LP No. 9 (1998)
by Penhaligon's

A very green and floral one. Starts with a little citrus notes, but the green and floral notes take over quickly. The green tarragon and floral jasmine are the two notes that stand out most to me. Settles into a slight spicey and vanilla accord towards the end, but overall not that interesting and not my cup of tea.

9th February, 2012.

The beginning of this classic fougere  with its  plenty of citrus, aromatic herbs, lavender and spices is severe, assertive, earthy and botanic. I agree who with writes that in this phase the fragrance seems a shadowy masculine, traditional with its combination of lavender, lime, a touch of moss, patchouli and bergamot. In this stage i catch the particular presence of terragon, an aromatic and "anisy" green note that i appreciate a lot in parfumery. It takes a while to start the floral-spicy explosion that is the middle stage before the fragrance morphs is a sort of delicate milky-musky floral with the dominant note of jasmine and carnation and with some rosey nuances whirling in the air. I smell some similarities with the scent of Dune Dior although this one is more earthy, classic and botanic. I guess some clove and cinnamon are in the almost tasty mix. Not bad, natural, finally soft but a bit poor in complexity and womanly sophistication.

21st December, 2011.

Top: lemon, geranium, bergamot, tarragon, lavender
Mid: carnation, rose, jasmine
Base: cinnamon, patchouli, musk, amber, cedar, vanilla

Kind of an odd duck. The juice is a pink-purple colour. It starts with a good green note, from the tarragon (hay, grass) and geranium (perky green rose). It is so green at this point that I suspect the presence of galbanum. A dusky and almost metallic note is in the middle. Translucent in style. Is it pleasant? Not sure. Certainly different. Vanilla takes over, eventually. Sweetens things somewhat, fights with the wood. The metallic note lingers. Not particularly attractive.

12nd December, 2010.

This is the only Penhaligon's fragrance I do not like and quite a difference from the Men's counterpart. Saying that they do share the same spicy, oriental heart but this is fresher but just doesn't smell good to me at all. If it was a little sweeter perhaps, like the Malabah, yet it is comparable to rotten wood I would say, certainly not a love potion!

19th November, 2009.

Not quite sure if the classification fits, but this fragrance strikes me as a feminine take on the classic fougère accord. The top notes are clearly detectable but blend nicely, the lavender taking a slight back seat to the lemon and tarragon, the latter lending its herbal tinge to the heart as the powdery floral notes emerge in the drydown. The florals remind me of rose talc with a dash of clove and jasmine. The base is softly vanillic and a little creamy.

The sillage is quite low, but this is very persistent on my skin.

12nd September, 2009.

This resembles the LP No. 9 for men in its emphasis on warm woods, but differs in its intensity, being a softer, rounder version of the other. The ingredients of both have only one in common - vanilla. The other ingredients mentioned on the Penhaligon's web site are: tarragon, lavender, lemon (which do give off a pungent and interesting herbal note upon first application); followed by carnation, cedar, spice and the aforementioned vanilla.

My nose detects only the cedar, spice and vanilla - this is a more sensual version than that for men, but it is not feminine in the least. If anything this would be more fascinating on a man than the male version of the LP #9.

A very pleasant scent, but not outstanding.

2nd February, 2009.