FRAGRANCE | Vial trial: Sartorial by Penhaligon's

halfwhiteboy - penhaligon's sartorial

Vial Trials are my reviews of sample fragrances given out by sales people from various store purchases. Compared to my posts about full bottles--which are mostly positive because I already like them in the first place, that's why I bought them--Vial Trials are hopefully less one-sided since they were just given to me; I didn't pick them.

This entry is a little different, however, because the fragrance I'm reviewing here--Sartorial by Penhaligon's--isn't a sample but part of a scent library trial pack I bought containing five men's and five women's scents.

Sartorial is love at first sniff for me. Right off the bat there's this delectably sweet and warm accord, tempered by a pleasantly light, sort of mentholated, spicy-floral blend. I realized the mentholated effect emanates from the metallic note, which is something I normally despise but surprisingly in this case I love.

This is such a complex, well-blended juice that despite the myriad of notes Penhaligon's listed, Sartorial never comes across as chaotic. Everything just feels so balanced and perfectly executed. The result smells very masculine; not the burly type but a refined kind of masculine. It's classy and very gentlemanly. Elegant and can very well be worn to formal occasions.

Meanwhile, the warmth and sweetness from the opening (courtesy of the honey and beeswax) lingers into the drydown, settling into woody territory.

Sartorial projects moderately and as such is never off-putting. Longevity is good on this one, and can last you throughout the day, in cold or warm weather.

In hindsight, Sartorial is a winner. It's a well-executed blend of different notes to produce something that's unmistakably masculine and classy. Performance cannot be discounted, especially considering that unlike The Uncompromising Sohan or The Tragedy of Lord George, this fragrance is on the lower end of Penhaligon's price range. I think it's a safe blind buy and is definitely worthy of a full bottle.

In the meantime, I still have a couple more to test:

halfwhiteboy - penhaligon's scent library (sample size)

Oh, for the love of fragrances!

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Also check out:
[FRAGRANCE | Vial trial: Blenheim Bouquet by Penhaligon's]

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