Penhaligon's The Bewitching Yasmine Perfume Review

Christine — Mon, 14 Mar 2022 19:00:00 +0000

Penhaligon’s The Bewitching Yasmine Eau de Parfum starts with a mix of cardamom, rich vanilla, and coffee with smoky incense and subtle jasmine, which reads spicy, sweet, and nutty. The oud joins the scene and gets amplified throughout the rest of the wear, shining the most about halfway through and then becoming dominant (but the intensity dropped) in the drydown paired with the vanilla.

top notes: cardamom, coffee
heart notes: jasmine sambac, fir
base notes: Tahitian vanilla, Laotian oud, incense

It opened with an aromatic, spicy-sweet cardamom with splash of rich vanilla over warm coffee. Within a few minutes, tendrils of smoky incense frame the cardamom-coffee duo and the vanilla thickens, more like a syrup swirled in the coffee. There was a subtle floral characteristic (that I’d guess was the jasmine sambac) that lightened the sweetness without really muting it.

About 15 minutes into the perfume’s development, the oud made a grand entrance, adding its sweet, smoky, and woody, and it enhanced the sense of incense alongside spicy cardamom, coffee, and vanilla. It also seemed muskier, almost chilly despite the warmth of the spicy cardamom and vanilla. The oud strengthens over the next few hours against the vanilla with the spice shifting subtly. The drydown was softer, smoother, and heavier on the oud with faint traces of warm vanilla.

Application

For testing, I used half of a 1ml sample vial dabbed to the underside and topside of my wrist area on my left arm. I used an unscented moisturizer prior to applying the scent as this is also my swatching arm (aka, incredibly parched at any given moment) as I found scent did not hold well here otherwise.

Longevity

It lasted for seven hours until it was a skin-scent and about 12 hours before it was quite difficult to detect on my skin. The sillage and projection were moderate and started to close-in after three hours of wear.

Personal Thoughts

It took me surprise! After trying a few renditions of fragrances with coffee notes, I didn’t have as high of expectations on this one, and while it definitely wasn’t a coffee-dominant perfume, I did get a nice combo of cardamom and coffee that left out some of the harsher aspects of the cardamom on my skin–it was more balanced. I also enjoyed the addition of oud and how jasmine was subtle to my nose. I can’t say that it immediately made me want to go buy a full bottle, let alone at the price point it’s at, but I’ll be re-wearing my sample in the future!

Available Sizes

75ml for $295
0.7ml sample for $6

Where to Buy

Penhaligon's The Bewitching Yasmine Perfume Review

Penhaligon's Clandestine Clara Perfume Review

Christine — Mon, 31 Jan 2022 23:00:00 +0000

Penhaligon’s Clandestine Clara Eau de Parfum opened with boozy rum and vanilla with an alcohol bite before becoming a more vanillic, honeyed amber spiced with cinnamon. The opening was incredibly short-lived and there was little progression after, so it ended up being a more linear scent (which is not a bad thing, merely a characteristic of a fragrance!) as the amber and vanilla became more balanced and got slightly musky over time. The brand described it as a “true gourmand, spicy and sweet in equal measure,” with the following notes:

top notes: rum, vanilla
heart notes: cinnamon, musk
base notes: amber, patchouli

The opening was decadent; boozy rum and vanilla, exactly as listed for the top notes with a strong, alcoholic bite that dissipated after a few minutes a richer, thicker rum with sweet vanilla curled along the edges. The vanilla intensified over the rum, and then it tangled with the spicy cinnamon just before honeyed amber wafted in.

It had a lightning fast opening, and then the projection and intensity of the notes subdued: it got lost in vanilla haze of honeyed amber with moderate richness and depth but was still an airier, lighter-weight scent compared to other honey-heavy amber scents I’ve tried in the past. The cinnamon spice came in and out of focus, while the vanilla was most noticeable at a distance (the amber was more present closer to my skin). The drydown was slightly musky amber-vanilla and was hard to detect on my skin after eight hours of wear.

Application

For testing, I used two sprays from a 2ml sample applied to the underside and topside of my wrist area on my left arm. I used an unscented moisturizer prior to applying the scent as this is also my swatching arm (aka, incredibly parched at any given moment) as I found scent did not hold well here otherwise.

Longevity

It had moderate projection for the first half hour with light sillage, but it hovered only a few inches above my skin after an hour of wear. I could detect it on my skin for about eight hours.

Personal Thoughts

I decided to try Clandestine Clara after looking for more boozy fragrances, and it turned up with its rum note, which was also paired with notes like amber and patchouli that I tend to enjoy. It’s not as heavily spiced as it could be, given the cinnamon in it, and the honeyed aspect of the amber really came through. I didn’t get any distinct patchouli, and I think if I had, the scent would have appealed to me overall. It was a pleasant experience, and it’s a scent I’d wear again if I had a bottle, but I won’t be buying a full bottle!

Available Sizes

75ml for $295

Where to Buy

Penhaligon's Clandestine Clara Perfume Review

Temptalia

Penhaligon's The Bewitching Yasmine Perfume Review

Application

Longevity

Personal Thoughts

Available Sizes

Where to Buy

Penhaligon's Clandestine Clara Perfume Review

Application

Longevity

Personal Thoughts

Available Sizes

Where to Buy