Brilliantly British

I was searching for a creamy calming lavender and this was the one I fell in love with, although I wouldn't say it's creamy per se beyond its toffee note. Chanel Jersey was pleasant but somehow unsatisfying, Lush Twilight dwindled to a scratchy nothingness after the initial lavender blast and Caron Pour un Homme also felt thin on me, though I did enjoy the occasional wisps of vanilla in the drydown. It took me about three wears to get Brilliantly British but one day on the train I was hit: smooth, strong lavender with toffee simmering through. Both balance each other out so that the toffee isn't overly sweet and gourmand, but simply rich and satisfying, and the lavender isn't too herbal but sweet and full-bodied. They're so well blended, it's hard to tell where the lavender begins and toffee ends though. I'm surprised how indulgent this smells given the seemingly simple notes list. I'm not sure if BB will become hard to find since it's a limited edition. Not wanting to take any chances, I snaffled up a backup bottle that I managed to find for half retail price. It means I can spray my bottle with more abandon. On a side note, the juice is a rather interesting very pale blue-green. I'm not all that keen on the marketing for this: the name and the Union Jack theme. Even though it was created to commemurate Penhaligon's anniversary, it seems a bit too brashly obvious. But I think the fragrance does justice to the occasion. It's neither wishy-washy, trying too hard or overly formal. The lavender nods to many things British - the cottage garden, barbershop - and the toffee has a certain tradition but also gives it a slightly quirky twist. I think a metallic copper and deep mauve colour scheme for the bottle would have been stunning. Regardless, good job Penhaligon's - a worthy addition. Will be interested to see if this scent joins the main line. However, I'm surprised there are so few reviews up until now.

I love this, as a perfume but also as a concept. It triggered many memories and feelings about my perfumes journey so much that I recalled myself at 9-10 years old testing cheap perfumes in a huge supermarket. Penhaligon’s compositions often have that smoothness and blend to them that hit a sweet spot in me, yes!! I feel this is made by a house expertly making perfumes for almost 150 years. A bit sweet and creamy, not like white cream but like high quality not too sweet warm toffee. The smell itself isn’t new to the nose, it’s lavender toffee so you probably smelled this as food or even tea. The beauty is how everything comes together nicely. Starting with the bottle which fits the name and the scent itself, puts you in the mood for refined calmness, you spray the fragrance and the first few minutes are sharper and maybe weird lavender but after that the toffee kicks in and the scent generally starts to smell so harmonic and well blended. It’s rounded, nothing sticking out with sharpness or scratchy synthetic mess. This helps the calmness you got to cultivate. How it sits is the kind of projection that makes you think “this person smells nice” instead of “this person’s perfume smells nice” if you know what I mean!! So it gave me a put together high quality soothing nicely presented perfume, no scratchy heavily market med cheap dupes, no trend chasing hype monsters, no AI generated formulas. Just the “simple” core of perfumery, making nice perfumes.

This starts out with a strong and true lavender- aromatic and natural smelling. Very soon it is joined by a toffee note that sweetens it and blends beautifully with the lavender, smoothing it off and making it warm and comforting. However the sweetness is never overbearing. It also has a slightly boozy vanilla note that adds depth to the composition. I think it is a great replacement for Lavendula, although I really miss the cinnamon note. I am very satisfied with it and this is now my go-to lavender perfume. Longevity 7+ hours, unisex, sillage moderate. I got this from the Australian website Libertine Perfumery and they gave me about 16 niche samples with my order. Service at this website is impeccable and very generous 😊

Instant love! Like another member warned- there are many fakes popping up- the bow on the fakes are mis-shaped and have even stripes ( real ones have crisp bows with uneven stripes) there are other tells but I can’t list them all here. Brilliantly British is discontinued so you’re only going to find it if another collector declutters. I was able to find a real one and yummy! I’m not getting any soapy notes just camphorous lavender with crunchy confectionary vanilla- think Jordan almond with a little Tonka smokiness in the mid/ dry down. Very good projection. If you enjoy Lavender Extreme, A Taste of Heaven, sweet herbal powdery fragrances you’d likely love this.

This is a very nice scent... I am getting a VERY refined and smooth version of Mugler's A*Men from this one... Obviously this does not smell exactly like it but that lavender and toffee combo really brings the heart of my old vintage bottle of A*Men to mind... But A*Men without that harshness and the rough spots and obviously without the patchouli... Sadly this was a limited release and has already been discontinued but IF you do have access to this one give it a whiff and think about A*Men and you'll see what I'm talking about... I'm very happy to have this in my collection as I think it's a beauty...

Sticky sweet caramel gourmand with a soothing lavender. Very addictive, couldn’t stop smelling myself after application. Reminds me of sweet pipe tobacco in a bakery with a powdery talc-like dry down. This fragrance is simultaneously fresh and warm, and is a compliment powerhouse. Though sweet and a bit playful, I believe this suits a man above thirty best. The name is spot on, as Brilliantly British exudes a very charming English personality. Easily my new favorite offering from the house of Penhaligon’s, and sits in my top five of all time.

A little gem of a scent from a long established niche perfum house that has been hit and miss with me for over 40 years. This smooth, clean and creamy lavender is cut with a wisp of toffee that enhances the lavender, but knows to take a back seat to its star. When Penhaligon’s gets it right it’s wonderful, but they do drop some clunkers. Often you question the brands direction as it tries to walk the wire between British Traditional/Eccentric and offerings that can sometimes be a little lazy and chasing the mass market algorithm.

Accurate statement from dcjimr below - longevity is indeed abysmal. Brilliantly British is one of the most beautiful, gorgeous and decadent scents I’ve ever laid my nose on... but performance is absolute crap. Such is the story of my fragrance journey; the greatest ones don’t last, and the worst ones can’t be scrubbed off fast enough!

Almost identical to Tom Ford Lavender Extreme. Stunning realistic Lavender but not old lady or bathroom cleaner at all. Not sickly sweet either. A very well done perfume and one I’m glad to have in my collection. It’s going to be my go to this summer for sure.

Wonderful lavender scent: bright, fresh, realistic. It balanced with a nice and strong vanilla base. Love this combination, reminds me of eating vanilla ice cream while taking a walk through the lavender fields in the South of France :)

A very nice slightly sweet lavender scent with abysmal longevity and silage. I wear it to bed because it lasts about the same amount of time it takes to fall asleep.

Loved it after trying a sample, but it's a limited edition that you won't be able to get :(

Outstanding. A great replacement for TF LE and competitor against Molinard's Lavande.

A very nice, powdery sweet smell. Reminds me of lavender shortbread biscuits.

A basic fragrance in terms of smell, although the salted caramel / toffee give it that wonderful British spice. An moderate sillage and a moderate longevity, this perfume is ideal for Spring or Fall. It can easily be worn during the day and night. Commenting on the bottle, I feel that it could have been given a nicer touch. Nonetheless taking the price and everything into consideration, it’s a nice scent for your collection. Could this scent become part of the main line? Not a bad idea!

A pleasant heavily sweetened clean lavender fougere, classic but also totally wearable nowadays. For the pricetag it does however not deliver enough to justify purchasing it.

Loving the lavender in this. It’s not sharp or bitter, but rather aromatic and balanced out beautifully by the sweet toffee.

Lavender...The flower & stem. Luxurious, thick toffee that tramples the lavender after a few minutes.

Well done sweet lavender on a bed of vanillic palo santo and tonka. Not much to add. Nice, but probably not worth the limited edition price point. Some brands might have sold that sold that one as a sweet tobacco fragrance (there is none to my nose, but there is none also in many other tobacco fragrances).

I studied in the UK pre-COVID and one whiff of it and it took me back there walking around people's tiny front gardens packed with flowers of all variety in Notting Hill. Often, the people passing you by would have a faint, very similar to each other type of scent about them. That's completely the lavender in this, I figure! Or, was it the air itself, I wonder! I like all things lavender so, this is a no brainer complete with the sweetness and warmth of toffee. It has that up-class hotel on the Main Street smell about it. But, just as a memory is fleeting, so is this scent. One whiff in the air and it's gone. Only a skin scent if you don't mind diving your nose into the spot where you sprayed it. Nice ephemeral experience! Glad I got to try a sample given it's limited edition and also my first Penhaligon but would only be worth buying a full bottle if one has deep heavy pockets.