New Perfume Review: Penhaligon’s London Lothair, Levantium and Empressa + The Wealth on the Wharf Draw

Penhaligons window display trade routes perfume collection cafleurebon

Penhaligon's London  Convent Garden Piazza Window Display of The Trade Routes Collection 

Penhaligon's is a British perfume house with a wealth of history. Founded in 1870 during the Victorian era; the original perfumes were created for a privileged clientele and whispered of opulent excesses. The fragrance house has always aimed to evolve with the times, including the recent 2014 release of TraLaLa in collaboration with Avant Garde British fashion designers Meadham Kirchhoff, created by Bertrand Duchaufour, who although I cannot imagine him at London Fashion Week,  is no stranger to the subject of fashion as he created the splendid Sartorial. However, with the newest Trade Routes Collection, Penhaligon's has drawn from their vault of historical scent memories as we return to House’s illustrious past. The collection is comprised of three new fragrances, each inspired by precious spices and rare commodities that were traded through London’s historic docks at the turn of the 19th Century.  Piled high on the quaysides and arriving daily from the farthest flung corners of the globe; the rarest treasures in dizzying abundance; London was the Warehouse of the World.

Painting of a Tea Clipper Jack Spirling- Titania

Painting of a Tea Clipper Jack Spirling- Titania

Lothair, created by the much lauded Bertrand Duchaufour, is inspired by the famous Tea Clippers that sailed into London docks loaded with exquisite rarities for trade.  It begins all sparkling with citrus and cold sea breezes, very crisp and blue-green. One is immediately drawn by the airy quality of the scent; it genuinely feels in those first few minutes like the snap of sails in the crystalline space between sea and sky. Lothair stays cool against the wrist, like polished wood, a salty tang and a slightly herbal twist developing as the grapefruit fades. There is a dry bristle of mosses very subtly rustling in the background and in its fading moments there can be found a more golden glow of vanilla. Another study in dualities by Bertrand Duchaufour, Lothair balance of crisp airiness against brightly buffed wood conjures a vivid conceptual picture.

Notes: Juniper Berry, Cardamom, Bergamot, Grapefruit, Fig Leaf, Fig Milk, Lavender, Geranium, Black Tea, Vanilla, Musks, Cedarwood, Ambergris, Wenge, and Oakmoss.

spice cabinet at cutler street market

 Cutler Street Market Spices

Perfumer Christian de Provenzano signed Levantium  that truly brings to mind the spice-stacked warehouses along London’s wharfs. The fragrance is packed full of precious resins and woods: Amber, Oud, Sandalwood and Myrrh. The opening moment of this scent is a vibrant lash of rum-like Davana, chased and set on fire with rolling smoke and Oud. It's an immersive experience, like being flung into the heart of a traders market steaming with the heat of a thousand bodies, clamouring shouts ricocheting all around. Levantium is a powerhouse perfume, deep and rich and stained with leathery intent. The floral heart is a thousand petals strewn on the warehouse floor, crushed beneath spice rimmed boots. Extraordinarily atmospheric and not for the faint hearted.

Notes: Bergamot, Davana, Saffron, Absinthe, Rose, Jasmine, Violet, Clove, Cardamom, Ylang Ylang, Peach, Amber, Myrrh, Guaiacwood, Sandalwood, Cedarwood, Oud, Patchouli, Musk, Maltol, Vanilla

victorian women vintage london photo

Vintage Photo: 1880s Fashionable London Ladies

Empressa, created by perfumer Mike Parrott, evokes the beauty and nacrescence of pearls, precious silks and fine fabrics transported through London to adorn women of power and influence. It is the most opulent of the trio; a floral/gourmand delicacy with traces of laundry musk and imaginary fruits. It begins as a fluffy pile of clean towels ready to be wrapped around a rose scented body. Then a dusting of cocoa and vanilla whispers across the skin, laced with fragrantly subtle patchouli and a masterfully controlled smoky depth from the frankincense. The sillage is impressive as Penhaligon's florals go; it projects with the  high brow confidence of a lady of noble birth who has a dozen bewhiskered men courting her. Empressa is my favourite of the collection.

Notes:  Blood Orange, Bergamot, Peach, Cassis, Dewberry, Rose, Neroli, Pink Pepper, Vanilla, Cocoa, Patchouli and Frankincense.

John Masefield painted by William Strang

John Masefield by William Strang

Penhaligon’s The Trade Routes Collection has indeed given us a perfumed window into an era long past. In 1914 John Masefield, the Poet Laureate, visited the Cutler street warehouses to marvel at the abundant cargo, the prize of the British Empire. He wrote a wonderful piece which ends: "You showed, for a most delightful hour, the wealth of the world and London’s power".

Susie Bairds, Contributor and Author of the Fragrance Blog Ephipany

Disclosure: I received my samples from Penhaligon’s

Thanks to Penhaligon’s we have a sample set of Lothair, Levantium and Empressa for a reader in the USA, Canada and the EU. To be eligible please leave a comment with which of the fragrances appeal to you the most, where you live and your favourite Penhaligon’s London fragrance. Draw closes 11/29/2014.

We announce the winners only on site and on our Facebook page, so Like Cafleurebon and use our RSS option…or your dream prize will be just spilled perfume.

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26 comments

  • Empressa sounds amazing, with the floral and gourmand notes, completed by musk and frankincense. Of all the Penhaligon’s perfumes I have tried I like the most Malabah. I live in the EU.

  • what fascinating history Susie!

    can you imagine being able to walk near those docks and simply… inhale?!

    no need to enter me in the draw, just was caught up in the imagery. 🙂

  • Levantium, chockful of spices and woods, sounds right up my alley. I have no tried any Penhaligon’s yet, and I am in the US. Thank you!

  • Empressa sounds wonderful because of its floral/gourmet notes, my favorite Penhaligon scent is Cornubia.
    I live in EU and I thank Susie for this lovely review and Cafleurebon for the draw.

  • From the ones I tried Elisabethan rose is my favorite. Empressa sounds very good. I like the description of what it evokes (beauty, pearls, precious silks) and the floral/gourmand notes sound like something I would love. I am in the EU.

  • These sound just lovely….especially the Levatium! These all sound so mystical…. I would very much enjoy trying out the sampler! I live in the US Thank you!

    -J

  • I would be most interested in trying Levntium- I’m on an exploratory voyage of saffron after discovering that i like it in Santal Carmin. I thought I couldn’t stomach it. But Cuir de Lancome is a favorite, and apparently that contains it too.
    I haven’t yet sampled a Penhaligon’s perfume, much to my regret. But Violetta sounds lovely. I’m in the US.

  • fazal cheema says:

    Lothair appeals to me the most because it is based around tea and also has fig milk as one of the notes..my fav. Penhaligon is LP9. thanks for the draw. I am in the US

  • Hard to choose because they all sound so good. If forced to pick, I’d pick Levantium. It’s chock full of my favorite notes! Vaara is my fave Penhaglion’s. I’m in the US. Thanks for the draw! 🙂

  • I would like to try Levantium, it sounds so exotic! I haven’t tried Penhaligon’s yet…I am in the US.

  • Jennifer Witt says:

    I’d like to try Empressa the most, simply because the description incorporates the phrase “a dozen bewhiskered men”. My nephew calls my dad Grandpa Whiskers, and this always makes me giggle. I don’t have a current Penhaligon’s favorite – I live in the US.

  • Donna Spiegel says:

    What a wonderful article. Levantium appeals to me most, as I love the notes in this particular fragrance. This sounds absolutely like what I would love to be wearing right now. Especially as the winter is just settling in here. Empressa sounds nice and of course Bertrand Duchafour always has an interesting combination so that would be fun to experiment with. I live in the US and would absolultely love these. Thanks for the draw!

  • A fantastic voyage indeed. I think empressa sounds most like me although anything from Bertrand Duchaufour is worth a sniff
    My favorite Penhaligon is amaranthine
    USA and lovely blog

  • I am in the US. I haven’t tried Penhaligon’s, but I think I would enjoy Violetta. Out of these, Empressa appeals to me the most for it’s mouth watering notes. Thank you.

  • sunnlittlane says:

    Lothair sounds the most interesting. although they all sound lovely.
    Juniper Sling in my farvorite Penhaligon.
    I live in the U.S.
    Thanks.

  • I think I’d like Levantium most becasue I’m drawn to the davana within it.
    My favourite Pen is Endymion.
    I’m in the EU, ty

  • I am also investigating the duality these days, and the salty-mossy-vanilla of Lothair seems most interesting to me, though I suspect I would more easily wear Empressa.
    My Penhaligon’s favorite is Juniper Sling.
    I am ni Bulgaria (EU). Thank you for the chance!

  • Bertrand is high on my list of favorite perfumers. So I’d love to have this Lothair. My current favorite Penhaligon’s is Iris Prima. 🙂 USA

  • At first I was thinking Empressa would be my fave, but then Levantium started sounding interesting. Haven’t tried any Penhaligon yet so fingers crossed I’ll get a chance to do it now. I’m in the EU.

  • Cynthia Richardson says:

    Of the fragrances, Lothair appeals to me the most because I love the juniper berry note. I live in the US and my favorite Penhaligon’s London fragrance is Bayolea.

  • Lothair sounds absolutely lovely but I believe I would enjoy Levanthium the most of the three. My favorite Pen’s is Opus 1870.

    I’m in the US. Thanks for the draw.

  • I already own Lothair, but I would love to try Empressa too! 🙂 Fav currently got to be Lothair 🙂 its amaaaazing!

    From U.S.

  • Empressa sounds amazing as I love “opulent” perfumes. My favorite Penhaligon is Lavendula, a beautiful true lavender. USA

  • Empressa sounds most appealing! I am in the U.S. and my favorite Penhaligon’s is Amaranthine. Thanks!