The buzz: The British fragrance house has opened its first outlet in Singapore, and it’s a multi-sensory labyrinth.The vibe: The store’s a real architectural beauty—the moment you step through the glass doors, you’re likely to be drawn to traditional Victorian features like the elegant wood paneling, leather padded walls (carved with a tessellated ribbon pattern — founder William Penhaligon’s signature) and the novel mosaic floor. Wooden display cases, a rather oddly-placed bathroom sink complete with chrome taps, and generous shades of magenta and brown add to the overall feeling that you’re in an eccentric old lady’s attic.The goods: The offerings here are far from plain vanilla. These are complicated cocktails of hard-to-find ingredients like hand-squeezed bergamot and the finer species of jasmine so, naturally, they’re a little extravagant in terms of price. The one that made the biggest impact on us was the Bluebell EDT, which was a cool $153 for a 50ml bottle.Why you’ll be back: The collectible Penhaligon’s fragrance bottle with its clear glass and distinctive ribbon-wrapped stopper is reason enough on its own.
