Penhaligon's Scent Profiling Service Is At The Top Of Our Must-Do List

Finding the ultimate fragrance has just got a whole lot easier. Enter Penhaligon's Scent Profiling.

Perfume - nothing really stirs the senses or revives old memories like it does it? Whether you love to wear just a hint of a fragranced oil, or you have a penchant for dousing yourself in enough EDP to make the old ladies on the bus cough (I’m speaking from experience here), what you choose to scent yourself with – and how you choose to do it - says a lot about who you are.

You might think of France as the world’s fragrance epicenter but London can more than hold its own thank you very much. In a square mile in London’s historic St James’s you’ll find perfume stores harking back to their Victorian origins and Penhaligon’s - nestled in the iconic Burlington Arcade - is among them.

Penhaligon’s story began in 1872 – when English perfumers were considered to be the very best in the world - with the launch of Hammam Bouquet (a woody little number inspired by the steam and sulphurous scents of the nearby Turkish baths) and they’ve been catering for the olfactory-minded ever since. Their efforts have earned them a Royal Warrant and, you know, if it’s good enough for The Queen it’s good enough for us.

So if you’re on a mission to find the ultimate treat for a loved one (or for yourself) here’s what you should do: make an appointment at the Penhaligon’s store and spend a joyfully indulgent 30-minutes experiencing their Scent Profiling service. There you will go on a journey of scent where you’ll try various fragrance ‘families’ until your fragrance expert finds your ultimate scent. And the best bit? It’s completely free.

Discover such gems as Bluebell with hyacinth, rose, lily and jasmine over clove and cinnamon, and Artemisia with creamy notes of vanilla and amber.

And if you find yourself across the pond, the new Penhaligon’s store in New York’s Rockefeller Center on 5th Avenue, should be on the top of your list of places to visit.