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So many people want to berate Penhaligons for this collection, these characters and stories and such but I actually think they're good natured, well packaged and the design is always on point, but most of all they're good fun. Not so much for me but I've been to the penhaligons store and seen the glee with which the staff recount the marketing blurb and the positive response from the punters, so I say live and let live. (Yes I'm not a totally grumpy bastard!) It's better customer service and enthiasm than most luxury department store SA's can muster, I mean usually they just stand beside you and ask 'Do you like it? I think it's really nice, Do you want to get that?' displaying zero knowledge of the brand or willingness to engage. I do understand the critisism, as I alluded to to above, I don't particulaly connect with this line myself and even less so as it sprawls further and further out and I get that the worst of this line are a million miles from the staples which Penhaligons built it's brand upon. However, every so often there's a decent one and this is definitely one of the better ones I've tried. Mr Thompson is basically a powdery, classic, iris perfume with elegant top notes and a sort of feel of fleshy, gourmand inflected, leather. The formula immediately had me thinking of Dior Homme parfum, in that there's an exaggerated heft to this vibe, not very diffuse, more of a low lying skin thing, being a 'niche' brand and as such expensive, this was probably the intent. Wearing it today I got some of that nutty aspect of Valentino Uomo but in truth that was fleeting and if I'm studying this perfume formula down to it's minutia, I'd say that this rides a middleground between Uomo & Homme. But does that mean it's 'unique'??? (the word the lady in the Penhaligons shop said to me) No. Not really, I don't find it as elegant as dior homme original it's more like the INtense or Parfum in that regard but there's more of a tonka prominant thing in the base and the way it's clinging to my clothes has a slightly off kilter, wheaty sort of vibe. It's a lovely collection of notes and accords that opening pink pepper is lovely and it gets all fleshy with orris right quick like, all of which compliment one another to conjure that luxurious leather thing, what maybe lets this down is also like many of this collection, the top end is loaded with intrigue and the base is just going through the motions, but don't get me wrong it's a stong outing and if ever you were compelled to buy one of these for the stopper alone I'd say the Omniscient Mr Thompson would be that one. The elephant head is massive!!!! like three times the size of some of the more modest heads in this line, it's massive dumbo ears and tusks are fucking cool, let's face it, glad the juice somewhat lives up to it.
