Portraits - The Blazing Mister Sam Penhaligon's 2018
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From self-knowledge to fragrance ... or vice versa?
Fragrances as a mirror of the personality, or at least as a counterpart to it. A nice thought, even if firstly difficult to implement and secondly hardly encountered in practice. With the flood of mainstream hype à la Sauvage, Bleu de Chanel and, it pains me to say this as a friend of fragrance, Aventus, a hopeless undertaking, since ubiquitous presence in excess and personality are, in my opinion, only compatible to a very limited extent. So how does one go about using scents not just for the sake of courtship or morning routine, but to underpin one's character as appropriately as possible through the olfactory sense? In my case, this was done by analyzing fragrance notes, reading comments, and the overall reputation of the scent. Designer fragrances were ruled out ahead of time, as I wanted something special that couldn't be found in every drugstore. Snobbish approach, but good. Gave in to the neuroses. So I tested my way through numerous fragrance lines, from Amouage to MFK to Parfums de Marly and so on. Cedrat Boise seemed an interesting choice, Layton too, as well as Amyris, Baccarat Rouge and Musc Ravageur. I even considered Duro, but immediately discarded him, even though I would have liked to see myself as a tough, edgy guy with him in combination. Finally, I arrived at Reflection Man, which had been doing it for me for a long time. A fabulous scent, not an insider's tip, but still of rarity value in the normal, non-scent-obsessed world. The image that the best of Amouage exuded made me daydream self-indulgently about our future together every time. The gentleman, the clean-cut man, the well-heeled diplomat who is universally loved and appreciated, never gives offence and always chooses the right words and actions. That was me and this fragrance reflected this perfectly.
"Please? Wait a minute Is that really you or do you just like to be what you think is associated with this perfume?! Don't deceive yourself, you are far from those character traits! Wear the perfume because you like it, but don't bask in its glow as a white knight, which you are not (yet - editor's note)!"
Touché! The inner voice has stood up to the utopian notions of the happiness center. And right she is, I am indeed not. I have drifted from searching for a fragrance that matches my still-changing personality to searching for one whose reputation I would like to match my personality to. An important realization for me, because I didn't want something like that. Self-image and foreign image should fit together, at least in this case, that was my goal.
Nevertheless, I put my search on hold, because I was a bit disillusioned by the temporary result. But unexpected often comes and so it happened that I was recently again testing new fragrances, including some Xerjoffs, such as 40 Knots (great, high-quality fragrance). Almost incidentally, Penhaligon's The Blazing Mr. Sam was sprayed on my wrist, which I didn't pay much attention to; I was too taken with 40 Knots. As the day went on, however, I lost more and more control and was only sniffing Mr. Sam, which I had previously dismissed as an overpriced mainstreamer. More and more I liked this actually simple composition, which reminded me a bit of my favourite Spicebomb (original, not extreme). Now I started to do some research and came across the remarkable stories of the Portraits series from Penhaligon's. Highly recommended, almost comic book like. In doing so, I found Mr. Sam's story exceedingly interesting and, to my amazement, somehow applicable to my life's journey. Not the nouveau riche or playboy posturing, but the impetuous, brash, and not-always-correct-with-your-head-through-the-wall strategy. If my mother were to read the description, she would probably smile and somewhat cynically claim that this would apply perfectly to her son. The same goes for the scent itself, which according to her would be far too sweet, just like the ones I have accumulated since puberty and which she resists. But that fits yes, what else she is not used to from me.
Hm, wasn't that exactly what I actually wanted? A perfume with which one could identify me without problems? Something that stays true to my line, but still seems special? In a sense, a metamorphosis of my old familiar sweet favorites, only in niche? Yes, it was and is. The fictional storyline of the frivolous Mr. Sam on top of that an absolute win for my dimples. I just can't lie to myself, whether I dislike it or not.
As for the fragrance itself, there are no surprises as long as you've familiarized yourself with the fragrance pyramid. Is it special? Yep, a familiar to me in rudiments, spicy-sweet smell that has been refined and can be compared at least a little with V&R Spicebomb. It's particularly closely related to Penhaligon's Halfeti, but without the oud touch and rose, and a bit sweeter instead (more cinnamon?). In the base notes, the two eventually diverge further and tobacco joins in nicely, giving Mr. Sam a much more masculine face than Halfeti. Wearable for me in all situations, in all seasons. Probably more in cooler times, but that remains to be seen. I would associate Mr. Sam with younger gentlemen who can be elegant, but also like to let off steam, while remaining determined - just like his portrait. However, he also invites you to feel good and brings a certain boost to your self-confidence. Somehow also a small replacement for my Egoist by Chanel, which I like so much, but which is less suitable for everyday wear for me. Not too over-the-top like One Million or the Gaultiers, but also not as prudish as other representatives of the spicy genres. Kind of perfect, at least for me.
Can it pass for mainstream-inspired? I think so. Does that bother me?
No, not at all. Why? Because it doesn't exist in mainstream like that, period. Plus, it seems high quality, projects perfectly, and lasts easily 8 hours on up. Does it bug me when scents from niche brands are denigrated because they probably smell mainstream? Absolutely. Why? Because fragrances are fragrances and they just smell the way they smell. More important to me is the fineness of the composition and naturalness of these, which for me have a high level. It can and should not contain now times every perfume Oud, the best sandalwood or other to act extraordinarily own. So that is now times.
I have found my Buddy and my Buddy probably me - Completely without having to pretend me. In a few years, it will then maybe still Reflection Man, when the stormy times are over and I have dedicated myself to respectability. For the moment, however, I am very satisfied with my horned beast, which may accompany me from now on.
"Please? Wait a minute Is that really you or do you just like to be what you think is associated with this perfume?! Don't deceive yourself, you are far from those character traits! Wear the perfume because you like it, but don't bask in its glow as a white knight, which you are not (yet - editor's note)!"
Touché! The inner voice has stood up to the utopian notions of the happiness center. And right she is, I am indeed not. I have drifted from searching for a fragrance that matches my still-changing personality to searching for one whose reputation I would like to match my personality to. An important realization for me, because I didn't want something like that. Self-image and foreign image should fit together, at least in this case, that was my goal.
Nevertheless, I put my search on hold, because I was a bit disillusioned by the temporary result. But unexpected often comes and so it happened that I was recently again testing new fragrances, including some Xerjoffs, such as 40 Knots (great, high-quality fragrance). Almost incidentally, Penhaligon's The Blazing Mr. Sam was sprayed on my wrist, which I didn't pay much attention to; I was too taken with 40 Knots. As the day went on, however, I lost more and more control and was only sniffing Mr. Sam, which I had previously dismissed as an overpriced mainstreamer. More and more I liked this actually simple composition, which reminded me a bit of my favourite Spicebomb (original, not extreme). Now I started to do some research and came across the remarkable stories of the Portraits series from Penhaligon's. Highly recommended, almost comic book like. In doing so, I found Mr. Sam's story exceedingly interesting and, to my amazement, somehow applicable to my life's journey. Not the nouveau riche or playboy posturing, but the impetuous, brash, and not-always-correct-with-your-head-through-the-wall strategy. If my mother were to read the description, she would probably smile and somewhat cynically claim that this would apply perfectly to her son. The same goes for the scent itself, which according to her would be far too sweet, just like the ones I have accumulated since puberty and which she resists. But that fits yes, what else she is not used to from me.
Hm, wasn't that exactly what I actually wanted? A perfume with which one could identify me without problems? Something that stays true to my line, but still seems special? In a sense, a metamorphosis of my old familiar sweet favorites, only in niche? Yes, it was and is. The fictional storyline of the frivolous Mr. Sam on top of that an absolute win for my dimples. I just can't lie to myself, whether I dislike it or not.
As for the fragrance itself, there are no surprises as long as you've familiarized yourself with the fragrance pyramid. Is it special? Yep, a familiar to me in rudiments, spicy-sweet smell that has been refined and can be compared at least a little with V&R Spicebomb. It's particularly closely related to Penhaligon's Halfeti, but without the oud touch and rose, and a bit sweeter instead (more cinnamon?). In the base notes, the two eventually diverge further and tobacco joins in nicely, giving Mr. Sam a much more masculine face than Halfeti. Wearable for me in all situations, in all seasons. Probably more in cooler times, but that remains to be seen. I would associate Mr. Sam with younger gentlemen who can be elegant, but also like to let off steam, while remaining determined - just like his portrait. However, he also invites you to feel good and brings a certain boost to your self-confidence. Somehow also a small replacement for my Egoist by Chanel, which I like so much, but which is less suitable for everyday wear for me. Not too over-the-top like One Million or the Gaultiers, but also not as prudish as other representatives of the spicy genres. Kind of perfect, at least for me.
Can it pass for mainstream-inspired? I think so. Does that bother me?
No, not at all. Why? Because it doesn't exist in mainstream like that, period. Plus, it seems high quality, projects perfectly, and lasts easily 8 hours on up. Does it bug me when scents from niche brands are denigrated because they probably smell mainstream? Absolutely. Why? Because fragrances are fragrances and they just smell the way they smell. More important to me is the fineness of the composition and naturalness of these, which for me have a high level. It can and should not contain now times every perfume Oud, the best sandalwood or other to act extraordinarily own. So that is now times.
I have found my Buddy and my Buddy probably me - Completely without having to pretend me. In a few years, it will then maybe still Reflection Man, when the stormy times are over and I have dedicated myself to respectability. For the moment, however, I am very satisfied with my horned beast, which may accompany me from now on.
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