Penhaligon's
A unique visual signature based on accords, character, and seasonality
The spice trio ignites immediately with a bright, almost herbal assault—coriander's citrus-green character leading whilst nutmeg's warmth creeps alongside it. Saffron adds an almost metallic golden thread that prevents the opening from becoming merely peppery, instead creating a complex, somewhat austere impression that settles into your skin rather than projecting outward.
As the initial spice volatility subsides, cypriol emerges as the composition's true revelation, introducing an earthy, slightly animalic quality that softens the spices without diluting them. The woody notes begin their gradual ascent, with sandalwood's creamy texture meeting cedarwood's drier, slightly resinous presence, creating a warm, slightly smoky middle ground where the fragrance becomes genuinely comforting rather than challenging.
The vanilla absolute becomes increasingly prominent, no longer playing supporting role but instead anchoring the base in something almost skin-like and intimate. The cedar and sandalwood continue their gentle conversation, now distinctly woody rather than spiced, leaving behind a gently warm, softly smoky trail that feels less like fragrance and more like a personal scent signature.
Babylon announces itself as a fragrance of deliberate restraint and intellectual spice—the sort of composition that rewards a wearer willing to lean in rather than broadcast. Christophe Raynaud has constructed something that refuses easy categorisation, pivoting instead around a triumvirate of warm, peppery spices that establish the scent's philosophical core. The opening trio of nutmeg, coriander, and saffron creates an almost medicinal clarity, reminiscent of cumin-dusted clay or the interior of a spice merchant's wooden drawers, yet there's an unexpected elegance here rather than density.
What distinguishes Babylon is how cypriol—that difficult, earthy heart note—transforms everything around it into something simultaneously smoky and resinous. Rather than sweetening the composition, the cypriol deepens the spice's character, drawing out its smoky underbelly, as though the nutmeg has been toasted over an open flame. The base then emerges with considerable sophistication: vanilla absolute never turns gourmand but instead acts as a stabiliser, whilst Atlas cedar and Ceylonese sandalwood create a woody architecture that feels almost architectural in its precision.
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3.9/5 (228)