Question:
I tried Hammam Bouquet for the first time in January. Sniffed it on a card and threw it away: How disgusting. Then something - maybe the well known scentomania - forced me to order it two days ago.
It has just arrived, I have just sprayed it on and it put a spell on me: How intoxicating. Now from my last thread on Penhaligon's I have learnt that this is not supposed to work well in summer or in a "social environment" (in my case: university). Although I'm a bit sad about that I will certainly wear it around people, too. To me it smells severe and self-conscious on the one hand side, and on the other it is utterly, well, "gentle" in a very manly way (not to say: gentle-manly).
Although the reviews on this scent are of outstanding quality (compliment to the reviewers), I'd like to summon Hammam's admirers once more and call for your view! By the way: What about its sillage? Thanks in advance.

Answer:
I had a very similar reaction. I bought a sample based on the reviews and thought "Ugh, it's like dowsing my self in old lady powder!" I tried it a few more times with breaks between trials, and eventually found it quite lovely. The reviews are accurate when they describe it as sensual but it doesn't fit my preconceived notions of sensual. It's soft and, yes, powdery, and floral but also rich and intoxication (two of my favorite words to describe a fragrance). It does lean to the feminine side which I don't mind but might not be for everyone.

The one I haven't yet been able to "enter into," although despite everything about it I should, is Blenheim Bouquet.

Answer:
My second favourite Penhaligon's (after the joyful Castile). The longevity is excellent on me. HB transports me. I feel very happy wearing this in a university environment. As the_good_life's review points out, this ought to be a part of any C19th cultural history programme.

Answer:
while normally when I would hear the word "powdery" used to describe a fragrance that would summon its death knell to me.
However, HB's powder notes smell fresh and have depth. This scent lasts HOURS on me, and I pick up different notes along the way. It just happens that I put it on earlier as I was headed off to do some work at the library.
As far as it being an "older" man's fragrance? Bah. To hell with that. No, it certainly will not be embraced by the clones who are afraid to move away from the pack. But we don't give a damn about what they think, right?
Glad you like it!

Answer:
I'm glad this discussion has come up. I haven't tried any of these and I'm looking forward to them. My question: I always thought a very old, English house might have more conservative scents. The comment about HB being feminine surprises me. I had also read that BB is supposed to be a very masculine, intimidating scent.
Any comments?
Thanks
RM

Answer:
Blenheim Bouquet stikes me as very lime when I first put it on. After 15 minutes or so spices and woods start to come through giving the lime scent a lot of depth that I rather like. I'll probably wind up buying a bottle of BB; I wasn't too fond of HB, though I didn't really give it an extended test.

Answer:
Quote: Originally Posted by Renaissance_Man I'm glad this discussion has come up. I haven't tried any of these and I'm looking forward to them. My question: I always thought a very old, English house might have more conservative scents. The comment about HB being feminine surprises me. I had also read that BB is supposed to be a very masculine, intimidating scent.
Any comments?
Thanks
RM If I think about it then it actually seems like it's both. The florals and powder in the beginning may give it a feminine vibe to some, though I don't think so, whereas the musk basenote really starts to come through as it wears longer thus making it seem more masculine as it dries down.

Answer:
I concur with Gimpy as far as Hammam Bouquet is concerned.

Blenheim Bouquet is the more traditionally masculine of the two fragrances, but it baffles me in that every word written (on Basenotes anyway) to describe it is accurate and very, very appealing to me, and yet I don't like the fragrance! Thus far, I experience it as a dirty dishwater conglomeration of lemon and pine, but I refuse to give up on this one!

Answer:
I should like to walk the streets of London that were familiar to Dickens wearing a Penhaligons fragrance. It would be good exercize on an sunny spring day. No doubt about it.

Answer:
I struggled with the same issue just last week. I've been deciding between HB and C&S #88 myself. I even went to Penhaligon's and then to Cambridge Chemists (in Manhattan) to smell the scents head to head. What I decided was that HB was far smoother to my nose and is a fragrance that demands the wearer's self confidence (though, admittedly, both do). I also tried one of my samples of HB during class last week, as it's still chilly in New York and while I felt a little self conscious, especially around teachers/ anyone who wasn't a student, I found it to be a delightfully warm scent, and one that relatively few have the ability to wear. However, in any sort of heat I feel bogged down by it and I've thus gone with C&S 88 for the spring and will without a doubt be buying a full bottle of HB come November-ish. I should add that when I first tried it, I hated it and it failed to last on my skin. With the right application (perhaps two sprays total) this fragrance should last all day. It's going to be a signature scent of mine for sure. Hope that added a slightly new perspective.
Ben