Blenheim and English Fern

[travo36]

I tried getting samples from Pens and they informed me that they are doing away with them! WTH!? Any other place I might be able to get them?

I would rather do a blind buy(crazy right?) than spend money on a sample, because after reading all of the input from this sight on the frags I am interested in, I ususally enjoy the scents that I pick. But I am not sure with these two.

Does the BB resemble ADP that closely that it would be useless to have both? Does EF resemble anything found in dept stores? Thanks for all the help gentlemen!

 

[cernel_joson]

They're doing away with samples? From what I've read Penhaligon's has always been pretty tight fisted with free samples. I guess they just made it official.

 

[travo36]

I asked for BB, EF, And Sartorial. They sent me Eau De Cologne, Extract of Limes, and Sartorial. I wrote back explaining what had happened, and they told me that they were not restocking them so that's why they sent the other two instead.

 

[jrhudgins]

You can buy decants/samples from mudassir at:

http://flacon.ambaric.net/viewtopic.php?t=20&sid=9c6d56af956f03c708fc86a3457926ab

 

[The Knize]

<Does the BB resemble ADP that closely that it would be useless to have both? Does EF resemble anything found in dept stores?> "No" and "not really." EF smells a little bit like Brut, I suppose, but a much higher end frag.

 

[nole1]

PM me your address. I have some Penhaligon's samples I can send you.

 

[The Knize]

PM me your address. I have some Penhaligon's samples I can send you.

Thanks for stepping up like that, Brad. That is really nice and generous of you. Pens should pay you a commission!

 

[Chuck Norris]

I'm confused. Are they doing away with these samples or doing away with these fragrances entirely? (i REALLY don't want any more rumors getting started around here )

 

[The Knize]

I'm confused. Are they doing away with these samples or doing away with these fragrances entirely? (i REALLY don't want any more rumors getting started around here )

No way Pens would do away with BB. As far as I know, Pens' biggest seller. EF, maybe. I sure would hate to see that happen.

From what I read here, Pens is doing away with sending out samples, which is insane to me. I never would have gotten as hooked on Pens without the samples. Their investment in sending samples to me has repaid 100s of times initial cost.

I have fond feelings towards Pens for sending them to me, too. Among other things they were larger than most straw samples. C&S samples seem to me kind of chintzy in comparison and in an absolute sense. I felt I could acquire various Pens scents confident that I would like them based on the Pens samples. I never felt that way about the C&S scents after using the tiny samples.

 

[The Nid Hog]

Since Pens sells their "Fragrance Library," which is really just a tin full of samples, I guess this shouldn't be surprising.

 

[The Knize]

Since Pens sells their "Fragrance Library," which is really just a tin full of samples, I guess this shouldn't be surprising.

Oh! Good josh darn point, TNH! Pretty obvious!

 

[Frowzy]

You can buy decants/samples from mudassir at:

http://flacon.ambaric.net/viewtopic.php?t=20&sid=9c6d56af956f03c708fc86a3457926ab

Mudassir is the man; multiple size options, fast shipping, and great customer service.

 

[travo36]

Wow, the gents(and ladies!) on this site are fanastic! I dont blame Pens for trying to make a buck, but as previously stated, I like that I can get a sample on the arm before I puchase. Even if its not that particular sample, I plan on purchasing something, ya know? Another thing that bugs me is why SOME of these "higher end" companies do not offer a discount to B&B members? Im sure that a good percentage of their sales comes from B&Bers or as recommended by B&Bers. If not for this site, I would have continued on my mach3, macy's fragrance way!

 

[OldAF]

Since Pens sells their "Fragrance Library," which is really just a tin full of samples, I guess this shouldn't be surprising.

I bought their stupid library which only shipped after a THREE MONTH delay. I asked that they all be men's frags and thought I would get samples of most of their line. WRONG. I got five different scents and 5 duplicate vials of Opus... which I don't even like.
I tried them all and the only one I remotely liked was Blenheim. Of course, I didn't get to try most of the line but I'm sure as hell not going to buy more samples. Well, their loss. Judging by what I've tried, I strongly prefer Czech & Speake anyway.

 

[The Knize]

I bought their stupid library which only shipped after a THREE MONTH delay. I asked that they all be men's frags and thought I would get samples of most of their line. WRONG. I got five different scents and 5 duplicate vials of Opus... which I don't even like.
I tried them all and the only one I remotely liked was Blenheim. Of course, I didn't get to try most of the line but I'm sure as hell not going to buy more samples. Well, their loss. Judging by what I've tried, I strongly prefer Czech & Speake anyway.

Wow, that is a stunningly poor show by Pens. 5 duplicate vials of Opus? How do they justify that in a sample box? Was Pens taken over by another company within say the past 2 years?

I have found that all of the Brit and say French places are very slow and lackadasical on getting stuff to one quickly, whether scents or say shirts. Very slow on getting back to one on inquiries and the like, too. However, they do a "pretty" job on packaging and their communications always seem so polished and caring! Different cultures, I guess. But it always annoys me when I am trying to buy and get possession of some product.

C&S is, historically at least, slow, too. I probably like C&S slightly more as a house than I do Pens. Probably because Pens has some many scents, and I am not all that attracted to some, whereas I pretty much like all of the C&S scents. C&S seems bolder than Pens, too. On the other hand, it is hard to say that my favorite Pens scents are beat out by anyone, and they are all with sampling IMHO.

Really too bad that Pens is being so sketchy on samples.

 

[bradlehman]

Another thing that bugs me is why SOME of these "higher end" companies do not offer a discount to B&B members?

So am I to understand that some of them do offer discounts to members? If so, which ones and how does that work?

 

[The Knize]

So am I to understand that some of them do offer discounts to members? If so, which ones and how does that work?

Someone can do better than me to help, but T&H gives a discount, as I recall, and a pretty good one. There is a code to put in on the ordering page.

Cambridge Chemists gives 10% off and free shipping. I assue that one is still valid.

There must be others that are scent related and still others that are not scent related!

I am sure there is a thread or a wiki article that lays all of this out!

 

[duotone]

Disappointing to see them cancel samples, afterall how many purchases come from trying a sample.

 

[The Nid Hog]

If Pen's messed up the contents of your order, I'd call them on it. After all, you paid for it--it's not like they're extending you a courtesy. Send them a nice email and tell them that you didn't get what you asked for. The samplers that they offer on their website (and at London Bathecary) are a set assortment of men's and women's fragrances. If you get anything other than that--or other than what they agreed to send you--I bet they'd try to make it right.

I went through Trumper's sampler in fairly short order, then tried Pen's Wild Fern. I wrote back to Trumper and told them that I was sitting on the fence, trying to decide between English and Wild Fern. In a couple of days, I got a handful of sample phials of Wild Fern and some Wellington to boot. I thought that was very nice of them (and I ended up buying the Wild Fern from Gentlemen's Best).

 

[Obsessed]

Disappointing to see them cancel samples, afterall how many purchases come from trying a sample.

I've also tried to get samples from the Pens counter at Saks in NYC a few times, and they've never had them. Seems like a bad business practice to me. (I wonder if they'd suddenly have samples to give me if I bought a bottle.)