Penhaligon's
Penhaligon's
348 votes
A unique visual signature based on accords, character, and seasonality
The Earl Grey tea note arrives with unexpected presence, braced by crisp lemon and an intriguing savoury whisper of coriander that prevents the opening from becoming merely another citrus affair. Within moments, you're inhaling something more like a spiced beverage than a conventional fragrance—cerebral and slightly disorienting in the best possible way.
The spice notes bloom with confidence, as cardamom and ginger warm the composition whilst nutmeg traces a dry, almost woody line through the middle. The rose and iris emerge not as floral sweetness but as creamy, slightly soapy undertones that soften the spice without domesticating it, creating an almost balmy warmth that feels simultaneously comforting and distinctive.
The base attempts its anchoring work with musk and amber providing a gentle amber-tinged cushion, the sandalwood offering creamy softness, but the composition seems to evaporate rather than evolve—a disappointing fade given the intricate construction that preceded it, leaving only whispers of warmth and spice against the skin.
Malabah arrives as a peculiar hybrid of the drawing room and the spice bazaar—a fragrance that refuses easy categorisation. The opening marriage of Earl Grey tea and lemon creates an unexpectedly sophisticated citric foundation, but Penhaligon's immediately complicates matters by threading coriander through the brew, lending an almost savoury quality that feels more cardamom-forward than it ought. This is not a fresh citrus fragrance playing at subtlety; it's a deliberately disorienting opener that signals ambition.
As the composition settles into its heart, the spice accord reveals itself as the true architecture of Malabah. Ginger and cardamom spiral upwards, warming the tea-tinged base, whilst nutmeg adds a subtle peppery dryness. The rose and iris presence here is restrained—almost ghostly—functioning less as floral sweetness and more as a creamy, slightly powdery counterbalance to the spice-forward middle. There's an androgynous sensibility at play; nothing reads as conventionally pretty or overtly masculine.
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3.7/5 (574)