Yardley Man

Yardley - First Gentlemen's Fragrance in Six Years

The Yardley name as perfumers was established in 1770, making it one of the oldest soap and perfumery names in existence. The brand had been struggling with direction of late, but it's now under the careful stewardship of the Wipro group who are hoping to revive its fortunes.

I spoke a while back extolling the virtues of Yardley's now defunct Lavender Brilliantine and wondering why there wasn't a bigger men's range. I'd like to say that Yardley has listened. But that would be pompous and inaccurate. Anyway, they have finally released a new range of men's grooming products - the Citrus & Wood Collection.

Citrus and Wood - Exactly

I've been trying the Citrus & Wood Eau de Toilette. You can see it in the picture above enjoying a long weekend with me in Lynmouth, Devon. It rained a lot. You make the best of a bad job though, and with a plate of crab sandwiches and a pint of Tribute ale it was rather pleasant to watch the rain hammering on the windows of The Rising Sun, a 14th Century pub overlooking Lynmouth harbour.

Back to Yardley. I must say, in terms of my expectations, it punches way above its weight. Refreshing and clean, the scent combines zest of bergamot and limes with peppery spice, cedar and sandalwood. A fine return to form from this classic house. Rather than recommending Yardley raise the price on this gem, I'd sooner recommend you buy it. Consider fortunes revived.

Tweedy's Plea: I ran out of my Yardley Lavender Brilliantine eventually. Let's hope that makes a comeback too...