Most know Penhaligon’s as a luxury perfume house. But the British brand didn’t begin life with scents. Instead, William Henry Penhaligon opened a barber shop on Jermyn Street in 1870, trimming the tresses of Mayfair’s bright young things.
Two years later, in 1872, William created The Hammam Bouquet, a nod to his time in the steamy bathrooms. It caused quite a stir.
Soon, word spread of a British barber making exquisite perfumes. His work impressed the royal family so much that Queen Alexandra granted Penhaligon’s its first royal warrant in 1903.
Over a century later, Penhaligon’s still holds two royal warrants from the Duke of Edinburgh and the Prince of Wales, granted in 1956 and 1988, respectively. Its scents remain loved in Europe and the brand has spread its olfactory gospel across multiple continents and cities.
Its latest scents, Luna and Solaris, pay homage to these dreams and ambitions. The sun and its warmth inspired the latter. It’s the source of everything, and gives birth to several things on our planet. This infinite power has inspired several ceremonies and rituals, yet remaining a mystery to all of us.
The giant orb signals the start of the day, much like the Solaris’ lively scent with its refreshing top notes of blackcurrant, neroli and lemon. As the sun makes its way across the sky, so too does Solaris, settling into floral notes of ylang ylang and jasmine before descending into gorgeous sandalwood and vanilla. It’s an ode to the sun and its unflinching march through time and space, bearing witness to the rise of different civilisations.
When the chariot has finished its duty, the moon takes over. Even though it lights the world at night, it remains eternally shrouded, almost impossible to reach in our lifetimes. And just like the night sky that the moon inhabits, Luna opens with the bitter freshness of orange bigarade oil and bergamot oil. Then, the juniper berry and jasmine petal middle notes emerge, accompanied by the sensuality of the dark woody base.
Penhaligon’s wants you to dream of the astral universe with Luna and Solaris, just like a certain British perfumer back in the 1870s.
Penhaligon’s Luna Eau de Toilette and Solaris Eau de Parfum are priced at $310 each and are available at Sephora ION, sephora.sg, escentials.com, and all Penhaligon’s stores.
