We have twenty (yes, TWENTY!) boxes to give away! All you need to do is tell us in a comment on this post which of the chocolates you think would be your favourite and why. The best 20 answers will be picked by us on Wednesday 23^rd of May 2012.

Each box contains the following chocolates:
Eau Sans Pareil, Endymion, Gardenia, Juniper Sling, Malabah, Esprit du Roi,
Amaranthine and Orange Blossom.

Good luck!

-         Lauren

T+C’s: Competition closes midnight GMT on Wednesday 23^rd of May 2012. There are 20 prizes consisting of 20 boxes of Penhaligon’s chocolates RRP £15. There is no cash alternative. The winners will be picked by Penhaligon’s Ltd and will be informed by Wednesday the 23^rd of May 2012. In the case that we are unable to send the prize to the winner because of shipping restrictions, an alternative prize to the same value will be offered. The prize is non transferrable and there is no cash alternative. No
purchase necessary. The promoter is Penhaligon’s Ltd, Dragoon House, 37-39
Artillery Lane, London, E1 7LP

The event was held in the beautiful Rose Lounge at the Sofitel St James Hotel. The lounge was the perfect location for the launch of our new floral scent; decadent sofas, pink floral prints and luscious bouquets of peonies and roses.

Throughout the afternoon, journalists from numerous publications and blogs (Harpers Bazaar, Stylist, British Beauty Blogger and Basenotes) met with master perfumer Olivier himself to discover more about the creation and inspiration behind the scent.

Bespoke cocktails and afternoon teas were created exclusively for the event.  The Peoneve cocktail was created by the head bartender of the St James Bar and included rose liquor, jasmine syrup and pink champagne to carefully reflect the sparkling essence of the scent.

The afternoon tea was inspired by a traditional English garden and included such delicacies as elderflower scented Napoleon cake, rose and raspberry macaroons and geranium and rose strawberry jam. I can vouch for both – absolutely delicious!

Peoneve will be available to buy exclusively at Harvey Nichols Knightsbridge from the 16^th July 2012 and then in Penhaligon’s boutiques, concessions and online at www.penhaligons.com from the 13^th August. We are planning lots of exciting promotional activity for the launch so do keep your eyes peeled on Facebook, Twitter and here on our blog.

What do you think about our new fragrance? Are you a fan of peonies?

-         Lauren

Orange blossoms are the flowers of the orange tree, also known as Citrus sinensis. These incredibly aromatic flowers have had an important cultural significance in many communities around the world for centuries. There are few trees as prolific as the orange; it is one of the rare plants that blooms and bears fruit at the same time, thus becoming symbolic of fruitfulness and motherhood. In the Victorian art of floriography, an orange blossom represents eternal Love.

Orange blossoms possess botanical qualities which give them a unique and enduring place in wedding tradition. Queen Victoria created the vogue for wearing a wreath of orange blossoms in the Victorian-era after she wore them on her on her wedding day in 1840. More recently, Jacqueline Kennedy also wore orange blossoms at her wedding ceremony.  This association can be traced as far back as the mythology of the ancient Greeks and Romans. Greek mythology holds that when the goddess Hera married Zeus, the King of Heaven, she was given orange blossoms by Gaea, the goddess of earth and fertility.

Originally created in 1976, Penhaligon’s Orange Blossom was transformed into a luminous honeyed floral by master perfumer Bertrand Duchaufour as part of the Anthology collection. Lush with Calabrian orange and bergamot, tempered with Virginian cedar, rose and peach flower. Wearing Orange Blossom is like walking from shade into warm sunshine.

 We’ve told you what Orange Blossom means in the language of flowers but can you decode this bouquet below? Leave a comment below telling us what you think it is and one lucky winner will be picked at random to win a bottle of Orange Blossom Eau de Toilette (100ml).

- Laura

*Terms and conditions: There is one prize consisting of a bottle of Penhaligon’s Orange Blossom Eau de Toilette (100ml). The closing date is midnight GMT on 8^th May 2012. The winner will be drawn at random on Wed 9^th May. The prize is non-transferable and there is no cash alternative. No purchase necessary. The promoter is Penhaligon’s Ltd, Dragoon House, 37-39 Artillery Lane, London, E1 7LP.

Gardenias are recognised as one of the most loved exotic flowering plants. They were originally found only in China and Japan, but today there are over 200 different species of gardenia in existence throughout the world. The most popular cultivated species is the Cape Jasmine, native to China. Gardenia plants are prized for the strong sweet scent and it is a favourite flower for corsage due to its heady fragrance. In England during the 19th century, men often wore the blooms on their lapels of their formal evening wear. It was believed to be good luck to give a gardenia to a man. Jazz singer Billie Holiday considered gardenias to be her signature flower and wore them in her hair whenever she performed.

The language of flowers, known as floriography, helped Victorian men and women skirt around the strict rules of courting. In an era when etiquette and propriety were of utmost importance, flowers often conveyed a message that the sender dared not speak in words. In the language of flowers, gardenia came to symbolize secret love.

Penhaligon’s Gardenia is a translucent watercolour in soft washes of tuberose, jasmine, gardenia, ylang-ylang, spice and vanilla. A radiant magnolia-tinted portrait of one of nature’s most sensual blooms. Gardenia was originally created in 1976 and was resurrected as part of the 2009 Anthology Collection.

We’ve told you what Gardenia means in the language of flowers but can you decode this bouquet below? Leave a comment below telling us what you think it is and one lucky winner will be picked at random to win a 100ml bottle of Gardenia Eau de Toilette.

- Laura

*Terms and conditions: There is one prize consisting of a bottle of Penhaligon’s Gardenia Eau de Toilette (100ml). The closing date is midnight GMT on the 1st May 2012. The winner will be drawn at random on Wed 2nd May. The prize is non-transferable and there is no cash alternative. No purchase necessary. The promoter is Penhaligon’s Ltd, Dragoon House, 37-39 Artillery Lane, London, E1 7LP.

The common bluebell is a true sign of British springtime. There is something quite ethereal about a sea of bluebells covering woodlands in a haze of purpley blue.  This spectacular botannical display is only found in northern Europe, with Britain containing more than half of the world’s population.

In 1850, Emily Bronte described how:

‘‘The Bluebell is the sweetest flower
That waves in summer air:
Its blossoms have the mightiest power
To soothe my spirit’s care.’

In the Victorian art of floriography, the bluebell represented humility and constancy. The presence of  a bluebell in a floral bouquet would have symbolised one’s unwavering devotion to their love, through the means of this coded message.

Our cult scent, Bluebell was originally created in 1978 and is the pure unadulterated distillation of the scent of bluebell woods. Complex and utterly distinctive, Bluebell is a soliflore scent, evocative of wet earth, moss and rain; it softly detonates across your scent receptors.  Close your eyes….imagine you are standing in a bluebell wood, dappled in bright spring sunshine, a light breeze dancing through the leaves. Inhale…..it has just rained… a spring shower. All around you, soft sounds, a sudden overwhelming scent, green and mossy: a carpet of bluebells, rain in the air, loamy wet bark, damp grass and floral notes.

We’ve told you what Bluebells mean in the language of flowers but can you decode this bouquet below? Leave a comment below telling us what you think it is and one lucky winner will be picked at random to win a 100ml bottle of Bluebell!

Keep your eyes peeled for more posts on the traditions of the language of flowers. Visit our Facebook page to learn more about weekly competitions we’ll be holding to win a 100ml fragrance from our soliflore range.       

 - Laura

*Terms and conditions:  There is one prize consisting of a bottle of Penhaligon’s Bluebell Eau de Toilette (100ml). The closing date is midnight GMT on the 24 April 2012. The winner will be drawn at random on Wed 25 April 2012. The prize is non-transferable and there is no cash alternative. No purchase necessary. The promoter is Penhaligon’s Ltd, Dragoon House, 37-39 Artillery Lane, London, E1 7LP.

Flowers are such a beauty among us and make our lives all the more fragrant but did you know that each flower actually carries its own secret message?

Floriography, or the language of flowers, was a Victorian means of communication in which various flowers and floral arrangements were used to send coded messages. The Victorian period ushered in a time of proper etiquette in England and there were expected behaviours that prohibited outright conversations. Flowers quickly increased in popularity as a way to communicate discretely to others. Each specific flower had a different message behind it as did the ribbon that tied them together or the manner by which the bouquet was worn.

Today, the nuances of are now mostly forgotten, but red roses still imply passionate, romantic love while white roses suggest virtue and chastity. We love this tradition and have been busy decoding what the flowers in our solifore range mean…

If you ever wanted to thank someone for brightening up your day, a bunch of Lily of the Valley can do just the trick. In the vintage art form of Floriography, this flower secretly conveyed the return of one’s happiness. Share with all who you wish to thank for rubbing out those gloomy patches in your day.

Keep your eyes peeled for more posts on the traditions of the language of flowers. Visit our Facebook page to learn more about weekly competitions we’ll be holding to win a 100ml fragrance from our soliflore range.

Whilst on holiday last week I couldn’t resist visiting the Croft port house in Oporto, Portugal. To be honest, I was completely clueless about what this fortified wine actually was and how it was made, so I thought I’d share some of the facts I learnt during the tour with you!

1. Grapes have been grown in Portugal since antiquity. Strabo the Greek philosopher describes how the inhabitants of the Iberian Peninsula were drinking wine 2000 years ago!

2. The history of Port began in the 17^th century. The grapes were grown and
fermented in the neighbouring Douro Valley and then stored and aged in barrels
in cellars in Oporto. It is thought that each year as many as 1,200,000 cases
of wine were shipped down the River Douro to Oporto by the beginning of the 17^th
century.

3. Port was originally a standard red table wine. It is not known exactly when or why, Port as we know it today, was created. It wasn’t until the 19^th century that the addition of brandy during the fermentation process was widely adopted. The fortification of the wine gives it that sweet and aromatic taste.

4. The Douro Valley was demarcated and regulated in 1756, making Port the oldest controlled denomination of origin.

5. Port is the third oldest protected wine region in the world after the Tokaj-Hegyalia  region in Hungary (1730) and Chianti from Italy (1716.)

6. In 1868 the root louse Phylloxera wiped out the vineyards of the Douro Valley. The louse caused severe economic damage and the trade didn’t begin to recover until the 19^th century.

7. Numerous port houses still operate in Oporto to this day. Located in Vila Nova de Gaia the majority of these houses are open to the public for tours and wine tasting.

So there we have it, a brief summary of what I learnt about Port on my wine tasting tour (all in the name of work of course!)

Have you been to the Douro Valley? Do you think Douro is a good interpretation of this beautiful area in Portugal?

- Lauren

Fragrance fads come and go – the Victorians wore perfume to mask bad smells, today people wear it to smell like J Lo. It has become as fickle as fashion, with designers
churning out a new scent seemingly every week – and also experimental, with
scents that smell of cheese or which correspond to one’s blood type. Yet despite
all this, some fragrances possess a certain magic which people keep returning
to, a century after they were created. Here are some of my favourite pieces of
perfume history.

Penhaligon’s Hammam Bouquet –1872 William Penhaligon’s first ever scent
was inspired by the Turkish Hammam baths that were popular in Victorian London,
where people went to socialise and do business deals. Several also played host
to scenes of extreme debauchery (some things never change). Warm and musky with
an exotic heart of Turkish rose, Hammam was a complete departure from the floral and citrus colognes that were common at the time; people began to realise they didn’t have to smell like a flower shop – or a lemon.

Joy by Jean Patou – 1929. Using two of the most precious ingredients in perfumery, namely Rose de Mai and Grasse jasmine, perfumer Jean Patou described Joy as being to perfume “what Rolls Royce is to motor cars.” Even today, the bijou little Baccarat bottle with gold twine wound around the square stopper together with the word “Joy” is enough to stop anyone’s heart as much as a Tiffany necklace or a pair of sparkling Louboutins.  With 10,000 jasmine blossoms and 336 roses in every 30ml, who wouldn’t feel special upon receiving a bottle? (My boyfriend better be reading this…)

Guerlain’s Shalimar – 1925. Oriental fragrances were highly popular
in the 1920s, a time when the West was fascinated by anything remotely “exotic”-
so Guerlain were bang on the money when Shalimar was created. Inspired by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan’s love for his third wife Mumtaz Mahal – in whose honour he created the famous Shalimar Gardens of Lahore (lucky girl!) this seductive blend of vanilla, iris and tonka bean was as famous for its curvaceous fan-shaped bottle, as for its contents. Since then the iconic perfume has had several facelifts – including a second version Shalimar Parfum Initial for younger customers launched last year – and has remained Guerlain’s flagship fragrance.

Penhaligon’s Blenheim Bouquet – 1902. This classic scent remains Penhaligon’s
bestseller among women buying for their husbands or boyfriends. A crisp bite of
citrus oils, spices and woody notes, it delivers a distinct, decided freshness
with musky undertones that one can imagine went down well with the stiff upper-lipped
gentlemen of Edwardian England. Covent Garden Store Manager Richard Clayforth
describes Blenheim as being for the type of guy who “may not be the most romantic but extremely loyal – he’ll never let you down.” Anyone have his number?

Narcisse Noir by Caron – 1911. If Gloria Swanson demands the set of Sunset
Boulevard to be sprayed with your perfume before she can get into character,
you know you’ve hit upon something extraordinary. Like a black floor-length
cocktail gown that clings in all the right places Narcisse Noir is a sexy,
bewitching scent that is still flying off the shelves as soon as boutiques get
it in stock. Its fresh, floral notes of orange blossom, rose and jasmine are
juxtaposed with a musky woody base resulting in a fragrance full of
contradictions. Over the years it hasn’t lost its power to enrapture – I myself
have never smelt anything else quite like it.

What is your favourite fragrance of all time? Does it stand the test of time?

- Lauren

Our fragrance profiling service is fascinating way top discover and explore the world of scent. One of our fragrance experts will help you explore your olfactory memory; your likes and dislikes, personality, previous scents, what kind of fragrance you are looking for and what you would like it to say about you. Introduced to a selected group of pre-scented fragrance strips, your choice is gradually narrowed until you find your perfect scent. A truly magical and illuminating experience made that little bit more special with a glass of bubbly in hand!

To book an appointment for your Mum (and perhaps you!) all you need to do is get in touch with your local boutique and quote ‘MD 2012.’ You can find the location and contact details of all of our stores here.

- Lauren

Hayfever is a wonderfully amusing play written by esteemed writer Noël Coward. Howard Davies directs Lindsay Duncan, who is joined by Jeremy Northam, Kevin R McNally and Olivia Colman in Coward’s sublime comedy of bad manners. Judith Bliss, once glittering star of the London stage, now in early retirement, is still enjoying life with more than a little high drama.  To spice her weekend up, Judith invites a young suitor to join her in the country. However, her novelist husband, and her two eccentric children have had the same idea for themselves and any hope for private flirtation disappears as the family’s guests begin to arrive.  Misjudged meetings, secret seductions and scandalous evelations all run riot at the most outrageous of all house parties.
Good Luck!

*Terms and conditions: There is one prize consisting of two tickets to Hay Fever and two bottles of Juniper Sling (RRP £220.) Tickets are only valid for Mon – Thurs performances 18 March – 5 April. Subject to availability.  The closing date is midnight GMT on the 18^th March 2012. The winner will be drawn at random on Monday 20^th of March 2012. This prize draw is only open to UK residents. Travel to and from London and any other costs will not be reimbursed. The prize is non-transferable and there is no cash alternative. No purchase necessary. The promoter is Penhaligon’s Ltd, Dragoon House, 37-39 Artillery Lane, London, E1 7LP.