Penhaligon's

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Penhaligon's is an English perfume house. It was founded in the late 1860's by William Henry Penhaligon.

[edit] History

In the late 1860's, William Henry Penhaligon left his native Penzance on the picturesque south west coast of England, and came to London to establish himself as a barber. By 1870 William had a thriving business supplying perfumes, toilet waters and pomades to the aristocracy. His first fragrance, created in 1872, was named Hammam Bouquet in honour of the famous Turkish Baths that had inspired it, and it remained his personal favourite. He secured his reputation by creating scents for the nobility. Blenheim Bouquet, created for the Duke of Marlborough, was to become a particular favourite of another distinguished scion of that family, Winston Churchill. Gentlemen's scents up to this time were usually rich and floral; Blenheim Bouquet was one of the first citrus scents created and is still recognised as a classic today.

By the early 1970's, Penhaligon's catered largely to the cognoscenti whose families had used the Company's products for generations. A new era began with the opening of the flagship store in Covent Garden in 1975 and other shops have since been established in London, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Windsor and Chester in the UK. Other stores include Madison Avenue; Saks Fifth Avenue in New York and San Francisco; and Hong Kong. Though the past twenty-five years have seen exciting developments, the diaries and formulae of William Henry Penhaligon remain the keystone which ensures continuity, consistency and quality. The company has gathered ingredients from all over the world to create products that are unique and exclusive and in the process have established its own enduring traditions.

Penhaligon perfumes tend to appeal to the more discerning customer.