A Balm Of Calm

Well lots of bad impression from ppl about this one, but hold on. Designer-esque? Maybe, remind me a little bit of Le male from JPG, but it’s just the first impression for me, the more you delve into it’s pretty interesting. First thing first, it’s definitely sweet if you are from east Asia and your nose is not ready for all these European sweetness. However if you can hold it a little bit more, the sweetness well become very airy or say whimsical. There are also reviews on YT saying it’s like barbershop scent, I can for sure tell you it’s not, not even close. At the beginning is very round and soft, and then you will have the warm feeling like you are next to a fire place. If my boyfriend wear this I’ll snuggle him all day. I think the best way to wear this perfume is one spray and it will do its magic. It’s better to be a skin scent than overwhelming audacious vibe. This perfume is worth to take a sniff and try on yourself. For the price I think it’s okay, maybe a bit pricer. For my layering pal, you can try layering this with liquid love from this collection or Endymion(cologne version). Liquid love’s ginger balanced out the sweetness, I think if you’re used to East Asian culture, this type of layering well be good for you. For Endymion, is more for winter and autumn in Europe, cuz it could get pretty strong. To sum up, I like it, and try a sample, it is not that disappointing at all!

Bought the tester set and had to get a full bottle. It is my favourite of the new scents and have worn it non stop! Perfect for this London weather when it just starts getting colder and you want to get a bit more spicy/sweet without going into Changing Constance/ Bewitching Yasmine territory. Starts out very unisex with a fresh, almost herbal, slightly spicy profile and then quickly transforms into a soft powdery, sweeter scent.. the floral notes & rum appearing. Its everything Mon Guerlain isn’t on me and for some reason it reminds me of that scent mixed with that recognisable Penhaligons tone. I love Mon Guerlain when sprayed on the air or when someone walks past.. but on me it is headache inducing. This is the upgraded version of it, sweet but not sickly, powdery soft lavender with a unisex dry quality. On my skin this lasts a good 5-6 hours and it lingers on clothes longer. A Kiss Of Bliss from the same collection has a very similar drydown but for me this is the clear winner. At least on my skin. I have smelt it on others and it is definitely a scent that reacts to body chemistry and clothes another way. On one friend I get much more lavender & sandlewood and none of the sweetness. Try before you buy if you can. If you like the drydown but not opening try A Kiss Of Bliss.

A friend of mine sent me a decant and said it smells very similar to Blazing Sam. At first, I didn't see the connection, but as it dries down I can relate a bit. They both share rum, but also a note in the base that smells like a carmex waxy substance. I think Balm of Calm has it dosed higher, in addition to something that smells like shea butter on my skin. Overall these waxy qualities mixed with lavender and sandalwood make it dry down to an expensive smelling shave balm. Very warm and creamy. You get the rum but it doesn't last beyond about 15-20 minutes so I wouldn't seek this one out looking for booze, it's more of a supporting cast. I also smell a hidden note of coconut or perhaps these notes just create a coconut type of accord. A very nice fragrance that's hard to dislike -------------------------------------------------------- Scent 84/100 Performance TBD

Very impressed with this scent. It is a soft creamy purple floral hug that is very unisex and might even tilt a teeny bit female. It's like putting on your favorite hoodie, warm from the dryer, and then reading a good book in your "own bed" sipping lavender tea with milk and honey. It's well blended, unique, elegant, and comforting. Timeless quiet luxury. This is signature scent worthy and a super safe blind buy, but it is also very light and lasts as a skin scent after an hour. Still, you can tell it is very high quality. Every note is smooth and rounded. I am not a huge fan of the Penhaligon offerings, but this is beautiful and I want to smell like this always. I just wish it was stronger for the price. Smelled today at Saks Fifth Avenue Beverly Hills 11/06/25. Easily my favorite out of this capsule collection. (41/white/male).

Smelled this in store on a test strip. The lavender came out after it dried down but sadly it's a bit too calm for me. I think this would be great as a "going to sleep" scent. Else it's really good but as i mentioned, it's a really calm scent. I would not blind buy/test skin chem. first! Edit to add after testing on my skin: The scent unfolds so much better, still calm but with a slight masculine edge during dry down. It dries down really faint on me, sweet but almost gone already leaving a cardamomy taste. I do quite enjoy putting it on but i believe longevity isn't the best. Edit to add to the edit: The cardamom aftersmell stays 24h on my skin and i love it. Calming and cozy ❤️

Makes me feel like I'm on Ambien in empty airport in the middle of the night . I'm wearing my prettiest silk nightgown and a pair of heeled bedroom slippers that are kissed by the most darling little lilac fuzzballs. I'm carrying a wooden valise filled with medicinal herbs in one hand and Men's aftershave that I swiped from duty free in the other . I recently ghosted my psychiatrist and lost all my Benzodiazepine and sleeping pill prescriptions so I will use my bottle of this to Pavlovian train myself to sleep soundly and serenely each night

An IYKYK perfume, prominently notes of clary sage and lavender, with iris, sandalwood in the dry down. It also has cardamom fleetingly in the start and Vetiver in the dry down, but those aren't too apparent. Its a quiet luxury perfume that is suede smooth, classy and very elegant. Slightly sweet, balm and calm inducing like @Decke below said. Overall a lovely daywear scent perfect before a noon siesta or a lunch on a blanket under the sun.

I sampled the entire Potions & Remedies collection today and this I think was my favourite. Smooth buttery sandalwood spiked with light hints of cardamom and sweet lavender. It’s an overall very smooth, creamy yet aromatic woody composition. Beautiful. One spray still softly present 6 hours in on skin... I can see this would last better on clothing. Overall impressed with this new collection and I love the fun apothecary bottles. ❤️

I bought this perfume last week from Penhaligons in Covent Garden. The opening is so beautiful. Fresh geranium with sandalwood. Gradually the rum is added to the perfume, which gives the scent more sweetness. The sillage diminishes and it becomes a sweet skin scent consisting of sandalwood and rum. It's not a loud perfume, but it definitely lasts a whole day. My favorite from this collection.

My fav from the new potions and remedies line. I recently purchased lavande 31 from le labo so got to test it against another new lavender release, and this one is just the right lavender for me. Such a well blended fragrance, i think it smells very sexy and leans masculine

Tested on paper and dry down was straight sandalwood. Tested on skin the following day and dry down was much more warm and creamy. A really really lovely, beautiful and calming scent. Still smell it on my skin after a shower

This smells almost like a woody coconut rum, with lavender, and vetiver. The other ingredients are nice and faint. Perfect for daily wear, the office and any season. It's stunning and musky.

An aromatic blend of equal parts lavender and cardamom. This is cosy, soothing and comforting. Super pleasant and wearable, signature scent worthy

Love this fragrance, it actually calms me down when I’m feeling anxious or overwhelmed. The perfumer is Juliette Karagueuzoglou. Love her work.

I'm not sure why this isn't hyped up more? Such a beautiful lavender, sandalwood fragrance that could be worn anytime.

Went into Penhaligons Chester and bought for my son. He was with me. This is exquisite. Love it!!

This is my favourite of the new Potions & Remedies line. That said, it's more like a good quality designer fragrance rather than something as high end as the price suggests. Powdery and creamy dry down with a little touch of sweetness and spiciness. I can't tell you all of the notes I'm picking up to get these nuances, but all that said there's definitely noticeable clary sage, cardamom and sandalwood within the mix. Lavender was a little more noticeable in the opening. I don't think I'm picking up the rum, but I guess the hint of sweetness could come from there? It's definitely not a boozy fragrance by any means though. Don't ask me why but it reminds me of Boss The Scent Magnetic in some way. They don't smell the same and no similar notes to speak of, but it reminded me of it, so I guess there must be a similar vibe within there somewhere. Or maybe it's just the fragrance that it's closest to in my own collection. I really like Magnetic by the way, so it's not a bad thing. Also a slight similarity to Explorer Platinum which I didn't realise until I saw a couple of other people voting for it - some similarities. Anyways, this is a very nice fragrance, but a little on the expensive side, so I more than likely won't buy it. Never say never, but I just don't think it's worth the high niche price when the fragrance itself doesn't exactly smell high end and has similarities to some designers. Definitely unisex, but I would say leans slightly masculine, to me at least. Performs well, you'll be glad to know. Worth getting your nose on for sure, then make your own mind up on if it's worth the money.

It opens with a strong wave of cardamom and lavender. The cardamom here has that slightly sour, edible quality; similar to what you’d find in Starlight. Then I start to pick up a boozy note. There’s also a woody aspect to it. It’s a pleasant scent, but it just doesn’t stick in my memory: it lacks that striking factor. I checked the notes and turns out I was pretty close. Because of the cardamom and rum, it feels warm but the lavender gives it a cool edge. It moves in waves, and in the end, it dries down to a soft sandalwood feeling with lingering cardamom.

I would describe this smell as "strongly peaceful". The smell is so smooth it's like it ripples across the nose, and the sandalwood is creamier than it is woody, creating a very pleasant smell both initially and as time passes. This remains fairly dense throughout its wearing, so summer wearing is a no go, but this smells amazing in a cool, or even outright cold environment. That all being said, this is overpriced. I wish Penhaligon's would hurry up and start pricing some of their things at 160 rather than jump between either 135 or 215 as their minimums.

Getting quite a mix - nutty, citrus-y, hint of mint, just a tad spicy, coconut-like, wisps of lavender, sandalwood yes, touch of oud - it's all really quite nice when they come together. Very comforting yes, is it special? No. But overall a nice scent still, and something I would use. You get more of the herbal side going closer to the skin, but from a distance, a slight caramel-y / coconut-ty result from the mix, on me. Wear it when you want to have a nice, quiet day by yourself or someone special.

Such a beautiful fougere. It’s a lighter version Layton. Obviously they have many same notes. If you are looking for easy-to-wear fragrance, then this is for you. Penhaligon’s still got it. This new series has something different and fresh. And A balm of calm is definitely my favorite.

Agree with the review below. It's so lovely, my favourite from Potions & Remedies line. Interesting opening with soft, comforting dry down. 4 hours on the skin, might be longer on clothes or with more than 1 spray. If I purchase any perfume from this line, it will be A Balm of Calm.

This smells really good. It leans masculine (and I usually like masculine scents) so I will be giving it to the hubby. Also, the longevity of this one compared to some of the other Penhaligon scents is impressive. It's definitely a boozy rum, cardamom, and sandalwood keeper.

Lives up to its name pretty literally. A soft and universally calming elixir that lingers on the skin. I would best compare it to the wondrous likes of Tam Dao, however, only reminiscently as it is far frothier and milky alongside the addition of the lavender cloak.

Nice scent profile. Rum-soaked sandalwood, aromatics and slightly powdery iris. But performance is terrible and I get no natural wafts to my nose, despite spraying a ton on skin and clothes. Unfortunately, not full bottle worthy.

The top note of cardamom on the initial spray was waaay too much as it reminded me of rasmalai an Indian milky sweet dish but it dries down beautifully similair to mr Beauregard. Soft creamy clean warm and unique.

I really like this. It’s bright, spicy, and woody. It reminds me of the Gris Charnel dupe Khadlaj Fursan White maybe because of the strong white musk.

I like this one. dries down to a warm, comforting smell. I'd buy a full bottle. blended well on my skin.

I feel I've a lot to say about this line, campaign... whatever...and it's largely positive, putting the most important thing to one side for a minute (the actual perfume) and looking at all the peripheral stuff I have to say that concept wise I like what Penhaligon's are doing here. The design and marketing is all on point, the bottles look great and clearly they must've spent a staggering amount promoting the potions and remedies collection, because either I'm stupid and can't tell augmented reality or photoshop from real life, but I could've sworn they had 100ft tall factice bottles on London's iconic Tower bridge. I mean hats off to them for that. Last general thing worth noting, I found the collection to be one of the quickest & easiest to review, understand whatever, and have compared it to a high concept movie pitch. If you can't explain the synopsis (or at least the general plot points) in 30 seconds or less then your idea is not by definition high concept. I'm often reluctant to jump in and review perfumes without a proper wear or two under my belt but these seemed easy to 'get' and subsequently wearing them I discovered no hidden secrets, or depth and take from that what you will. This is the first one I've properly worn and as usual I didn't consult with any notes or marketing bumpf even, I dive right in and give raw opinions, then look at that stuff later and compare notes (quite literally) and stuff and such. So immediately having just tried their newest portraits one (Mr Thompson) I was struck by the similarity in this one, being that it does have a prominent iris leaning vibe to me which perfectly embodies the feeling of calm and somewhat 'balm' as well, so the name is an apt one. My interpretation is of a figgy top note, with almost too smooth lavenderesque, lightly nutty iris, but without the leathery aspect or opulence of the Mr Thompson one, so in effect for all it's initial similarity they are very different perfumes in actuality. I'm getting strange hybrid of Valentino Uomo, Vera Wang, Ferregamo uomo and maybe even Le Male parfum, but also a host of other recent shit and I'm kinda thinking this is a little bit too commitee'd out of existence. It's difficult and unfair to quote all this stuff as reference context, because I'm despirately trying to mark balm of calm on it's own merits and comparing it to perfumes which I feel do mark themselves out. I like all those perfumes so I'm not having a huge downer on this, I'm just not sure this gourmand/amber/fougere hybrid stands out enough at this pricepoint to convince me. It's just a bit 'meh' if it took this concept and elevated it, I'd be singing it's praises gladly, but it's not a bad perfume, it's just not good either. Okay so looking at the notes now and clary sage, lavender and cardamom are not entirely unexpected in a perfume of this name and 'smooth' is often what I associate with cardamom, lavender here but they only chime after a very 'generic' opening, This is a much better perfume when settled on the skin, rare for Penhaligons and rare for this collection as it will become apparent. Rum? Okay Iris accord was clear to me right away and the rest of the sandlwood, vetiver and oak is it? represent the woody balast at the base of this perfume, fine.

First time I tried this (last week) it smelled quite masculine while wet, but as soon as it dried, it was a photorealistic herbal lavender over a soft woody base. It smelled like an essential oil blend, but I couldn't stop smelling myself. I wanted this. I am trying to justify whether it's worth it to spend a bunch of money on something I could probably mix together with some lavender and sandalwood essential oil. I saw that some people think it smells like Gris Charnel, and I didn't get it at all. GC is fig and tea, neither of which are here. I dislike fig, and really dislike Gris Charnel. Then, a week later, I spray my sample....and it smells like fig. Yep, I'm getting Gris Charnel vibes and I'm not liking this. I don't remember what the temperature was like a week ago, but today was 80 degrees and last week was maybe ten degrees cooler? Maybe it was the temp, maybe something with my skin chemistry. I'll put it away until fall and see what happens then.

Have only been wearing this for a while tonight before bed but when freshly sprayed it reminded me of Lipstick On by Replica? However, as it's dried and time has passed it has lost some of the intense floral and powdery profile I first got from it. Instead, the woody notes come through creating a more unisex profile. I personally love lavender and find it extremely comforting. However, I did not find the lavender in this fragrance prominent enough for my taste but that might just be me since I love fresh lavender and its essential oil. Still, I would describe its character as soothing and calming for sure. Not sure I'd wear this out because there is nothing that particularly stands out to me about it, I'd say I'd probably use it as a sleep time fragrance but I find that ridiculous for the price especially since I'd probably be more soothed by lavender body oil.

A balm of calm is a beautiful soft aromatic velvet fragrance. It definitely has caught my attention. The lavender and sandalwood are the main notes and in the background the iris and sage add a bit of a powdery feel to it and the oak adds a bit of depth. I just wished it lasted longer. It almost immediately goes into a skin scent which is not bad but it also fades of the skin quite fast. I get max 4/5 hours which is why i won’t get a full bottle of this any time soon. I feel like there are other scent profiles that are alike that last longer. The fragrance itself is stunning though and i will give that it’s extremely well blended.

While this does smell great and actually DOES smell incredibly calming, it’s actually borderline medicinal. I guess you can say it’s true to its name because this does smell like it SHOULD be a balm, not a perfume. I want my anti itch cream to smell like this. I want Vicks Vaporub to smell like this. I want to smell this while I get a massage. I do not want my perfume to smell like this. If you insist on buying this, check discounter sites first. Not blind buy safe.

I like that the lavender is mellowed out a little by the woods and whatever that creamy note is - if there's vetiver in there, it must be in a small amount because I'm not picking up the usual "sour dirt" my skin turns that one into. It's not a perfume I think I'd wear but if I opened a wooden blanket box up to pull out a favourite blanket that smelled like this on a day I needed some cosy and chill time? I would be quite pleased with that.

I love the bottles and marketing around this line but so far 0/2. This one I thought would be sure bet given the notes but it was so meh i just washed it off. Usually if i wash something off like that its because its bad or cloying. This was just to underwhelming to bother wearing it

I find the opening very astringent, while that settles down it still has a sharp unpleasant quality on my skin for 5-6 hours. The tail end of it about 8+ hours after application the woods were delicious and creamy. Very long lasting but that's a negative for me in this situation.

Unfortunately I don’t like it at all. Smells like generic herbal blend to my nose, kind of relaxing pillow spray type. Sprayed it on my hand in the store and wishing I would have saved this place on my skin for something more interesting lol

BDK Parfums Gris Charnel plus Lattafa Ajayeb Dubai. And beware: this one has that certain sharp molecular ultrascreech.

This is the most disappointing from the line. It does not smell of Layton idk how someone compared it to that. It just smells like every other designer mens lavender perfume out there. Sandalwood, Cardamom, Lavender & Clary Sage being what dominates. This is utterly utterly boring and has been done a million times before. The whole point of going to brands like this is to try and get something that you don't get from the likes of Montblanc or Ralph Lauren (This reminds me of the new Explorer Platinum and Ralphs Club), so this one is a massive disappointment.

I understand what someone was trying to get at when they made the Layton comp. I wouldn't say the scent copies Layton, it just uses a lavender that is eerily similar to the one used by Parfums de Marly - that specific note smells a lot like the one in Layton, Percival etc. This seemed like a pretty interesting scent at first, the creamy mint open was probably the highlight. The oak wood offered hints of smoky that made it smell a bit more sophisticated when blended with the lavender, but in the end, it was just very designer-esque/simple. This whole collection was tbf.

Something sharp in here with the woods and lavender. I find it quite screechy when I put my nose to my skin, like a few notes are battling each other and not blending well. With a name like 'A balm of calm' I would have hoped it would have been some lavender with some vanilla and soft musks. Instead I get Lavender and Geranium with something heavy that gives me oud vibes and something sharp that burns my nose. Not my cup of tea.

Lovely scent, but unfortunately doesn't last. It is very calming indeed and I could see myself wearing often, you don't get powerful lavender which sometimes is a no for me, but is beautifully blended with sandalwood and cardamom. If you want to start getting to incense fragrances, this is a really soft version. It is a shame it doesn't last or I would definitely get a full bottle.

If Liquid Love is a spicier version of Elisabethan Rose (same DNA), Balm of Calm is an amped up version of Endymion with better performance and more depth! Initial spray has a wonderful lavender and rum that could pass as unisex. In the drydown a gorgeous fir and sandalwood emerges and combines with the rum. I may end up buying this as I only have 20 ml left of my Endymion.

I have a stuffy nose so I'll have to retest this but this smells great to me today. Fresh woodsy, a little citrussy, just herbal enough (getting more lavender than sage or geranium.) Plenty of sandalwood and iris makes this powdery but in a fresh aromatic way. Not too butch but definitely unisex. Will test again without the stuffy nose. Drydown very vetiver forward.

warm cardamom, lavender, and sandalwood are the main 3 players in this scent. this reminds me of those small round metal tins of balm infused with essential oils used to relax the muscles, and given the name of the perfume, i think this is where the inspiration from this one stems.

Absolutely stunning and definitely reminiscent of lavender fields -calming ,prominent yet subtle in the way that it lingers but does not overpower ! This settled lovely and spicy on my skin !oozes cosyness of a winter tucked up with the fire on

Somehow it gives me figues and TONS of ambrofix. Description of ambrofix - “Woody and fresh, with a piney and nutty nuance. cedarwood, floral, leather-like, slightly tobacco note, and dry musk-like aftertaste. balsamic amber-like.” All in one.

Did the discovery kit. This one is herbal green and lavender. It’s nice. If I smelled this is a crowded room I would look for a well dressed gentleman. It has that “ vibe”

This is masculine, not unisex as some youtubers have said. I like it, but I wouldn't wear it. I'd definitely buy it for my husband or one of my sons though.

Lets just say im glad I did NOT blind buy this. Its a bit much. Not as inoffensive and soft as others lead me to believe.