Constantinople

Is Oud Satin Mood too feminine, strong and/or lipsticky to your nose? Penhaligon's has you covered. From the very moment I sprayed this on skin it immediately reminded me of MFK's Oud Satin Mood. Constantinople's rose patchouli combo is identical to that of OSM, with the biggest difference being that OSM's lipsticky floral/strawberry accord is gone and instead amps up the vanilla and adds a little spice. Like all the fragrances from the Trade Routes collection, Constantinople is spicy but it's one of the least spicy from the collection, second only to Babylon. In a way I also see this as Halfeti's little sister, but I know a lot of people don't perceive the rose in that fragrance as much as I do so this comparison may just be a me thing. Constantinople doesn't really evolve at all from opening to dry down, the only change is spice is mellowed out a bit. Unlike OSM, I think this is a perfectly unisex fragrance, whereas that is feminine leaning in my opinion. Like I said at the beginning, this is a weaker version of Oud Satin Mood, but it still has decent performance overall. I'm unsure if I may have been somewhat nose blind to the fragrance as it smells borderline identical to OSM to my nose, so take what I say about projection and sillage with a grain of salt. Sillage is dense but it's not overwhelming or cloying at all, even now with the warm weather where I live. Projection seems to be moderate, it doesn't seem to push beyond arms' reach. Longevity is pretty good, it's been 6 hours since I sprayed and I can still pick it up clearly on my skin, it'll clearly perform much better in colder weather.

right, so ill preface this review with a little about my experience with fragrances. that being, nothing. this is my first decent fragrance that ive recieved, i was gifted it after fawning about how much i loved it to my girlfriend. for what its worth, ive seen a few people compare it to cairo, which i love as well, however i prefer this one. this really is my favourite fragrance ive ever tried or smelled on anyone else. keep in mind again, im not particularly experienced in all this. if you asked me about notes or lines or whatever, id give you a bit of blank look before spitting out something thats probably wrong. but, i know what i like, and i love this. ive seen some say that you can get what this fragrance does cheaper, which sounds great. but, i think spending on things you really love, will use and will last is always worth it every now and again. and i will say, for an apparent philistine like me, the box and bottle is beautiful. i reccomend at least getting yourself a sample, if you can, because it really is wonderful :)

I was blown away by this when I first smelled it. Like a bazaar of scents thrown at you at once, sweet without being floral, warm, honeyed and shimmering golden. There's a hot and cold aspect to it, feathery iris tingles against a colder coniferous note, and hints of patchouli. Definition of fougere, yet feminine and extremely elegant. It fades a bit too quickly for my liking, with a woody accord remaining that's vaguely reminiscent of old books, or an antiquated library. Still potent though. If you think you can't smell it you're probably getting anosmic. Every time I come back to this scent, I pick up on something new. I also agree with other reviewers that this is a close doppelganger for the MFK oud satin/silk mood line. I sniffed those and recognised my Constantinople immediately. Is this deliberate mimicry from the noble house of Penhaligons?

This was love at first sniff! Returned and bought a bottle after a day+ of testing. Its much more usable/acceptable in warm weather just like As Sawira. After testing the whole trade routes collection I felt that Constantinople is a much fresher middle eastern warm weather vanilla compared to Babylon which is a sharper spicier vanilla more suitable for colder weather. Cairo on the other hand is overwhelmingly strong and the Halfetti range are very middle eastern based. This projects and last well throughout the day without being cloying or too gourmandish which I can't stand. Unlike the reviewers below I think I'm able to smell all the differences in the whole trade routes collection due to wam weather here i guess.

This one is definitely one of my favourites! The scent is long-lasting; I've sprayed it on my neck, put on a scarf, and can still smell it on the scarf when I reach for it a few weeks later. It is warm yet spicy. Despite the rose, which I was initially worried about because I'm not a huge rose fan, I find that it all balances incredibly well. I'm also not a huge fan of oud, as I often find it unnecessarily heavy, so this perfume is absolutely perfect. I always get stopped when wearing this perfume and it is one of my most complimented perfumes in my collection. It's a very unique blend, elegant, and I find that it leaves a lasting impression.

Sweet in nature with a vanilla unlike others that I have smelt in the past. For comparison, Babylon is more dull less sweet or Naxos by Xerjoff is more gourmand. Constantinople has that sweet note more akin to a candy like fragrance but not fruity but vanilla. I believe it is the lavender which plays in with the vanilla which gives it this candied essence. As for the patchouli and pine notes, I don't pick up on them heavily so for those who are turned off by those notes, fear not. This fragrance is arguably one of the best Penhaligon's fragrance and safe for those entering into the niche world. Not to complex but beautiful in craft. 9.3/10

Fantastic scent. One of the few I’ve worn where I feel comfortable with the rose. There’s rose in this, even though it isn’t listed. 100%. (To my nose) The opening reminds me of Mugler’s A-Men. I’m unsure if this is the patchouli, vanilla and pepper combining. After 5 minutes or so, the A-Men vibe is gone and the vanilla, rose and lavender intertwine beautifully. Creamy, jammy, slightly earthy. A good 6-7 hours before a respray’s needed. Moderate to strong projection with 3 sprays. Not sure it’s worth the $385 AUD I’ve seen it listed for, but it’s one I’d pick up if I saw it discounted. Cracking winter number.

Constantinople is basically the mid/drydown of Cairo. if you don't like the jammy, saffron rose opening of Cairo, Constantinople is the one. I already owned Cairo which i absolutely love, but i ended up getting a full bottle of Constantinople, as i found it a bit more versatile. i tend to wear Cairo in cooler months, but Constantinople i can wear year round. i find it to be perfectly unisex but slightly more masculine leaning as the scent progresses. on my skin, i get a creamy, spiced, sweet, woody, vanilla, with a beautifully earthy rose patchouli combo in the base.

Wore this to the office today. 3 sprays. One either side of my neck, 1 upper chest. This is out of a 1.5m sample, so they were dots at the most. All day. I was wrong about the staying power. This thing lasts an age. I’ve not changed my opinion. It’s 100% rose mid or base. It’s there. It’s gorgeous. To me, on my skin, this leans slightly masculine. Maybe that’s because I want it to be. Either way, it’s a fantastic scent that can be pulled off by anyone who’s not afraid of making an “I’m here” statement. One of 2 or 3 rose scents I’m confident wearing. Lovely.

I love this perfume. I smell a sweet vanilla with an array of spices, making it more oriental smelling, but so unique. It also has some great floral scents thrown in there, but I mostly smell the vanilla and spices. The bottle is so pretty as well. Personally, I think it is more feminine due to the strong presence of vanilla and some of the flowers, but I do think a man could wear this too if he liked vanilla that much, the spices might even it out too. But, if you want a more masculine scent I recommend Much Ado About The Duke Penhaligon's.

I'm quite fond of it. At initial spray I get a LOT of pine scent and lavender. The vanilla comes out more in the dry down with a more mossy scent. It's interesting. I don't think it compares really with Cairo as others are saying. Cairo is such a typical middle eastern scent that everyone on the plane from IST to Bahrain wears and it becomes quite boring to smell. This is definitely different. It sticks out. Not a lot of patchouli which makes me happy since I hate patchouli.

Screaming patchouli, barely softened by vanilla, backed up by pine and lavender with definite rose in the very base. It's LOUD and I love it, but then I adore all things loudly patchouli so I may well be biased. On that note, whilst I do love it, I have other patch heavy fragrances that I know I also love. So, whilst I'll enjoy the hell out of my sample of this, I won't be getting the full bottle. 12h plus lasting time on skin.

You can tell quality with this one. Absolute 💯 Starts kind of feminine but as it dries down becomes unisex->male. It smells expensive and royal. I would imagine some french medieval rich man smelling like this. Longevity easy 8 hours and performace is more forearm length. Smell- 9/10 Performance- 6/10 Longevity- 8.5/10 Overall and conclusion: Buy this if you want to smell unique and kind of royal rich and not businessman rich.

Most underrated Penhaligon's fragrance, Vanilla, Iris, Patchouli. Sweet, creamy, earthy. Like another guy already said in the comments here, smells like a royal type of rich rather than a businessman rich. One thing that concerned me was If it was Unisex, and it is, starts more feminine and dries down to unisex and leaning masculine on my skin. Would sample before you pick it up. This smells amazing

Pale gold, creamy and true to life vanilla, like a freshly split pod. Has a pleasantly rubbed in note on my skin, oddly (since I do not, ever, rub perfume in) which I think just helps it feel more lived in. not as bright as Midnight Fantasy which is another favourite of mine, and this is much more long lasting too. Smells how a fantasy character who runs a sweet shop would smell.

I really love this fragrance. Unfortunately, I think it got discontinued, but I have managed to get a bottle super discounted. To me, it is a very smooth, sweet rose-geranium fragrance, not too sweet, not jarring, not artificial smelling. And it is also very longlasting.... On clothes, I can smell it weeks after I have sprayed it. I find it unisex, a tad feminine leaning maybe.

Penhaligon's have really messed up recently by discontinuing some of its best perfumes (including this one - my favourite), and switching from Britain to Spain for production. The new Spanish batches of their perfumes smell awful, not similar to the originals. If they don't pull their act together and get back to the quality they used to be they're going to go bankrupt.

Really sweet, but i love the vanilla-ey lavender i get from the first spray. Sadly Penhaligon's fragrances don't last that long on me - but on my clothes its eternal. I wore this a few days ago in the summer and I'm sorry if i choked anyone out, to me its an all year round scent but probably best to leave it for the cooler days :)

I love this so much. The only scent I have found that is soft enough to wear to bed as well as in the morning. Does last longer on clothes than skin. Smells like a medieval forest to me. Wish it was more affordable. To me it starts with woods and incense and dries down to juicy blackberry pie. Not sure how or why.

This smells so similar to Ombré Nomad by LV! It’s a more feminine version though. I feel like this perfume works for any season & occasion. It gets me the most compliments. To me it smells luxurious, complex and sexy. This perfume inflates my ego it’s so good!

I am absolutely in love with this fragrance. Got a sample when I ordered the Trade Routes Discovery Set. It's a gorgeous boudoir fragrance, and I really want a full bottle...but that price! I hope to find a decent dupe or a really excellent sale.

Obsessed with this. So perfectly blended and beautiful. Dry, bright, unusual, and classy. Not too sweet. Versatile for all seasons and occasions. Real powerhouse signature scent vibe. An understated masterpiece. Def FB!!!

This here is banging!!!!!. Sweet jammy smooth rose with some powdery musk backbone. Honestly nothing to fault about this frag, 1 of the best from penhaligons. This and the Bewitching yasmine are bangers!.

I love it. Somewhere between YSL Tuxedo and Noir de Noir/Black Orchid. A bit sweeter than those. But roughly in the ballpark. Evening wear. Mostly cool weather. Unisex for sure.

This is a nice fragrance with amazing protection for me, there is so much going on with this and it comes together so beautifully in this scent.

Gently sweet and very fragrant. The dry down reminds me of the scent of an old book. Absolutely beautiful.

Strong and somewhat sweet! A niche fragrance that should have mass appeal.

Bought it blind, based on Youtube reviews, and I actually love it.

Love love love! All season gorgeousness. Full bottle on the way!

I'm just drawn to this fragrance, it's simple and I love it.

Little bit east, little bit west. Just like istanbul.

Nobody else get Mugler’s A-Men during the opening?

I have a partial bottle for sale. DM me

From the three hyped up fragrances from Penhaligons that I have tried today, Constantinople is my least favourite. It is not as mass appealing as the other two, which could be because this one is the least gourmand out of the bunch. It’s more of an acquired type of scent. So, how does Constantinople smells like?? It has some kind of rose smell combined with sweet vanilla and strong woods. There’s no rose in here. What I have smelt like “rose” in here is actually geranium. Moving on, it has lavender, patchouli, moss and pine needles combined, which take the scent into a more aromatic, green, earthy, spicy, woody direction. And traditionally to a more masculine side. The iris, one of my least favourite floral notes, has the same overall effect in my experience: it’s a powdery, woody, more earthy kind of flower. Not bringing much warmth or femininity to the composition. I wouldn’t say that Constsntinople is a cold kind of scent, because especially in the base, vanilla really takes the front stage. And balances the other cooler notes. It’s a good woody, spicy, fresher vanilla but not something that I would enjoy wearing. For me personally, it’s an easy pass. Matter of taste. It doesn’t smell bad or bland, nothing like that. It’s maintaining Penhaligons high quality scent profile, like the other two I have sampled, Changing Constance and Babylon. Performance is on par with other two, not very long lasting but not poorly performing. Let’s say more on the moderate side. In my opinion, Penhaligons has better.. Don’t have anything similar in my collection to compare with Constantinople since this isn’t my usual scent style!

This is so much nicer than Cairo, though I'm not in love with it because it also dries down to something quite "inspired" by MFK Oud Satin Mood... but much more vanilla dominant. Yes, like OSM, it's unisex but leans a little feminine. Strong, strong like. An attractive and warm but typical Middle Eastern vanilla heavy rose/oud, smoothened out through the iris. The less dominant notes, more apparent in the first few hours (the pine, pink pepper, moss) add a kind of cold nuance. Overall, nothing super original, but certainly very likeable. Someone might enjoy OSM but could find it too much or too heavy and I'd offer this as an alternative. It lasted nearly 48 hours on my skin, presumably eternal on clothes, and I really can't see you needing more than 2 sprays max - so your bottle will keep going forever.

I got this as a sample and have been testing it out. It reminds me of both MFK Oud Satin Mood and Cairo from Penhaligons themselves. I would say if you have the two you could skip on this. I understand the similarity since it’s the same combination of floral, woodsy and vanilla notes, just that this particular fragrance doesn’t use specifically rose and oud, but definitely wood and florals are present. It’s a pleasant fragrance, I get decent longevity about 6+ hours but lasts on clothes longer (was putting a shirt I had on in the washer 3 days later and could smell it). I got a couple compliments wearing this so I think it’s a crowd pleaser and definitely for the colder months up ahead. I really like it and I’m debating whether I should get the full size as I’ve been really enjoying it.

Constantinople, Queen of cities! For me is a levander perfume, more than anything else. It also gives me the impression of a smooth leather-ish tone, probably due to the combination of notes. In the dry down it gets more mild and powdery and is only then where I could sense the vanilla. It is warm, spicy and has a sweetness, reminding me of ginger or raisin biscuit. A very likeable scent, unisex with a great longevity(remains on skin 12hrs+) and a more-than the average projection. I think this is a daytime perfume for autumn and winter. The projection is arm's length. I haven't tested anything else than halfeti from this line, but I get a similar impression: richness and oriental tone.

This is the most wearable and agreeable vanilla I’ve come across. In fact, you wouldn’t know that vanilla was a main note, as it’s so refined, perfectly balanced and blended. It retains a gentle mineral-like sweetness that’s aromatic and smooth. It become a close skin scent after the first 30 minutes (which is a disappointment) but it gives a ‘your skin but better’ magnificence. The opening in the first few minutes is the most awesome part. Constantinople smells like gently sweet aromatic crystals against warm and radiant skin.

An "aromatic amber"? Early on it has that lavender, pine, rosy geranium... The Iris is remarkably un-lipsticky, I'd like more irises like this. Then it gets warmer with a wonderful soft amber, and, on my skin, a bit more vanilla than Cairo. I think it's the amber accord that it shares with Cairo, otherwise distant relatives. Gosh these Trade Routes have real gems. This one just has a bit too much vanilla and sweetness for my personal taste. Unisex leaning feminine after the opening.

It’s a nice Parfum. But not the best from Penhaligon's house when it comes to woody, aromatic and spicy with a hint of vanilla type of scents. It does have some depth but I don’t like an iris in it, IMO it ruins the orchestra of the accords. Iris has a heavy powdery dry-down on my skin that I don’t like, but opening is good, fresh peppery but balanced with sweetness and little bit of moss, patchouli is not heavy.

Smells like a high quality atypical Middle Eastern barbershop fragrance. Vanilla and patchouli. Green notes in the background. Very nicely blended. Harmonious. A little zingy and spicy. I believe the pine note adds an element of freshness to the brew and was an excellent decision. Great blend but just a good scent overall.

That's a rather singular fragrance. Contstantinople - I can't make the connection but the scent is definitely intruiging. What's bothering me is that I can't make out the different notes and there seems to be something rather artificial to this, something like a used machine part? Not unpleasant, just strange.

This is a softer, more refined version of Penhaligon's cairo. It is similar, but if u find to dislike Cairo but want a scent like it without the rose, this is the one for you. Do wait for the dry down and try it on your skin. Most of the trade routes change scent when applied on the skin

The bottle I bought smells fairly different from the sample I got from penhaligan's when they first released this. The sample was much less sweet and more spicy. Loved. Got the bottle, and it's saccharin. Lose the sweet, it's a winner. With the sweet, I have cavities just smelling it

This too smells like Mfk oud satin mood and Cairo. I have lived in Constantinople for 20 years and Istanbul does not smell like this, smells more like creed's millesime imperial with added spices :)

Constantinople is a high-quality, expensive smelling perfume with notes of patchouli, lavender, pine and vanilla. However, it disappears very quickly and the sillage and longevity are minimal.

Surprising nobody notices the vanilla patchouli lactonic like base you might know from A*men. I’m not saying it smells like it, I’m saying it shares that note.

Smelled it at the airport. I think Magnificently Dubai (Zara) resembles it, but I didn't get to explore the scent more.

Strong leather! Where's the leather coming from in the notes? Its really nice on a cold, rainy day.

Why didnt you list Rose note?It’s clearly there.