Sample Pass for Penhaligon's Peoneve, USA only

Count me in only if you don't fill all spots as I have been a busy participant and would like to give others a chance. I have peonies by the side of my house, and the green peppery description of the Peoneve sounds very true to life. The video is a hoot.

I'd love to join and go after the wonderfully astute and funny Jujy.

Even when they're covered in ants, I'm thrilled when the peony bushes erupt in big, pink, floppy, fragrant blossoms. Plus, I enjoy so many of Cresp's creations. I wore Angel for years after it came out, but ironically his Pivoine flanker was my least favorite from the Angel Garden of Stars Collection (preferred the Violet). I've enjoyed his Valentina (which I believe may have originated from you, too! --->nope, it was Twolf! Temporary memory failure.), Kenzo Amour (especially the Holi version), Ange ou Demon, and of course Dune and Midnight Poison. Le nez de Monsieur Cresp est formidable.

To date, I've only tried Blenheim Bouquet, Orange Blossom and Violetta, all of which I found to be pleasant, clean, simple, uncomplicated and unlikely to turn any heads (good or bad). These days, I prefer my fragrances a little more messy, with a bit of a voyage...though maybe not so dark and dirty as our animal tamer, Jujy!

I'm still amazed that you were given 100+ samples from the Museum. You must have just the right face and demeanor.

Thanks 30Roses.

Yes, ma'am! Please count me in!

Those museum shop SAs are fantastic! Still remember how generous they were with those 111 samples. Our last Penhaligon's pass still stands as one of my favorites ever. And they took excellent care of me at the museum shop when I ordered Victorian Posy afterward. You're so lucky to live nearby, 30R, sounds like a wonderful place!

I have had a good feeling about Peoneve, so eager to try it! Last summer, I bought another peony, Ava Luxe's Pivoine Rose. Very nice and such a happy summertime thing that I have felt compelled to find more good peonies!

Have always had peony plants; my mother had a start from my great-grandmother's farm. It grew and produced divisions and even moved with us when we went to a new home. I always loved their scent and those big, floppy blossoms. That same old peony now grows at my house. Can't be without peonies even now as an adult; those and lilacs were childhood favorites. Thanks so much for hosting another fine pass, 30R! I'm excited!

Every town needs a good chocolatier! You've hit on another of my passions! Love any truffle with raspberry-and rose would be a lovely addition! We have no great perfumeries here in Fort Wayne but we do have DeBrands Fine Chocolates. Owned by a local woman but they have had great success; they supply Trump Towers with their "gold" bars and one of the chocolate collections was one of Oprah's "favorite things". Highly recommend!

30Roses, please sign me up! This will be the first-ever Penhaligon's that I've tried. I ADORE peonies and miss them, as well as the beautiful irises, and fragrant lilacs that I planted at my house.

I do like violet and believe I like violet leaf, and like rose and peony...is it pretty musky on the dry down?

Sure, I'll try it out, thanks 30R.

Oh, my, Schilling, I do have a reputation! This gusto for the animal in fragrance is a new development for me, say about a year old, and it is a shift in tastes for me, that has somewhat eclipsed my 70s, 80s, 90s signature fragrance, Mollie Parnis, a nitromusk floral bomb. It's not even that I prefer the animalics, they just have this hold on me. So, really, who has been tamed here? (;

ps—I love that you get my humor.

30Roses, I'll be camping out by the mailbox. My actual peonies are about 2 months from opening, so this will be a great preview.

Me, me, me? Florals and greens, wheeee!
Danke. Merci. Gracias. XO

Quarry, no worries -- I still have your deets!

Received! Loved the herb themed postage stamps and the one of Richard Wright. I, too, enjoy finding neat stamps to use when I send fragrance.

Chlorine still clinging to me from water exercise, so I will wait for the weekend to do a decent sampling. A quick sniff tells me this is a "peppery" floral, so I am anticipating something very "English garden in spring." Too bad we have snow here, and not flurries either!

That's my girl!

Hi girls. I've been hanging around ever since I saw 30 Roses open the thread, so it's time to subscribe. I love Peonies too. When I was a child everyone where I grew up called them "Peenie Roses". Always that, never just Peonies or even Peenies, but always Peenie Roses. Lots of people grew them. Now they have become a popular cut flower here. Anyway, I have a sample, so can I check in once you all have your bearings? See you later.

Thank you 30Roses. I received the package today and will give a proper wear and sniff test tomorrow. Lifting the cap gave me an initial peppered rose scent, so we'll see what emerges tomorrow.

Foustie, LOL, when I first met my boyfriend over ten years ago, he introduced me to his "Peenie bushes" in his front yard. As an unfortunate grammar/spelling/pronunciation witch, I'm thinking "peenie"???? There's an "O" in there; let's bring it out. We giggled about it and I think we've come to love his Peenie just the same.

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This will be a fun thread to watch! I just purchased my first Penhaligon's last month when there was a special on Violetta at TJ Maxx. Always love learning about a new (to me) house.

Peppered rose, Schilling? Sounds like a great start. Tell us more about those "peenies"!!

I adore Peony so would love to get a spot in this sample pass if one remains available? Thanks! Carolyn

Thanks for organizing these sample passes 30 Roses! And for fitting me in! PM'd Kalli with address.

Yes, sample with us and post your thoughts here! I'm always eager to see if our opinions are the same, since we seem to be sharing a single perfume brain between the two of us!

Genie, you lucky girl! I only wish our TJ's would get some Pen's in stock. Or anything besides CK and celebucrap, really.

Haha! "Peenies" is a very common Indiana pronunciation, especially among the older generations. I am also adamant that the o be pronounced; am a grammar freak like my girl Schilling!

Wow. Who buys for your TJs? Mine always has the same old dusty boxes of Liz Taylor, Gloria Vanderbilt, one of the Kardashians and Haris Pilton, or whatever her name is. They're always wrapped in those giant lucite theft-prevention cubes. Who the heck is trying to walk off with "Heiress"?

Rats. Stuffy nose. Will sniff at first opportunity.

30Roses, that makes more sense.

Peoneve is more of a botanical fragrance than a perfume that reminded me of my mother’s french rose water. It’s light, transparent and true to nature. Whether that nature is a rose or peony, I can’t decide because my brain flip-flopped throughout. It’s fairly linear with few surprises and there’s nothing off-beat, artsy or weird about it. It’s what I would expect from this 150-year-old English perfume house. It’s not what I would have expected from a french nez.

By hiring Olivier Cresp, I was wondering whether Penhaligon’s was looking to shake things up and reach a different corner of the market, but that doesn’t appear to be the case. He hasn’t gotten all frenchy on us and shown-off with a lab concoction of 100+ ingredients. Whether he received strict guidelines or he purposefully maintained respect for the Penhaligon history, OC successfully reigned in any primal french urges. (FYI, my history with Penhaligon’s is limited, knowing only Orange Blossom, Violetta and Blenheim Bouquet, all likable, but lean, restrained stick-figure scents compared to the opulent bodice-busters from across the channel.) [This is actually his second commission for them, so he apparently passed the test with Juniper Sling.]

-1st sniff from under the cap: Lightly peppered rose
-1st minute on skin: Brief, sharp burst of mashed greens and a squirt of natural fresh orange peel. A hint of neroli.
-Five-15 minutes: Receding greens giving way to rose water, so light and clean it’s potable. A rose scent from a new, fresh bloom, not that of a dense, mature flower. Watery, not oily.
-30 minutes in and the strength is still climbing, so keep this in mind when applying, especially if atomized.
-30-45 minutes: Fresh green vetiver emerging, not a bale of the dry, smoky stuff
-2hrs in: Rose skin scent
-4hrs: Gone

Penhaligon’s lists “Cashmere wood” in the base. I could only find something in the IFF material database called Cashmeran (insert registered trademark symbol), described as “Diffusive, spicy, musky-like odor with strong floral reinforcement. Powdery, velvet nuance. Long lasting. Aromatic, apple, earthy, woody, red, fruit pie.” The associated “ScentEmotion” -->“mystical”.

This might not have been the same ingredient, because I didn’t get any musk and I certainly didn’t see any unicorns.

Peoneve tapped in to distant memories of a friend who wore YSL’s Paris. There’s also a similarity (albeit, de-tuned) to the recently tested Estee Lauder Pleasures Intense in the Aldehyde Pass.

I'd be happy to join the pass if there's still room. Love peonies and have a few Penhaligon frag from a sample tin I bought on ebay. Love them all expect Castile.

Ha!
I just saw the "Cleverer Than a Rose" piece about Peoneve under 'Articles'. Be sure to check it out before (or after) you try this fragrance.

Genre: Floral
Sub-genre: English garden

I utterly agree with Schilling's assertion that this is a botanical fragrance, and a beautifully done one at that. Not identical to peony, but the peppery note definitely evokes that beautiful spring flower. Like Schilling, my near-first impression was peppery rose, much like one of the roses from the Rosine passaround. Just to check, I sprayed some Perfumer's Workshop Tea Rose one a Q-Tip® and daubed on my other wrist, so as not to overwhelm the gentle Peoneve with the rather forthright TR, which is not a shy rose by any measure. Peoneve is far subtler. I also dabbed a little Weil de Weil to compare green notes. Yes, there is green in Peoneve, a floral rather than galbanum-laden green, like freshly cut stems. An hour later some soft musk of a sugared lemon-drop quality emerges. It projects well at the start only to become a skin scent within two hours. Now it's some 8 hours later and if I press my nose to my forearm where I applied it as well as wrist, I get a slightly smoky vetiver, with the origianl peony still present. On the whole, though, this is more a linear floral than anything else to my nose, and that is, to my mind, what a botanical floral like this ought to be. This early spring is a perfect time to experience it.

Schilling, thanks for the erudite history and commentary!

PerfumedLady, I will mail within a day or two.

Jujy, Well done. It's good to know we were on the same page. Sometimes I worry that I'm going to be way off-base and lose everyone's respect! I love how you were able to link this sweet cherub scent to Weil de Weil, you wild woman!

You're right about that sugared lemon drop.


I was thinking, "Orange zest? Lemon zest? What is it?" and landed on orange because it just seemed too sweet, but you're right. It's a tart citrus, but definitely candied.

I'm loving reading your reviews Schilling and Jujy. Schilling, I must commend you on a very well thought out and interesting review. I loved that you gave the breakdown of the scent development as well as some background on the creator. Jujy, I was impressed with your technique for comparison. I hadn't thought of doing that, and it may well help me with comparison for notes. I enjoyed both reviews so much.

Thank you both! And I must add a sarcastic THANKS A LOT because I continue to add scents to my "to test" list. This one wasn't hitting my radar much til I read through the thread.

30R, you are terrible!! I just ordered some more samples from STC, since I'm trying to decide on what perfume to splurge on when I'm in Vienna. I'm having a terrible time narrowing it down, and you are not helping!!

elizrj, thanks for the nice words. 30Roses has a sneaky way of exposing us to many new scents and expanding our "To Try" list.

XtremeK, you should be receiving your rose bouquet Thursday or Friday. I hear the mid-west will be in the mid-40s. Warming up!

Perfumed Lady, OK, finally I have mailed the sample to you, with apologies for my dawdling. I will rationalize by noting that at least you will be sampling this springtime fragrance in some actually springy weather (excuses, excuses)

No worries at all, j., I was in no shape for sampling last week! We were sicker than sick here. You are correct, this week will be much more suitable weather, anyway. See, that wasn't an excuse; it was a premonition!

Bet it arrives today or tomorrow, will let everyone know when it does.

Oh no. Did you catch what Tony had?

Yes, I sure did! We were due, I suppose; we slip through most winters without being very sick. We've really had our turn this year!

I'll spare everyone the details but pray you don't get it. Even if you're not religious, just do it anyway! No one wants this Black Death when spring is finally starting to poke out its head.

Schilling, you sweetheart! What a surprise, to open up the box and see all those goodies! I had to dig to find the Penhaligon's samples! Thank you so much -- ESPECIALLY for the sample of Iris Silver Mist, which I've been wanting forever to try.

PerfumedLady, a couple of people in my office caught that horrid stuff -- one of them was out of the office for TEN days. Miserable. I did not catch *that* particular flu strain. I had the other one, with the 3-day fever and chest congestion that turned into bronchitis. Blah. I'm glad you're feeling better and hope that we're all done with this junk for the season.

So, I'm wearing Peoneve to the office today, and I'm finding that it's *very* green and cool. I'm really enjoying the vetiver in this, which is not something you'll hear me say very often. But, as a consequence of all that green, I think, it's more a LOTV fragrance on me for the first 45 minutes, and then it morphs into a LOTV/rose combo. I'm not getting much peony at all. Out of the three or four "peony" fragrances I've tried, I get the most peony out of HdP Vert Pivoine (which is green but also warm underneath, kind of like early spring itself -- warming sunshine up top and cool, wet dirt under the blossoms).

What I find so funny is that Jujy and Schilling are able to detect sugared lemon drop, but I can't for the life me find the sweetness, even though I was looking for it with your posts in mind. I get the lemon (which I think might be the intersection of the fresh green vetiver and the rose, but I'm not sure) but not any sugar. You know what I think the problem is? I have such a fragrance sweet tooth that my sugar tolerance is sky high. If a fragrance isn't heavily sweet or syrupy (like a Lutens), I'm going to miss suggestions of sweetness entirely. Perhaps I should think about that in terms of expanding my palate ....

I do like the light woodiness I'm getting underneath all of this LOTV/rose, but the woodiness serves more to anchor it than warm it up. I could see this being a nice, cool wear in the heat of summer, but right now, the rose is really pushing its way to the front and becoming a bit screechy (which is often what rose fragrances do on me....). The vetiver doesn't seem to be successfully holding the rose in check any more.

Schilling, I totally get the association with Pleasures -- I think because of the LOTV similarity (Pleasures is more LOTV than peony for me; maybe my skin just eats peony...). The difference for me is in temperature (Pleasures warm, Peoneve, cool) and degree of sweetness (Pleasures sweet vanilla, Peoneve ..., um, what sweetness?). [NOTE: I don't know Pleasures Intense; my comment is about the original.]

I'm also with Schilling on the resemblance to Paris, but for me the resemblance is in that slightly sharp woodiness in the base and not the rose or violet (leaf). Very, very interesting.

This probably gets a neutral for me.

Bravo ExtremeK! I enjoyed reading your write-up. I'm glad I'm not alone in sensing a similarity to Paris and Pleasures; I tend to worry that someone's going, "Pfffft, what the heck is she thinking?". You're spot on with the Peoneve Cool/Pleasures Warm contrast, but leave the sugar out of tomorrow's coffee and sniff it's opening once more. You'll wonder who's sitting next to you peeling a fresh orange or a lemon.

I hope Peoneve finds true love from PerfumedLady, Kalli, Bogsc, Quarry or heavenscent1, as I tend to root for a pass scent in hopes that someone will spring for a bottle purchase. I can sense the momentum building. C'mon, PL!

ExtremeK, I'm happy that you liked the stowaways. Let me know how the ISM pans out for you, and if you loved/hated any of the others.


FYI--20% Sale at Surrender to Chance through midnight tonight (CST?) with code: ONEYEAR. Yes, I succumbed and placed my order for some Slumberhouse, Diptyque, Dior, Givenchy, YSL, Frederic Malle, Huitieme Art, Tauer, Lutens and Estee.

So, 5 hours in and Peoneve is very nearly gone. And guess what? I'm FINALLY getting some peony!

I think this skin pulls out rose in any fragrance with a rose note. Same goes for cumin. Which is why Portrait of a Lady is unwearable for me. It's a CUMIN BOMB with a screechy rose. Sigh.

Yay, it's here! jujy, thank you, you're a BN angel! Even included the Weil swamp for me! The samples will be excellent companions for me this spring, much appreciated. As always, it's a joy to see the bassist bird again! He looks like he's really jammin' this time!

So, I have a dab on and very happy to find no Lemonheads here. Love to eat those sugared lemon drops but not smell like them. Lucky jujy must have gotten them all out! Immediately, I think this is very beautiful and very Penhaligon's. I like for houses to show consistency in their work; a common thread that holds the line together. I've sampled enough Pen's to know they have that particular skill nailed.

I understand headspace technology was used to create this peony note but as there is no peony extract, something must create that accord. I think rose and musk are often relied upon for peony notes and Peoneve is full of rose. ExtremeK, I read your conversation with Evangeline about Ava Luxe Pivoine Rose. She was my enabler in a purchase of that peony last spring. I think she's spot on in her assessment of peonies being a bit naturally musky. I love Pivoine Rose, it's a very realistic peony. But also pretty musky, though I feel the greenness cuts the musk considerably. Just not sure if you'd like it or not. I'm no huge fan of musk normally but Pivoine Rose is just so pretty. Also, I don't like PoaL, either. My sample made me truly unhappy. Screechy indeed!

So far, Peoneve is not a peony to me but a rose. A really gorgeous tea-like rose. Nothin' wrong with that but I was hoping the headspace technique was going to produce the most realistic peony ever and just blow me away. Maybe I'll feel differently tomorrow after a real wearing; I do just have on a bare smidge now. Even without peony though, I feel this is yet another very solid offering from Penhaligon's.


Ack, 10 days, K? Think I'd better just go thank my lucky stars now!

PL, I will love to hear what you think of the Oscar de La Renta Volupté. It's voluptuousness was lost on me, initially, until I realized it's a vegetal rather animalic lushness that earns the name Volupté. It is a Sophia Grojsman, she of Private Collection (much loved) and Trésor (not a favorite), and it is a virtuosic composition as many of Grojsman's are. Floral, cooled with cucumber then warmed with amber and musk, it is a substantial summer fragrance yet transparent, complicated in the way Magie Noire is, if with an entirely different palette.

I had no idea Ms. Grojsman was behind Private Collection! What a revelation! Yes, much loved here, too-it was you who first shared it with me too, jujy! Now it has a permanent spot in my little collection. Will definitely get back to you with my thoughts on Volupte and some other things. Been working on a summertime entertainment package for you.

Peoneve is off to kalli! Yes, I did find it more peony-like with a proper wearing. It's still more a rose-laden bouquet with accents of peony but yes, it's there to my nose. The drydown does indeed show a veil of musk, making me believe we are in fact onto something re: rose and musk being used to create the peony accord. I really enjoy Peoneve; it gets bonus points for making me wonder what smelled so good and finding that it was me. I think we all love a perfume that treats us to that little surprise! It does come on quite floral perfumey strong but settles down quickly into that deep and lush bouquet. While the florals are rich, the effect is light and airy in the sillage. A very satisfying spring/summer scent. I'll always have room for a few Penhaligon's in my home and certainly wouldn't turn Peoneve away.

Many thanks to 30 Roses and the museum shop for allowing me to try this! I had been so curious about it and am very happy to see that another pretty yet interesting floral has joined the Pen's lineup. I love many of their scents but am most impressed overall by their work with floral notes. Their florals make me feel very British when I wear them; this brand never forgets where they come from.

Just an update to let you all know that kalli received group one's package!

Wonderful & fun reviews, ladies!! I've just taken a few moments to update myself on the entire thread, & you had me nodding with agreement from some comments & holding my side laughing from others. I love this kind of thread! 30 Roses has done it again.

Perfumedlady & Schilling, it was just dumb luck finding that Violetta! My TJ doesn't usually have anything more than celeb-of-last-year, but that one little purple & white box was just sitting there waiting for me. That was enough reason to keep me stalking, er.. checking the store for treasures.

Jujy, I can't believe I'm hearing about Volupté!! That was my signature scent back when it was released. I think I need to get a mini for myself.

Back on topic...this sounds like a lovely scent for spring. It's already in the 80's here in Florida & my heavier scents have retreated far to the back of the wardrobe.

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Jujy, Private Collection was one of my major loves too. Guess I was a Sophia Grojsman groupie without knowing it!

Genie Jeanie, in that case you will turn green—I have a mini of Grojsman's debut scent, Bat-Sheba by Judith Miller. Private collection is Bat-Sheba perfected. (;

Her debut scent?? Ack, Jujy, you're killing me! You've got all the vintage goodies. I'm still looking to score one of those vintage Antilopes!

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My apologies for getting the ladies off track again, 30 Roses. Your threads just always promote some fun banter!

I've been really having a bad time lately, as some of you know..but I've finally smelled the Peoneve..it's gorgeous I've been so sad lately..but this scent really has something. It's like Stella, but not as dark. I don't know peony much..I get that green rose like Stella. More spring like, less amber. I get mostly rose. It's gorgeous. The only thing I don't care for is that muskiness a bit-though it's not too much- and I don't think this scent lasts very long on me..but I'd love a fb of this. Or a decant. It's happiness in a vial..which I can't tell you how much I need right now. It's a happier, lighter, fresher Stella. I teared up..when things go a way that is rough..a little thing like scent, can make one grateful..for the little things..then make you even more grateful for the bigger things..like my dear husband, I love him so much, he's always there for me. It actually made me think of love, this scent. Happiness and love. I must love peony..though..not too sure how much is in it..I don't know much about it. I don't care, this is my kind of scent..not much 'expert' sounding, oh well. A springtime Stella, that's all I got. Is this line expensive? Decant wanted. Did I mention my husband loves Stella? He will love this one.

thanks 30R. not sure when I will get this off, hopefully not before too long.

Do we have a love connection, Kalli?!
Is 30Roses a matchmaker again?

Sending good vibes to you.

Hiya girls. I've been enjoying your Peoneve thread.

Like others, I find this to be predominantly a rose fragrance. Mind you I don't have a lot of experience with Peony soliflores. Perfumed Lady sent me some Ava Luxe Pivoine Rose some time ago, in the olden days when we could share internatiolly from the UK. I liked it a great deal.

So, back to Peoneve. The opening is very green but it strikes me that it is green floral rather than fully green notes. Does anyone else wonder if there is lilac here? Green notes and rose notes. It wouldn't be out of place in the Rosine range. A few minutes in and Peoneve remains tart. There is a note which smells to me like rhubarb, which works really well with the rose and green notes, and which would certainly be sympathetic with an English Garden. This phase is bright, perhaps even shrill, but it works nicely. In the mid development Peoneve becomes a little aromatic. I still find that it is a rose at heart. Is there a faint suggestion of geranium? I do find that Peoneve shares something with EL Pleasures. I don't really tune into the vetiver in the base.

So, for me, whether real or imagined, this is certainly an English Garden, choc full of roses, lilacs, rhubarb, grass, a little geranium, and OK, peonies. It is bright and fresh, a little challenging actually which gives it personality. Wear this while sunning yourself, with a Pimms and some cucumber sandwiches.

I do believe 30R has made another love connection, yes. Though, I found the muskiness made me sneeze..I get the same way with Stella..and yes, Pleasures..wonder if it's the actual chemical used to make the peony smell, that would stink. Pleasures makes me sneeze like no other though. I do like that scent..but wore it too much for a period of time there..so, over it..and it makes me sneeze. But you're right Foustie, things in common with that EL. I would like to sniff more peony scents for sure..since it seems I really like most scents with that note as a focus...though..I smell rose mostly in this. I really should try that one by Ava Luxe sometime. Great descriptions, Foustie, as always.

Genie-not sure you will like this one as it has that green peony a bit..has similarities with Stella, which I know you didn't like.