Bold Blend

This one is absolutely fantastic! People notice this one, and they think I smells so good. On me it’s fresh, green and woody notes coming through but the distinct note for me is the violet leaf. I don’t see why there are so many negative reviews and comments. Highly recommend this one

I'm going to be honest, even though I love this fragrance and will probably buy it (I currently am using the sample). This dries down almost to Blazing Mr Sam, but a little more minty. I love it as a woman, but I really dislike the name and the marketing. Calling a fragrance with not a lot of sillage BOLD makes little sense. It makes for a better understanding to indicate that it's almost a scent made in an apothecary, distilled from an English herb garden. Also one last thing with that marketing video. Why the girl who looks 12 years old wearing her brothers clothes? Penhaligons, please, do not do this. We aren't here to be silly, your clients are serious fragrance connoisseurs.

Wow! This is certainly Bold. Definitely not one for the shy, retiring type. I have had a love/ hate relationship with Penhaligon over the years. Loving the older Blenheim and Racquets blends then being totally turned off and overwhelmed by the volume of new scents. No scent being a must buy. The perfume bottle being more attractive than the actual scent. However, with the introduction of Mister Sam and this unusual scent I am beginning to sway back to them. Caution advised with the Bold Blend. Definitely not a blind buy. Live with a sample for a few days. For me I was pleasantly surprised. Yeah, this is a keeper

Reminds me of Tom Ford Grey Vetiver with how its dry freshness and slight herbal nature. Super clean and lovely scent, would be phenomenal with a slightly more ambary dry down. Suitable for anything ever. The only drawback for this fragrance is the performance, didn't last more than 3 hours on my skin and projection was serviceable during the first hour but got weak quite fast. I do love the scent even if its not anything new or creative but the performance is atrocious and therefore not worth the money.

#87 of My Fragrance Journey - Bold Blend Penhaligon's The opening is a neon strike. Crushed mint and black pepper hitting like a first glance across a crowded room - electric, cool, bracing. Then violet moves in with this velvet shadow, and underneath it all, palo santo hums. Smoky. Sacred. Quietly charged. For a moment, the air feels genuinely alive. Queer energy, expressive, the kind that makes you lean in without knowing why. Then the lights dim. Too soon. It's a beautiful sketch that never quite becomes a painting. The notes are high-contrast, vivid - there's a unisex lean here that feels both grounded and airy, and honestly? I respect the composition. But it runs out of things to say before you've finished listening. That's the frustration. It's not a failure of what - it's a failure of how long. Penhaligon's have made something quietly seductive here. Perfectly pleasant. But "Bold Blend" is a name that doesn't quite fit what's in the bottle. It's a whisper where there should've been a shout. A soft artistic sigh when the soul was expecting something closer to a revolution. Verdict A gorgeous, fleeting encounter that leaves you wanting the full story. Polished, modern, genuinely interesting in the opening - but it's a delicate watercolour when the name promised a saturated oil painting. Worth trying. Hard to commit to. More scent stories and visuals on Instagram - @lavendercloudsjd

The Santal 33 comparison is very valid, but only for the first half hour when Bold Blend feels like a greener more aromatic Santal 33. In the opening is might also remind you of some kind of eucalyptus-like ointment for the cold, not vicks, something creamier and less medicinal. The mint is not toothpastey, neither too loud, but in conjunction with the herbal/aromatic elements makes the blend smell less like a perfume and more like an expensive spa thing. Also doesn't smell like Santal Greenery or stuff like that, as everything settles to more of a Palo Santo dry woodiness and it moves away from the sandalwood vibe. Unfortunately Bold Blend is only bold because it's not very perfume-like for most of the time it projects. When it becomes easier, balanced, woody and aromatic it is already more of a skin scent after the first hour. Not surprising for a Penhaligon's blend, but not something you would call bold. It is bold in a "Sauvage Eau Forte" way, I mean it's not bad, and smells like something that might get attention, but is that something a fragrance?

Received a sample from their webiste. To me, it's another really disappointing Penhaligons release, with their last release that is worth looking at being Mr Thompson. This has a very similar DNA to 'The Cut' which they just released. Opening is heavy on the mint and clary sage, dries down into something less similar once the sweetness of the Palo Santo starts to brighten up. In my opinion, Penhaligons trying to capture the mainstream market by making their own version of something representing Sandalwood/Cedarwood, just not my thing at all unfortunately. But, given the popularity of that area of the market, it might do quite well. Edit: On complete drydown it suprisingly has a similarity to 'Tragedy of Lord George'. All I can think is that the same woody notes are being used for both.

Having come back to this a few times now, I feel comfortable giving my thoughts. Yes the opening is very similar to their new Sports Car Club, it hits that same minty note which can also be found in The Cut iirc. But bold blend is a smoky affair that immediately dips out of that sparkly mint and into a smoky sage caramel that for me sits somewhere between scandal pour homme edt and Penahligons own Eau the Audacity or Inimitable Mr Penhaligon (more vegetal than the first, less animalic than the latter). Audacity, of course, is another word for boldness and indeed Bold Blend feels very conceptually in the same space as that scent, if using different ingredients to build it.

Bold Blend opens with this sweet peppermint, much like The Cut, but fizzier. Then, violet leaves and palo santo switch completely the mood of the fragrance, in a more smoky aromatic scent profile. I'd say that this is a kind of fougere that I've never smelled! As this twist is quite surprising, the "bold" in the name is not actually fitting the performance of this fragrance: it's not a in-your-face type of fragrance (even if the name seems to say otherwise). Adding the high price point (245€ as for every edp from penhaligon's), while appreciating the scent profile, I'm not going to buy Bold Blend.

Wanted to like this but it fell short. Despite the lackluster performance I do find this to be a bold fragrance. Its strikes me a unique approach to fresh fragrance. Very very green. Green Mint spice and some sort of nondescript green fruit note. Interesting but i did not find that i enjoyed wearing it.

This feels like a variant of The Cut that they decided not to go with originally but have now bottled it up. I should have a similar opinion but the differences makes this feel.....banally millenial. Its a minimalist composition that feels at home in a newbuild house where everything is painted muted whites and greys. The kind of scent I could see on a robotic lizard person HR tells me is their new division head. And quite frankly if its not a 10/10 or at least 8/10 its not worth the price. Penhaligons is expensive because its niche and its masterpieces command that price, but simpler scents that can be gotten elsewhere don't justify that.

I sampled this at the Penhaligon’s shop in Glasgow today. Sadly, this is not quite worthy of Penhaligon’s heritage. It smells designer-inspired. I cannot detect any notes or accords, just a muted, somewhat green, pleasant aroma. It is safe, modern, and devoid of personality. I do not see this becoming a Penhaligon’s classic. I think it should have been named Bored Blend. Penhaligon’s, as you charge premium prices, you need to get back to crafting premium fragrances like Lothair, Halfeti, Douro, etc

I received a sample todaay. I really dislike the initial scent, and think it's peppermint, that gives the impression of mouthwash, though there's some citrus too, maybe from the palo santo. I do like the sage, but there's too many other notes that don't meld well, in my opinion. I love black pepper yet get none on my skin. If asked I would say it's a like a barbershop fougère, just a bit weird.

Nothing bold about this blend. Extraordinarily boring. Smells like a flat gin and tonic that has been sitting out for a couple bar closes.

I’m sorry, this is such a disappointing release. I was initially so excited based on the ingredients, but this is just so damn disappointing. What’s with Penhaligon’s releasing Finley (violet leaf), The Cut (minty), Sports Car Club rerelease (minty/eucalyptus) and this, Bold Blend (mint, violet leaf) all within a year? I know it’s meant to capture a certain mainstream audience, but my goodness, there are other ingredients than mint and violet leaf. So underwhelmed and disappointed with the brand, it’s like they’re just releasing the same variation of ingredients that are mainstream and popular, hoping one of the releases hits. I don’t expect Penhaligon’s to be trend follower, but a trendsetter. And this right here is a poor attempt at trying to capture the mainstream audience with a mediocre release.

To be honest, I don't feel anything about BOLD in this product. I am not going to say that this fragrance smells bad, but the market presentation is just irrelevant to its scent. And the most important thing is the new blend is a bit boring. The whole fragrance structure is crumbling. It seems that this fragrance wants to give us a spectrum of young to old generation, or classic to modern, but the only thing presented here is just illogical blend, making it incomprehensible. Not a bad smell. It's just making no sense and wrongly categorised into the potion series. By the way, the printing on the sample card will ruin your bag. Don't put it into the bag!

Absolutely preposterous that they've discontinued Douro, Savoy Steam, Castille, Lothair, Belgravia Chypre, Roaring Radcliff, only to launch this. In no way, shape or form should this fragrance be priced the way it is, it lacks any proper scent structure, and all ingredients just come down to this synthetic, dull and cloying scent, that isn't really that bad, but only if it was 200 quid cheaper. Shocking that perfume royalty such as Penhaligon's and Paul Guerlain are behind this. What a miss.

I agree with the other reviews - oddly misleading marketing and name for such a generic and weak aromatic/green fragrance. In what shape or form is this ‘Bold’ with this poor of a performance? All in all, It’s a pretty generic and weak spicy green scent, very linear and not much going on after the first spray. Also very similar to previous releases like The Cut and Sports Car Club. Disappointing release, considering the nose behind this is Paul Guerlain!

Bold Blend opens with an interesting-but-actually-not-unpleasant dill pickle juice spritz that fades after thirty seconds or so and then this bottle starts to really come alive. A lot of reviewers have called it boring and I don't agree with that. The slight acetic tinge reminds me strongly of Santal 33 which is a polarising fragrance if ever there was one and not something most people would call boring, and to my nose Bold Blend is a toned down, less sharp take on a similar DNA, facing in a Pour Un Homme De Caron aromatic sort of direction. I find myself wanting more and more of the peppermint accord in this but I love the black pepper and clary sage in this. They say the mark of a good fragrance is that you keep going back to smell it and this definitely ticks that box for me. The first time I tested this I sprayed it normally and I found it quite reserved and it lasted about four hours on the skin. The second time I tested it, I literally did half a 2ml tester on my neck, chest and wrists and it transforms how this scent goes. You get a lot more of the peppermint, especially in the drydown and it goes fresher and more attention-grabbing. I suspect the reviewers who haven't enjoyed this one much have just been a little conservative on the nozzle - I think Penhaligon's are being clever here and it isn't the scent that is supposed to be bold, but the wearer when he/she sprays it! The aromatic base in this is gorgeous. It is green but not herbal/medicinal and unusually rich but still airy and fresh. It is exhilarating to wear and as mentioned before, is addictive off the wrist. You find yourself sniffing yourself without even knowing you are doing it. It is sweeter but isn't as strong as Santal 33 but sits somewhere between that and Pour Un Homme De Caron a bit in the way the aromatics are put together and the way they feel when you experience them, even though there isn't any lavender in this. If you are on the fence about this one, go back and be more Bold on the atomiser and I think it will surprise you. I do wonder if a spell of maceration might also add more weight as well. The aforementioned Caron really rewards some heavy-handedness and a spell of maceration to really make it sing as well which is why I wonder if it might help here. Layering suggestion: I tried this over a base layer of Mystic Bliss by Goldfield & Banks as the aromatics are quite similar and the mint is very similar, but there is a heavier base note of some gorgeous sandalwood to take this a bit heavier. It worked very nicely. Three Word Summary: Be More Bold Scent - 7/10 Drydown - 7/10 Sillage - 8/10 Bottle/packaging - 8/10 Performance - 6/10 36/50

I’ll start by saying I’m a big Penhaligons fan. Own a few fragrances which are all incredible in my opinion. I currently own Halfeti, Endymion Concentre, Sartorial, Terrible Teddy, LP no. 9, and Opus 1870. I’ve tried The Cut, not bad. A bit boring. Now, onto Bold Blend. It opens with a strong mint note and some pepper, which is ok. Then it transforms into the smell of hair dye. Not pleasant in the slightest. Very disappointing release from Penhaligons. Performance wise, mediocre at best. No projection, skin scent after 10 minutes. I guess because this smells like hair dye it’s a plus that its performance is shocking.

A woody aromatic fragrance where herbs, woods and a subtle incense-like quality dominates the composition. At times I was reminded of dill, although in a pleasant way. It feels natural and somewhat unique. This is not something I would personally wear. Nor do I think it stands alongside some of the other offerings from the house.

I tested this one yesterday, to my nose has some hints Sports Car Club and Fortuitous Finley. The peppermint of the opening doesn’t come across natural is more of a camphoric freshness that you can also feelnit on the skin, really peculiar, that was what throw me off. Overall is good but not amazing.

This is truly delightful! Soft refreshing green notes with a hint of something fruity, and the aromatic palo santo peaking through. I would get a full bottle if the performance was better, as this is slight in the sillage and longevity. For now, a 10 ml decant might do.

Maybe it's just me, but this reminds me of Burberry Hero Parum - though I actually prefer that to this Penhaligon's fragrance. Not sure what I expected, but this is a profile I feel like I have already, and it's not different or interesting enough for me to purchase.

Leaving a second comment to say that it smells pretty much identical to Lattafa's Musammam White Intense or Zara‘s Energetically NY! Both £30 and cheaper alternatives if you want to go smelling the same, a gentle green herbal sandalwood

Do we need this Santal 33 variation in 2026? Not a bad scent, greener and more peppery than S33, however...

The notes are intriguing, and I do love the brand's aesthetic......