Michael's story
The story
He created four fragrances for Penhaligon's: Lily of the Valley (1976), Bluebell (1978), Elisabethan Rose (1984), and Douro (2004).
← All perfumersPerfumerMichael
Michael
Pickthall
Michael Pickthall was a senior perfumer at IFF before he and his brother Terence left to found Contemporary Perfumers Ltd (CPL) in 1971, which grew into the largest privately owned fragrance house in the UK.
- House
- CPL Aromas
- Earliest in our catalog
- English Fern, 1890
- In our catalog
- 13 fragrances
The career
Their best-known launches in our catalog, by how many people have rated them.1890–2004, in bottles
1890English FernPenhaligon's
1976Lily of the ValleyPenhaligon's
1976GardeniaPenhaligon's
1976ViolettaPenhaligon's
1976Night Scented StockPenhaligon's
1978BluebellPenhaligon's
1984Elisabethan Rose - VintagePenhaligon's
2004DouroPenhaligon'sLaunches per year, 1890–2004Peak: 4 in 1976
18902004
In their own words
How Michael works
The paletteThe notes that turn up most often across 13 fragrances
Start here
Six to smell first
See all 13 fragrances →Ranked by how many people have rated them
01Penhaligon's · 1978Bluebell1,225 ratings · ★ 3.5702Penhaligon's · 1976Lily of the Valley949 ratings · ★ 3.8803Penhaligon's · 1976Gardenia563 ratings · ★ 4.0604Penhaligon's · 1976Violetta561 ratings · ★ 3.9905Penhaligon's · 1984Elisabethan Rose - Vintage438 ratings · ★ 3.8206Penhaligon's · 1890English Fern418 ratings · ★ 3.94
Penhaligon's · 1978Bluebell1,225 ratings · ★ 3.5702Penhaligon's · 1976Lily of the Valley949 ratings · ★ 3.8803Penhaligon's · 1976Gardenia563 ratings · ★ 4.0604Penhaligon's · 1976Violetta561 ratings · ★ 3.9905Penhaligon's · 1984Elisabethan Rose - Vintage438 ratings · ★ 3.8206Penhaligon's · 1890English Fern418 ratings · ★ 3.94Discover
Artists in Conversation
The composer of light
Francis Kurkdjian
Radiant luminosity and ethereal transparency. Kurkdjian's fragrances glow — they possess an inner light that makes them feel both airy and profound. His palette favors ambroxan, saffron, and delicate florals, composed with a musician's instinct for harmony.
234 creations
The architect of Chanel
Jacques Polge
Refined elegance and measured sophistication. Polge's compositions for Chanel embodied the house's aesthetic — never too much, never too little, always precisely right. His fragrances have the quiet authority of impeccable tailoring.
76 creations
The dynasty continues
Olivier Creed
Noble materials and classical structure. Creed fragrances are built around the finest natural ingredients — ambergris, royal water, hand-selected musks — composed in the traditional infusion method that has defined the house for centuries.
54 creations
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