I’ve been on the hunt for a new scent for close to a year, trying different fragrances every time I entered a perfumery. But although most of them smelt nice, they either did not last long enough on me or the scent lacked that something special that I was seeking.
Then, last Saturday, almost as an afterthought, I tried Penhaligon’s Lothair. The initial whiff was a bit fruity, nice but not too memorable, I thought. Two hours later the scent had evolved into something more earthy, reminiscent of fragrant, exotic woods. And that is what made me decide to buy it. That rather mysterious, seductive, almost powdery, base note.
The nose behind Lothair is Bertrand Duchaufour and, in the company’s own words, it is:
“Inspired by the famous Tea Clipper Ships that navigated the globe to bring exotic wares to British shores, Lothair opens with the salty tang of grapefruit and juniper, and a brilliant green sensation from fig leaf. The smoky heart of black tea is softened by fig milk and magnolia, sailing into an ambergris, cedar and wenge woods base, reminiscent of the varnished decks of these elegant ships.”
I first heard of Penhaligon’s Perfume House on Travel Channel’s ‘Jenny’s Streets of London’ and soon after I visited their store in Covent Garden, where I was drawn in by the enticing scents that wafted out of their open door. Penhaligon’s was established in 1870 by William Penhaligon in a store on Jermyn Street. The shop was destroyed during the war but the fragrances endured. Penhaligon’s has been granted two Royal Warrants: one by the Duke of Edinburgh and the other by the late Diana, Princess of Wales. It’s nice to learn that I share my perfumer with royalty.
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