Fortuitous Finley

>woody/spicy with a marine/green/leather tinge Either someone at Penhaligon's is a mind reader or very perceptive because this sounds similar to what I've been looking for. Going to order a sample once it starts becoming available but I'll curb my expectations. For all we know this could be another dud and go the way of Roaring Radcliffe or Cousin Matthew but the initial description sounds promising. What concerns me though is the pistachio element. Gourmand notes tend to lean feminine, especially pistachio based on Yum Pistachio Gelato, but I'm hoping the salt leather and sandalwood make it more masculine leaning unisex. Then again Penhaligon's has always been more furtive with their notes; what they list is usually a fraction of what their fragrances actually contain. UPDATE: Finally got my hands on a sample and took it for a test. Unfortunately Finley has proven harder to nail down and rather confusing for me. Its not that its a bad scent by any means but rather that it seems to blend in so naturally with my own skin chemistry in certain aspects that I'm only detecting certain notes while others clearly listed I cant smell yet others can. For the most part the violet shines through early on in addition to the grassy/hay notes but not matcha as many others have suggested. If anything Orris root might want to be added to the notes because im getting a certain lipsticky powdery scent I also got in Omnisicent Mr. Thompson but without the vanilla. After that inital spay though the more grassy notes shine through albeit faintly.The general problem is that others who have given it a whiff tell me theres a musk in there that I cant seem to register. Overall though Finley isnt a bad scent, if anything ive gotten compliments from it but in this case, the classic Penhaligons restraint seems to have backfired here. Personally speaking I wouldve gone more in on the leather notes similar to Halfeti Leather while also upping the animalics just a smidge; I understand that unisexes will sell better but Finley is supposed to be the stud of the stable, not a prancing pony.

Ok just posting an update to say... I'm SO happy they finally corrected the notes. This perfume is my go-to for a marine, nutty, and matcha scent. This latest addition to the Penhaligon's Portraits line was a Fortnum & Mason exclusive for only a week, but was thankfully released officially by Penhaligon's on April 1st, 2025. From the moment I tried it on paper for the first time, I was pleasantly surprised by its fresh, green notes of matcha and cardamom and the subtle pistachio, balanced by calm earthiness from the black pepper. During the drydown I noticed the saltiness from the pistachio coming out more, almost like a marine oceanic note, and the subtle suede leather note becoming stronger. The gourmand note from the pistachio could also be interpreted as ice cream or coconut. When I tried this on skin the same note progression as above resulted. Overall though, since the leather is not dominant, this perfume can appeal to both genders. Never trust anyone who says that a Penhaligon's scent is "masculine" as most scents that this brand releases are intended as unisex scents. Considering the overwhelming amount of sticky sweet, overtly gourmand cake pistachios that have been released in 2024 (looking at you, Theodoros Kalotinis Pistachio Latte), this perfume is fairly unique as a fresh, balanced gourmand. Others have noted with concern that the projection or longevity is not great. For me personally, I get at least 4-5 hours on skin with a moderate sillage. The overall impression is nothing you would get from Finley the stable boy. Nothing at all that is dusty, oudy or animalic. Luckily for me, I did not have to hold onto my 5 ml decant for long. I found a bargain on a new bottle and added it to my collection!

I ABSOLUTELY love this fragrance. I am a 33 year old feminine female & I've fallen so hard for this fragrance! My SO says it's too masculine with me(but he like me to only smell like flowers and fruit 24/7 lol) bit IDC this is so unique and beautiful! It smells amazing on him but I also obviously love it on me lol. I get this greenness in the sillage at opening that I would think was cedar had I not seen the notes. I now know it's the greeness of the matcha. In the background there is this VERY light & airy sweetness just swirling around that green note, juuuust a little to where you notice it and it peaks your interest, it's the perfect touch. The sweetness though it smells slightly whipped and fluffy I believe it MUST me coming from the violet leaf and cardamon. The salt isn't really too noticable BUT along with the violet leaf it adds this fresh vibe to the scent and when combined with all the other notes, it just works SOO well! The leather isn't harsh but it is there from the first spray, it is playing a supporting roll and it does not well. So it's this very aromatic, fresh, green, fluffy, leathery fragrance. It's so good, and totally unisex imo.

Surprisingly I liked it! The fragrance immediately grabs attention with an unusual, fresh pistachio accord — it’s not gourmand or sweet, but rather green, as if you’ve just peeled an unripe nut. It sounds quite realistic! Then the scent smoothly transitions into a gentle, soft sandalwood, powdery-woody, very delicate and cozy. Leather is listed as one of the main notes, but on my skin, it’s almost undetectable. Instead, I sense more of a suede nuance — thin, velvety, and soft. The salt is also present, and while it’s noticeable, its presentation is very smooth — it doesn’t make the fragrance aggressive or sharp but rather adds an interesting touch. Overall, Fortuitous Finley feels very comfortable and soft on the skin. Although it’s marketed as a men’s fragrance, I would classify it as unisex. I believe it would appeal to those who appreciate unconventional yet delicate woody compositions. There’s no loud masculinity or heavy leather here — rather, an intelligent, refined play of textures. The longevity also impressed me 💪🏻. I could smell it on my skin for about 6 hours. On a blotter, it was still noticeable on the second day.

This fragrance is great, especially in the warm weather (~70f). The fragrance opens with a strong violet/cardamom note, but it quickly evolves to just be a support for the salty note. The salt is well defined and feels more like a gourmand than a mineralic note. In time, you notice a nutty, vanillic note forming, which becomes the pistachio and matcha note that takes over for the remainder of the wear and is eventually rejoined by the violet note and a very soft leather note. This fragrance is a beautiful journey with amazing projection and decent longevity. It is also very unique. I thought it would be a nice middle ground between violet-heavy freshies like Ege and salty fragrances like Acqua di Sale, but due to the matcha pistachio drydown, the only way I can describe it is The Matcha 26’s long lost cousin that grew up in a beach town.