Clandestine Clara

Clara will always have a special place in my heart as it was the first fragrance that made me fall into this deep rabbit hole of perfumes. It totally captured my heart at first sniff. At the time, I was unaware of anything perfumes but I saved every penny I could to purchase this bottle at full retail price. The notes in here are still notes that I gravitate towards when it comes to scents, vanilla, tobacco, rum, amber and subtle spices. Clara is a boozy ambery warm vanilla that dries down a touch powdery, it doesn’t transform much but I don’t get bored of it (it doesn’t last long enough to get bored of lol). She looks sweet and innocent but there’s a dark sensual side to her that very few gets the pleasure of experiencing. She is self aware and gives of idgaf what you think of me you'll love me anyways energy. Layered together with the very bewitching yasmine (amps up the sweetness and longevity) and that is now a signature scent to me. That’s when I feel the most myself. Every time I put this on it reminds me of my first love, Clara.

Looking at the accords, I simply knew this was for me. I love perfumes with smell all boozy and cinnamon-y with just a hint of tobacco on my husband, but he isn’t a fan of those. Which is why I took to buying perfumes meant for men that smell like this! But this? Everything I want in a pretty bottle :) I might be a bit partial though - I was ready to love this even before I smelled it because of the copy from Penhaligon’s. I mean, Clara does sound like the woman I want to be. I know people have had issues with longevity and sillage but to be honest it doesn’t seem to bother me. I am surrounded by a cinnamony spicy cloud that I am basking in. So, so unique. So different from any other perfume I am used to. It does border on unisex and I would love to smell this on a man! I imagine someone who’s confident and willing to admit it wearing this one. This is the kind of perfume that you’ve got to know better to find the soft core within, know what I mean? Get past the hard exterior shell to find the warmth inside. Gorgeous smell!

So I got this today and I have been racking my brain trying to think of what it reminds me of. It has a bit of a vintage edge to it and it's wafting something really familiar to me.... Its just come to me! It reminds me of Samsara! But the OG, not the current formulation. When I put my nose to my wrist it doesn't smell like it, but wafting in the air I get that distinct Samsara vibe. Off the top its spicy play dough with a marzipan/almond nuance. This isn't boozy, it's dry and powdery with a touch of sweetness. The dry down is where this frag shines for me. The play dough burns off a fair bit and you are left with a creamy vanilla, cinnamon and rich amber that is a touch powdery from the lingering playdough. Its such a shame that when it gets to the divine dry down it is almost gone. 2 hours and it's a skin scent, and it only projects for maybe 20 minutes. For the price thats a joke. Its a true unisex fragrance.

Think sweet powdery smooth aged rum by the fireplace. Even after years of maceration, longevity and spillage is disappointingly weak for the price you pay. Such a shame for a beautifully blended fragrance. Extremely close to the skin but a warm surprise oozes out upon discovery. My batch is JUNE 2020... at room temperature on my hand I need to be at least 15cm close to get an essence - an odd liquorice opening which eases in to sweet woodiness. The only way to comfortably wear this out is for it to ride on the back of a projecting fragrance like Mancera roses vanille. Given then name, I gather Clara is very quiet and mysterious, not wanting to be easily identified hence the subtle complexity. 7.5/10 - losing points for price, longevity, and projection but smells divine!

I do like testing female/ unisex fragrances to wear for myself (I am a heterosexual male) and would layer some with different molecule compounds to alter the tone for a more masculine offset as I'm very much into gourmand and vanilla notes. I tested this out after reading all the reviews on this at first, especially with the opening spray - I wasn't a fan. Though as most fragrances I wanted to give this a chance so I just bought it anyway and tested it for a week and where this shines I feel is the dry down and when its in the air. I layer this with ambroxan, so perhaps that had something to do with it but it was surprisingly pleasant and have received a lot of compliments both female and male.

This beauty is like an eclectic evening out as a seductress! At the very beginning, the experience is so fun and fizzy and very punchy with the yummy rum note. It is so pleasing and stays like this for a good hour with me, like a Christmas party vibe, with some time, it relaxes a little and allows the cinnamon and woods to really pop, still whiffs of rum but not so dazzling, more of a cocktail hour by the fire in an upscale hotel. Then the cosy dry-down, Vanilla amber and trails of the spicy rummy night linger. She is lovable and fun. I love her for the evening, I imagine wearing Feve D in the day and then adding her to it at night for a really yummy experience.

I'm right in the middle on this one. It's attention grabbing at first spray, throws a wallop of a punch and then hides it's hands. It is sweet, it is boozy but there's no density to it. It almost come across to me as fizzy, like there are little tiny pockets of air filtering through the fragrance. It reminds me of a cherry cola. Amber-y it is, vanilla-sh...sure, but I have to be honest about my disappointment in it's sillage and longevity. I feel like I have to keep this uncapped and tucked in a hip sheath to spray at a moment's notice, lest I be accused of not having it on. I like it though. :)

Okay, boozy, I can smell that, but more sweet. Clara is not a barfly. She may have taken a swig before passing by, but she didn't spend the night drinking. The booze and vanilla explain why I want to lick myself when wearing this. I don't get any patchouli smell, thank God. Penhaligon's is the MASTER of blending their scents in such a way as to have it super refined, and nothing is cacophonously standing out like a lone note. I like that about them because they do it well, do it for depth and mystery, and they achieve class scents!

It is a super sexy, lovely, warm, inviting fragrance that is a nose burier and one of the most underrated and ignored Penhaligon. It's unisex, and I love to wear it. Despite not usually going for booze in my perfumes, I adore the rum note in this, but it is just enough to make me feel like a flapper in the late 20s sitting in the cocktail bar. The amber provides the warmth to match it, and I think a liberal spray lasts 6 hours on me with a little cream on my skin. It dries down perfectly for a coffee after cocktails. IFYKWIM!

Clandestine Clara has my number. This fragrance has enthralled me with boozey swirls of amber, vanilla and patchouli. I think this will be my next full bottle, and has supplanted Elixir as my favorite from Penhaligon's. I will spend this winter enfolded in layers of velvet, suede, silk, and utterly in the thrall of this bewitching Clara. With fire in my heart, I am ready to face the winter.

Love at first sniff!! It’s actually the fragrance that made me enter the fragrance world. Anyways for me, I think it’s very sexy, unique, and has an enticing scent trail. Scent uniqueness: 9/10 Scent itself: 10/10 Longevity: 9/10 (amazing dry down) Projection: 8.5/10 ; spray a lot for better Performance But overall: 9/10

This is more of a note for myself to reference at a later date. This a powdery, sweet, and spicy scent on me. Smells a bit unisex but leans feminine. The fragrance is reminiscent of Khamrah but much smoother and refined. I also get hints of baby powder and chestnuts or tonka beans which are not listed in the notes.

Oh, this is so pretty! It’s got such warmth to it, with the amber, rum, right amount of spice and sweetness. I personally feel this could work on any night, but will shine in winter all day. So far I’ve enjoyed all of the Penhaligan’s that I have tried, but this one is my favorite.

I adore this perfume more with each wear ... its like a velvety fresh vanilla drizzled in woodey boozey cinnamon... yet it also has a powdery softness ... its heaven ... so sexy Someone below said it reminds them of samsara and yes I get that Soooo good and so sexy

I'm in love I'm in love and I don't CARE who knows it! I haven't smelled all of this fun Penhaligon's line, but Clara just ticks all the right boxes to make me feel warm, luxurious and comforted all at the same time, and lasts forever on my skin. Happy!!

I really like this one. It just works so well with my skin chemistry, and smells warm and inviting, a little bit smoky and more than a little bit sexy. One of my sweetie's favourite perfumes too, he always comments when I wear it.

I think it is me in a bottle, although I believe that nothing can abbreviates me, but when I smell it, I feel that it is me, similar to me in the Combining of the opposites, clear but mysterious, simple but not like everyone else

I think it has a bit of a poetic air, it is a warm scent and despite the sweet notes in it, I think it is a masculine scent. Maybe it is the scent of a man you will fall in love with. It has become my favorite scent lately.

I adore this scent. It's moody, romantic and dark, but not cloying or heavy at all. I actually find it very subtle, deep, low, soothing voices of smoky, woodsy, savoury vanilla. A true comforter.

truly the most beautiful scent i’ve ever smelled, reminds me of candlelight, dark wood panelling, fancy boutiques at christmas, dancing the waltz in a ballroom to jazz suite no. 2