Over the holiday season, I popped into Penhaligon’s at Ion Orchard and was delighted to see an exquisite display showcasing their offerings for the festive period. I love how the fragrance bottles are beautifully housed in the windows!

In coffrets dressed to reflect British eccentricity, the brand’s holiday packaging is a discovery in itself, with descriptive images that seem to tell a story – the different boxes stack up to form a Victorian home; the witty illustrations a depiction of both the exterior and interior of the house.

You can read more about the inspiration behind this ‘Hidden London’ concept here and view more photos here.

Quite a few selections were available but I couldn’t resist picking up one of holiday sets for my hubby – the Gentlemen’s Fragrance Collection (S$90).

This charming box of fragrance tasters contains five of the brand’s best-selling fragrances for men.

Inside are: Blenheim Bouquet, Endymion, Opus 1870, Quercus and Sartorial. Each elegant glass-stoppered bottle holds 5 ml of scent.

There’s also a set for the ladies (Artemisia, Ellenisia, Gardenia, Lily of the Valley and Malabah), although all Pen’s fragrances can be used by both genders, certainly.

They are a good way to try popular scents from this illustrious perfume establishment without breaking the bank. ;)

My hubs and I were particularly intrigued by the wrapped package: Firstly, it wasn’t ribbon-wrapped in the conventional manner: It had a knot at the end, forming a loop…so that it could be hung on our Christmas tree. Unfortunately, the branches couldn’t withstand its weight, so it had to sit under the tree instead! ;)

Secondly, the wrapping was a wonder in that the paper was not taped down at all, opening up to reveal the box as soon as the ribbon is undone.

Ingenious!

Of all the whimsical images on the box, I like the one of the winged Penhaligon’s bottles the best!

The paper that the box is sitting on in the photos was tucked nicely into our Penhaligon’s paper bag and generous spritzed with a scent that my hubby was curious about (Quercus), so it could accompany him as we continued shopping. Very thoughtful, indeed.

My man has been using the fragrances almost every day, randomly choosing one or layering them. To our delight, they are generally long-lasting and wear well throughout the day (they don’t turn sour or unpleasant). Some of them are fairly tenacious, staying true to form from noon to late night. A huge surprise, given that they are a mixture of colognes and eau de toilettes.

According to the store, customers who had bought or received this quintet as a gift have actually marched into the store, little glass bottle in hand, asking for the full-sized version of a particular scent!

Image source: JKR Designs