In hands of prince Charles

I could spend an entire morning listing the things that I love of the English people. Some as frivolous as their eye for knowing exactly when removing the bag of PG Tips, or the joy with which the girls wear cute rebeccas while I look at them with my down-filled coat fastened to the top. I love to see this ode to order in Paddington Station at rush hour and I envy their ability to mix and match with holy extravagant fabrics and prints. 

But what I really love is the happy coexistence of the old and the new. On the embossed wall of an old pub in Soho hangs a plasma screen thickness as a slice of ham. Now you’re amazed with Topshop sweatshirts; walk down Regent Street to Burlington Arcade. Stop at number 16-17. Suddenly, London is another London but it is still the same.

Penhaligon’s is the definition of the iconic British elegance, oblivious to the passage of time and, because of this, always up to date. This perfume house was founded in 1870 by William Penhaligon, a smart and creative guy who came from Cornwall to London to work as a barber in the Turkish Baths of Piccadilly, in Jermyn Street. His keen eye for business led him soon to open a new room on the same street. There, he started to create his own scents and lotions for a discerning clientele, Queen Victoria among them. There are people who pass away leaving a good memory behind; William also left a trail of exquisite cologne.

His legacy has been an inspiration for all creations of the house, from the delicious perfume in glass bottles with tapes feature surrounding the caps, to luxurious soap boxes. Opening one of these elegant boxes, separating the fine tissue paper and stopping in their sound, inhaling the wonderful smell, is one of those small pleasures worth indulge occasionally -and sooner rather than later, dammit.

Penhaligon’s soaps are triple milled and enriched with shea butter and almond oil to moisturize the skin. All of them are inspired by one of the aromas of the house. As Blenheim Bouquet, a masculine cologne water created in 1902 for the Duke of Marlborough and resulting from the vibrant blend of citrus oils, spices and woods. It is so modern that it seems incredible that it was created over a century ago.

If you love sweet and fresh scents, you’ll love the Lily of the Valley soap, whose fragrance is considered by connoisseurs as one of the most delicate creations based on lily of the valley. The happy notes of rose and jasmine cheer it up. You may also like the elegant soap Artemisia, inspired by a caramel mixture of vanilla and amber with a light veil of jasmine, violet and lily of the valley.

Ellenisia is a soft, silky and spring soap. A bouquet of gardenias, jasmine and tuberose with a touch of plum and vanilla. Extravagant as good English. English to the core is also the Bluebell, a fine fragrance of bluebell woods that takes us by the hand for a walk in the forest after the rain.

Since last January, Penhaligon’s is owned by Puig Groug, which bought the legendary British house from the investment fund Fox Paine & Company. Penhaligon’s is the official supplier of the Prince of Wales and the Duke of Edinburgh and it is sold in many countries all around the world, such as Japan, South Korea, Russia, Ukraine, USA and Singapore. In Spain you can purchase Penhaligon’s perfumes in Le Secret du Marais, Nadia or Isolee, in Madrid; Erlai, in Bilbao; Regia, in Barcelona; Dulce Calvo, in Santiago de Compostela; or Yowe in León. The box of three soaps has an approximate price of £23.