Fragrant travels with Penhaligon’s
[post contains press samples from previous collaborations with Penhaligon’s]
How do you ‘travel’ when you can’t physically travel? By getting lost in a good book, cooking a meal at home inspired by a foreign cuisine or perhaps through your favourite scents?
During the last few months I particularly enjoyed fragrance as a form of sensory escapism by rediscovering my drawer of perfume miniatures. I would normally use these samples during short trips away. However with no travel plans on the horizon I realised a spray of a gorgeous perfume in the morning can still give such a powerful start of my day. I’m sure fellow fragrance aficionados can relate.
Each scent I picked from the drawer took me on a journey to my favourite places through fragrant memories. After watching @penhaligons_london’s IGTV with Robyn Donaldson of @around.robyn themed ‘If fragrances were movie stars’ on Instagram, I felt that pairing cities with my favourite scents was timely. Naturally my list is highly subjective and based on my own travel memories, with no doubt someone else could come up with completely different pairings. Compiling such list was rather fun though, and felt like a mini virtual escape, so you might want to have a go at creating yours.
Budapest baths with Hammam Bouquet
Head: Lavender, Bergamot. Heart: Rose Otto, Cedarwood, Orris, Jasmine. Base: Amber, Musk, Sandalwood. Order your complimentary sample here. A small delivery free applies.
While I’ve not yet been to Turkey, my birthplace Budapest has plenty of Ottoman heritage. Did you know that no less than 75 hammams were built in Hungary during the Ottoman age? My personal favourites are the sligthly crumbling but incredibly authentic Király and the recently renovated Rudas baths which I certainly recommend adding to your Budapest itinerary. Stay at beautiful Brody House.
Florentine autumn with Orange Blossom
Head: Neroli, Violet Leaf, Bergamot, Lemon-Cedrat, Cardamom Absolute, Pink Berries. Heart: Orange Absolute, Egyptian Jasmine Absolute, Tuberose Absolute, Rose Essence, Peach Flower, Orchid. Base: Sandalwood, Virginian Cedar, White Musk, Vanilla.
One of our favourite autumn city escapes is beautiful Florence. I can still vividly remember that warm autumn evening a few years ago when we were strolling the streets of the cute Oltrarno district, and I smelled osmanthus flower for the very first time. Penhaligon’s Orange Blossom scent feels similar and it brings back this lovely Florentine memory. Osmanthus usually blossoms in late September / early October, in case you wanted to time your next Tuscan trip around it. Stay at the stunning Ad Astra or one of their lovely sister properties: Soprarno Suites or Oltrarno Splendid.
Scottish Highlands with Lord George
Head: Brandy. Heart: Shaving Soap. Base: Tonka Bean.
Beautiful Aberdeenshire and in particular Ballater and Braemar at Royal Deeside is a favourite winter destination of ours. We love escaping there in low season, visiting some fairytale castles and walking in the Cairngorms. Stay at one of the fabulous rooms of the Fife Arms or rent out the beautifully renovated former hunting lodge of Gairnshiel. A wee dram of whisky by the fireplace is a must.
Where else to travel by scent?
My other scent pairings are destinations I have not visited for a while, but would love to revisit by scent, and hopefully in person in the not too distant future:
Paris strolls with Elisabethan Rose - I paired the city of love with this beautiful rose scent which was my very first Penhaligon’s perfume and remains amongst my firm favourites to date. It’s romantic and enchanting just like the city of Paris.
St Petersburg ballet with Empressa - I will never forget my first visit at St Petersburg’s Mariinski Theatre in the middle of Russian winter, with local theatregoers dressed glamourously, champagne flowing and plenty of caviar consumed. Perhaps that’s why the gorgeous scent and the elegant bottle of Empressa reminds me of the city so much.
Viennese palaces with The Favourite - With some of my family living in Vienna, growing up we visited the Austrian capital almost every year. My favourite pasttimes included visiting the gorgeous Schönbrunn Palace and its beautifully manicured gardens. The soft and powdery scent of The Favourite along with its light pink velvet ribbon I think perfectly captures Viennese architecture and palaces in a scent form. Now excuse me while I daydream about Viennese melange and Sachertorte. Stay at the pretty Hotel Altstadt.
All photos by The Edinburgh Enthusiast (C).
Acknowledgement: Some of the perfumes mentioned in this post were press samples from the lovely Penhaligon’s team, others purchased by myself. As always, the views and opinions expressed on this blog are honest and purely my own.
