So, do you know the worst time to discover something really awesome that you didn’t previously know about, but would now love to acquire? Answer: Right after Christmas! Ha! That’s because everybody and their sister have already purchased or been gifted the item, so it’s sold out everywhere! Argggh. I’m persistent, though–it’s almost like it becomes a challenge, an exciting quest to hunt the item down.
There are two items I have been on a quest to find ever since learning about them via a YouTuber I occasionally watch. One of those is Penhaligon’s latest perfume, Highgrove Bouquet.
Highgrove Bouquet was created with the gardens of Highgrove House in mind. At this point, Penhaligon’s has only made the fragrance available on their website for sale in the UK, but I was thrilled to discover last year that their fragrances are also available via Selfridges online.
You may remember when I shared about signing up for the Selfridges Global + shipping program last year when I discovered that a lot of Penhaligon’s fragrances are actually less expensive at the Selfridges website than they are on Penhaligon’s website.
Over the past few days, I’ve been stalking the Selfridges website hoping Highgrove Bouquet would come back in stock. I finally managed to catch it in stock this morning and purchased a bottle before it disappeared again. Beware of the eBay sellers who are buying it and doubling the price. I refuse to buy from them! Just wanted to share that you can find Highgrove Bouquet available at Selfridges, in case you’re a Penhaligon’s fragrance fan and have been hoping to find it. It’s currently (as of this moment) available here: Penhaligon’s Highgrove Boutique.
Beautiful Headbands
The other item that I have been stalking, oddly enough, is velvet headbands. Again, I’ve been seeing these on Instagram and have fallen in love with the look! I’ve always loved how headbands looked but in the past, I had trouble finding ones that were comfortable. Headbands are apparently really popular right now, I’m seeing them on a lot of fashion Instagramers, but the one I had hoped to buy HERE is (say it with me) all sold out! That’s okay though because I just discovered some beautiful headbands that look very similar and are about 1/4 the price!
I ordered a set of these beautiful velvet headbands HERE and have been living in them! They are sooo pretty and so comfortable! After they arrived and I started wearing them, I immediately ordered another set in the same three colors because I want to make sure I have spares in case something happens to these. I LOVE the colors!
Surprisingly, they have solved another issue I’ve been fighting for a while. I have a problem where the hair near my temples and on the side of my head is always getting caught in the hinge of the “workstation” glasses I wear all day long here in my home. I love the glasses and I’ve had them tightened up numerous times, but nothing seems to fix that. Since I’ve been wearing these headbands, it has kept my hair away from my glasses so that problem has vanished! Again, you’ll find these headbands available here in quite a few styles/colors: Velvet Headbands.
Is there anything you’ve been stalking that’s all sold out? I’m sure a lot of things will start coming back into stock now that Christmas is behind us.
Loving headbands too! I found some beautiful velvet ones at TJ Maxx! Headed to London this summer, and I am checking out Penhaligon’s fragrances at Selfridges….will let you know what I find!
Really?! I will definitely check there–thanks for that tip, Alda! Oh, I would love to shop there one day! Yes, def let me know what you find!
I have a basket of headbands, but ordered these as the colors are nice. I only have one velvet one. What a good price. Mine all came from Anthropologie and even on sale were a bit pricey. My hair grows forwards which means it is always falling in my face. Annoying!
I know what you mean, mine seems to always be falling in my face. I was going to get it cut but now that I’ve been wearing the headbands, I think I’ll put it off for a bit.
Headbands aren’t a thing the females in my family wear but I have been stalking banana clips (not quite sure how many different names there are for these things, lol!) but they were popular in the 80s and 90s. I mentioned in conversation with my 40 year old daughter that I’d noticed that they were back in style and she nearly lost her mind with excitement. She and my granddaughter both have long, thick hair and small clips just don’t do the job. Well, I went home and found four tortoiseshell banana clips from the late 80s or early 90s I’d stashed away and brought them to her house. She and my granddaughter were over the moon about them! I then stalked stores in my area to find more to put in their Christmas stockings….they looked so funny when they opened them and immediately had to put as many as would fit in their hair at one time, lol! Now I’m stalking stores for still more to put in Easter baskets.
(Yes, my grown adult children still get Easter baskets….aren’t we all still children at heart?)
lol That is too funny! That’s wonderful that they were so excited about them. You know, I was toying with the idea of doing baskets for my son and dil one year…why shouldn’t they have a bit of fun at Easter, too! I love that idea!
You are the shopper extraordinaire!! If you can’t find it, it’s not out there! 🙂 Thanks for doing all the legwork – those headbands look great.
lol I think I just like a challenge sometimes. I seem to always discover something just as it’s all sold out. Ha! I finally did get to purchase the perfume, can’t wait until it arrives although the antibiotic I’m currently taking has done something weird to my sense of smell. I just noticed that yesterday, I can barely smell perfume right now. Hopefully, it returns to normal once I finish the antibiotic.
The headbands are pretty–haven’t worn one in years and didn’t know they were back in style. They always used to give me headaches, but maybe the velvet ones would be different. I have to say about the perfume, though; I’m amazed that you are comfortable ordering a scent you’ve never smelled or tried on–especially at the price of the one you recently purchased. I can’t imagine doing that! But then I’ve always been very picky about scents, and though I once had my favorites, I don’t wear cologne at all anymore. I’ll be curious to know how you like the new one.
I know, that’s the thing–is finding comfortable ones. I was so happy when these arrived and they were comfortable.
Well, I probably wouldn’t do that with just any brand but I normally like Penhaligon’s fragrances when they are described as being a floral, so I think I’ll love this one. I’ll know soon!
Did you love your new Penhaligon’s fragrance, Susan? When I saw that it was in stock, I went totally wild and crazy and ordered a bottle of Highgrove Bouquet from Selfridges -“fragrance unsniffed” (that’s like sight unseen). Now, I wait…
I do! I know what you mean, it’s not often that I blind-buy but after reading a bit about Highgrove Bouquet, I decided to take a chance…and thankfully I do love it! I’ve discovered over the years that I am not that adventurous with scents. There are a few really odd ones that I wear just here inside my home, like Penhaligon’s ‘Racquets’ fragrance which to me smells like a cozy paneled library filled with wonderful old books, but I don’t want to smell like that when I’m out running errands and around other people. Ha! But I would definitely wear Highgrove Bouquet out. It’s a beautiful floral, but it’s got a little something else that makes it a lot more interesting than just a floral. I’ve been spraying it on almost every day since it arrived…that and Dior Blooming Bouquet that I bought around the same time–birthday presents to myself. lol
Here are a couple of photos for you while you await its arrival. I think mine took about 5-6 days to arrive. I hope you love it! Would love to know what you think about it after you’ve had a chance to wear it a few times.
Hi Susan! I was just in London last week and stopped at the Penhaligon’s heritage store in Covent Garden (based on your reviews of them). They said after the Queen’s passing last year, King Charles didn’t want them to launch Highgrove Bouquet as planned in 2022. It’s for sale only in the UK but hasn’t been officially announced yet. I loved Lily of the Valley so they immediately suggested Highgrove Bouquet as it’s also a floral. I ended up getting a full size Lily and the travel atomizer which comes with a complimentary fill. So they set me up with Highgrove Bouquet in it to start. Best of both! Fun fact: they have the royal warrant but cannot disclose the fragrances worn by the royal family. Now that Queen Elizabeth has passed they can confirm she wore Lily of the Valley.
Here’s the update, Susan: My Highgrove Bouquet arrived and I truly love it! I’m thinking of ordering either “The Favourite” or “Lily of the Valley” next. Decisions! Decisions!
Oh, I’m so glad! Both The Favourite and Lily of the Valley are great ones that I love to wear. I think I may like Lily of the Valley a bit more. The Favourite is more complex and smells a lot like many perfumes that are out today. I think Lily of the Valley is a bit sweeter and definitely very floral. I really like them both, though. Margaret, one thing you may want to do is go to YouTube and do a search for Penhaligon’s Lily of the Valley and watch any reviews that pop up. Do the same for The Favourite. That may help you decide which one to get next.
Also, you can search for any perfume at Fragrantica and read about them.
They are very pretty Susan and you can’t beat the cost! I’ve been wearing knitted or crotchet headbands outside while going to Christmas parades or outdoor chores, they keep my ears warm and hair back and are pretty cute. Amazon has a great selection at a great price. I dont know how to send the set I chose to you, but I’m sure you can find them easily on Amazon.
What a great idea for helping keep ears warm. I will definitely look for those! Thanks, Cyndi!
Hi Susan! I was just in London last week and stopped at the Penhaligon’s heritage store in Covent Garden (based on your reviews of them). They said after the Queen’s passing last year, King Charles didn’t want them to launch Highgrove Bouquet as planned in 2022. It’s for sale only in the UK but hasn’t been officially announced yet. I loved Lily of the Valley so they immediately suggested Highgrove Bouquet as it’s also a floral. I ended up getting a full size Lily and the travel atomizer which comes with a complimentary fill. So they set me up with Highgrove Bouquet in it to start. Best of both! Fun fact: they have the royal warrant but cannot disclose the fragrances worn by the royal family. Now that Queen Elizabeth has passed they can confirm she wore Lily of the Valley.
Ahh, that explains why I can barely find any YouTube video reviews about Highgrove Bouquet. Heather, thanks so much for letting me know which one the Queen wore–love knowing that. Lily of the Valley is definitely one of my favorites by Penhaligon’s! I was able to purchase Highgrove Bouquet a few weeks back via Selfridges and their awesome Global + shipping. That’s awesome that you were able to get it in a travel atomizer! I’ve read that Princess Diana wore Penhaligon’s Bluebell. I purchased a bottle just because I really liked her a lot, but to be honest, it’s not my favorite fragrance. I just wanted a bottle since it’s such a gorgeous color and it was supposedly what she wore. I would love to visit Penhaligon’s in person! Sounds like they were super nice during your visit. Did you enjoy visiting the shop? The shop looks so cute in the videos I’ve seen online. Was it really nice in person? I love that you got to visit! ♥
Here’s a picture of my bottle of Highgrove Bouquet. I would love to actually tour Highgrove’s gardens one day.
The shop was such a special experience. We had stopped by the Penhaligon area at Harrod’s flagship store but it did not compare to the Heritage store. It’s been there since about 1875 really sets the scene. The sales staff were so friendly and knowledgeable and shared the history of the fragances. I went with my daughter and we each had an associate helping us by asking what scents appeal to us and suggesting options. My daughter got the classic sample set knowing I plan to go back to London later this year and I can pick up a full size of what she likes. Because I got a full size Lily, I got minis of three others along with my atomizer in Highgrove. I also liked Blenheim so she gave me a sample of that as well. The bags are tied with a Penhaligon scarf they spray with your scent and they make sure you are really well spritzed when you leave. Everyone on the Tube knew where I had been! I have photos of the packaging but I don’t think I can load them here.
I love it! How much fun was that! If you like, you can send your pictures to [email protected] . I would love to see them! I have got to visit the heritage store if I ever make it back to London! Thanks for sharing your experience Heather, I’m living vicariously through you!
Hi Susan, I followed your lead and ordered the Lily of the Valley from Selfridges. Their email on February 25 states “it has left the building” with tracking information. That tracking information results in an “error” message. Is this normal for international shipping? I always experience skepticism about getting scammed. Please offer any advice/suggestions.
Yes, that happens every time I order via Selfridges. It has something to do with changing the shipping services they use to get it to you. Once it reaches the U.S., I think it gets turned over to DHL and then the tracking actually works. Selfridges is a major store in the UK…akin to say Neiman Marcus or Saks here. It’s very fancy 🙂 so you def don’t need to worry about being scammed by them.
Darla, if they gave you a tracking number, go to the DHL website and type it in there and see if anything comes up. I think I started getting text messages from DHL regarding the delivery once it reached them. In the meantime, you can also email their customer service at: [email protected] with your order number and ask if they can give you an update. They are 6 hours ahead of us so you may not get a reply until tomorrow.
Hi Susan, thank you for the reassuring message. It makes sense the tracking is on pause while traveling to the United States. There is not a tracking number. I googled the average shipping time and it stated two weeks. That is Friday, March 10; I’m hopeful there will be an update this week. It is exciting to know Selfridges is a large, fancy store in London. Have you been to it?
Thank you, again, your blog posts are the best
Darla, when you ordered your perfume, did you create an account at Selfridges online? I just logged in to my account at Selfridges and when I click on the little silhouette that looks like a person in the top right corner, and then click on Orders, I can see all my previous orders. When I click on my last order–which was for Penhaligon’s Highgove Bouquet perfume, I see a link for “Tracking.” The link no longer works since my item arrived several weeks ago, but I think it used to take me to a tracking number for DHL. Then I went to the DHL website and plugged that number in there to get more precise tracking. Just to check, email them and give them your name and address and what you ordered, and I’m sure they’ll get back to you.
When I have ordered in the past, and I’ve done that now 3-4 times, I think my item arrived in about a week. But I live just outside a very big city (Atlanta) so not sure if that helped speed up the process or not.
No, I’ve never shopped there in person, (I’ve only been to England once) but I’ve seen a lot of the luxury-loving YouTubers video their shopping trips to Selfridges and it looks amazing. I would love to shop there if I ever get back to London. I just looked at its history and it was founded in 1909. I just did a search for Selfridges on YouTube and this video popped up near the top. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_mWSWb4xTw . You can see how amazing it is and all the fancy, luxury stores that are located inside. At the 8.10 part of the video, she shows Penhaligon’s perfumes. 🙂
Hi Susan, guess what was delivered today?!?! I emailed Selfridges this morning and their customer service is top notch. Their response time was quick. They communicated through several emails and actively pursued information in an attempt to provide the status of my order. Unfortunately, they were not able to provide more details on tracking; but, the package was delivered to my home this afternoon! Thank you for sharing all the suggestions to contact them and locate the package. As I’ve said before, “my friend in Atlanta…” You really are my friend in Atlanta
Yay! I’m so glad it arrived today! I hope you love the Lily of the Valley–it’s one of my faves! Glad they tried to help–they do seem to be really nice!