Legacy of Petra

Persolaise whom I like and respect very much termed this the very catchy name "Christmas in Morocco" which actually sounded very nice, and in light of his review and against my general judgement of my hatred of Anise. This arrives for me this week, as was purchased as part of Penhaligon's summer sale, so I will update with a review on this. Till now, I have to say I have very high hopes, and I hope they are not dashed....... Bottle received and worn for a few hours. I have to say, this is extremely clever perfumery! The liquorice here is so so so realistic, like the extremely expensive liquorice you would find in a high end sweet shop, it is so realistic I want to bite my arm off where I spritzed the test. I think this is as most people have said, right off the bat liquorice forward, and dominating the fragrance with hints of other notes, it's extremely monolithic and linear, but very vey nice indeed. That being said, this is not a fragrance that I'd want people to smell on me. I feel like I might have fallen out of a liquorice and sweets factory! This is one of those fragrances that you put on to enjoy yourself, I put this straight up in a gourmand genre, but not as sweet as most gourmands, but it's very very nice, and I am not a fan of liquorice in general, and I despise Anise. Anyone that is worried that this might smell of cheap liquorice or Anise or 5 spice, rest at ease, it's nowhere near that arena at all. I have had about 20 bottles from Penhaligon's and never ever disliked any of their frags, not one. Obviously , I liked some more than others, and they offer a money back guarantee if you dislike any of their frags, hence the risk. I do not know if I will return it or not, I will feel sad if I do, but at the same time, I can't fathom wearing this more than a handful of times a year, and possibly around festive seasons, so do I keep this, or return it in favour for one I have never smelled like Halfeti Cedar or Leather? I do not know :/ I hope this might have benefited, someone, anyone :) So enjoy and God bless!

I bought a sample and it spoke to me immediately, so I bought a full bottle- and then the weather got cool and foggy (I live on the coast in Southern California). Well, everyone was saying this is a cozy fall scent, so I wore it. In cool weather, it's unpleasantly overpowering; the licorice is too abrasive, the myrrh and wood notes burn my nose, and the spice makes me nauseous. Today, it's hot and very dry. And oh. OH. This is perfect weather for this fragrance. It's rich, dry (almost dusty), sensuous, and that herbal quality from the fennel/bergamot/rosemary makes it smell like a hot, arid wind that just blew through a canyon full of fragrant desert vegetation. It has the slightest hint of molasses-thick, dark sweetness on its own, so I paired it with a simple fragrance with date notes and I'm in heaven. I can't believe I ever tried to wear tropical sunscreen/fruity floral scents in hot weather; they never made me happy like this makes me happy. I know Penhaligon's is a London house, but this truly opened the door to Middle Eastern fragrances for me. I'm fantasizing about taking a trip to Palm Springs just as an excuse to wear this for several days straight. I've recently expanded my fragrance wardrobe as I grew to understand my tastes, and I'm so pleased I took the plunge on a full bottle of this. I normally dislike heat, and now I can look forward to it- because I'll smell like Legacy of Petra.

*Sighs with satisfaction* Are there any other pairings in the world of fragrance more beautifully exotic and mystical than licorice root/anise and myrrh? This is one of my most favorite licorice/myrrh fragrances. Legacy of Petra begins with the scent of sticky, sugary dates, earthy anise-like fennel, and LICORICE ROOT — not candied, here it is gloriously natural, medicinal (aromatic) and bold. YAY!!! Love love LOVE that anethole!!💚💚💚 Incense smoke and myrrh swirl up and blend tenaciously with fresh, grassy tea leaves and subtle creosote. It’s here where I begin to smell something especially wonderful—a note like sun baked earth that reminds me of hot desert sand, or the smell of molten glass in a glass blower’s furnace. I know, I know, too hyperbolic, but... *shrugs* It’s how I perceive it! The dry down is delicately sweet and herbal, underscored with the powdery mineral smell I associate with desert caves in the American high mountain deserts. This is the mystical journey Legacy takes me on for about 4-5 hours, only leaving me after 6 with a soft, sweetly scented sigh.

For my fellow lovers of Legacy— Do not despair. I did some research and hallelujah, Legacy of Petra is not discontinued. At least, NOT YET. Penhaligon’s currently still produces it, however the USA website no longer carries it. I couldn’t find out why, but with anethole (substance responsible for that black licorice scent) being a very polarizing scent in perfume, the American faction may not have been selling enough of Legacy to warrant keeping it in constant stock. It ALWAYS comes down to money, doesn’t it? 😒 Was told by a Penhaligon’s customer service rep that Legacy is still available for purchase directly through Penhaligon’s. If you’re like me, I’ll put back the coin and pay the full Penhaligon’s price because I love it just. that. much. But, understanding times are trying, if you’re looking to buy this discounted, there’s still plenty of this deliciously witchy and wonderful myrrh/licorice potion out there on discount websites, and will be for quite some time to come. Relax, rejoice, and happy sniffing!🧡

Legacy of Petra (now discontinued) was a massively underrated juice from Penhaligons. Probably the most misunderstood fragrance in the Trade Routes collection. It certainly has its occasions where it shines, and I think getting that right unlocks the magic of the fragrance. I worked in law enforcement (most shifts were in the jail) and the scent became underwhelming. But now I’m a supervisor at a residential therapy campus, which has me working inside and outside, and it’s neither understated nor over. It lasts 8-10 hours. Interestingly, anyone close to you will pick up the licorice and fennel, but the Vanilla, Olinanum, and myrrh project out a few feet. With the way people misunderstood this fragrance, I understand why they discontinued (from a business standpoint). However, I wish they would’ve kept it in the Trade Routes collection (same with Constantinople).