Penhaligon's
Penhaligon's
133 votes
A unique visual signature based on accords, character, and seasonality
The cardamom and coriander seed arrive with gentle spice, immediately softened by banana leaf's tropical greenness and green tea's dry, slightly astringent character. Within minutes, white freesia adds a barely-there brightness, like sunlight through leaves, whilst the spice settles into something more herbaceous than initially alarming.
The clove emerges with subtle peppery insistence, anchoring the white florals—jasmine, ylang ylang and orange blossom—preventing them from becoming sweet or indolic. A creamy texture develops as the heart notes interact, the carnation adding a slightly metallic, pink-peppery edge that keeps the composition feeling fresh rather than romantic. The green tea lingers, creating an almost slightly floral-aromatic duality.
The evaporated milk base becomes increasingly prominent, rendering the fragrance almost edible, with vanilla and tonka bean adding warmth rather than heavy sweetness. Sandalwood provides a woody skeleton whilst musk softens everything into a creamy, slightly buttery skin scent. After four hours, it's distinctly quieter—a whispered rather than spoken composition—but what remains is intimately compelling.
Amaranthine arrives as a peculiar creature—simultaneously green and honeyed, spiced yet delicate. Bertrand Duchaufour has constructed something that resists easy categorisation, which is precisely its appeal. The cardamom absolute and coriander seed create a savoury opening that you might expect to dominate, but they're immediately tempered by the almost tropical whisper of banana leaf and the sharp, almost mineral quality of green tea. This isn't a fragrance that shouts; it murmurs.
What emerges in the heart is where Amaranthine reveals its true nature: a distinctly creamy floral composition where clove's peppery warmth refuses to let the jasmine, ylang ylang and orange blossom become cloying. The carnation adds a slightly peppery, almost spiky quality that keeps everything from dissolving into soft florals. There's something faintly medicinal here too—the green tea and clove interaction creates an almost aromatic quality that prevents the florals from becoming purely romantic.
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3.5/5 (96)