Malabah

Ever since I read the description of this fragrance I knew it was right up my alley! I love and adore spices! I have a big spice cabinet in my kitchen with many exotic spices many of which most people (at least in the West) haven't even heard of and I use all of them in my cooking. Anywhere that I settle to live I find the best spice markets in town. When I first tried Malabah the opening was rather disappointing to me at first. It starts so lemony!! Lemon is nice and all, but there are tons of lemony fragrances out there that are freshy fresh and smell all clean. So for a moment I was afraid that I was in the presence of yet another of such cookie-cutter perfumes. But no! That was just the beginning. The lemony, frizzy, bubbly, soda-like phase passed away quickly thank heavens! I don't like it! Then opens a lovely cozy and truly spicy phase which only gets warmer and warmer and drier and drier until you start to really believe that you are in India or somewhere in the Middle East under the hot sun in an open air spice market bargaining with the shop keepers about the price of a few grams of cardamom or coriander! The scent of ginger is very strong too (at least on my skin) and gives it a real kick. As time progresses the woody base notes start to more and more lurk in the background and make it even cozier and warmer and even drier. It is a lovely dynamic fragrance. It is not too sweet and sticky but it is really delicious. It is hot! I love it. On me luckily it lasts rather long since I see people here on this forum often complain that it is too short-lived on them. If I spray it in the morning I can still smell it on me and my clothes in the evening. But the sillage is not too big. It is louder in the beginning obviously. But as it becomes drier and less lemony it also starts to stay closer to the skin. I would say that this is really a day scent. It is really nice and delicious, but not fancy and glamorous enough for evening wear. It is really light and playful and especially the lemony opening is good for summer mornings. But the hot spicy phase makes it comforting and warm enough for colder months. I tend to wear it a lot around Christmas season since it reminds me of all the spices that we use for Christmas cooking. This is a very nice fragrance and I love it, but it is not a masterpiece. I highly recommend it for lovers of spices and spicy scents.

I absolutely love this. I could smell it all day. It starts off with a smooth lemon sherbet, as others have said, however it isn't sharp or overpowering, just deliciously soft. Fairly quickly the rose comes through at the back, rounding out the citrus with delicate powdery pink petals. After 15 or 20 minutes the spice starts to come through and it is very evocative of India or the Middle East, although it's not heavy at all. Rather than a heavy Eastern Oud or Incense smell this evokes the Far East using light heady floral and spice notes, reminding me more of warm summer evenings than the sickly sweet and heavy spice notes which you often find in an "Eastern" scent. Each note segues seamlessly into the next, producing a full bodied, complex and varied scent which is able to be worn day or night. To me it is sophisticated in a cool, understated way. Rather than punching you in the face with its exoticism, it simply drifts about you, leaving merely the impression of genteel elegance. Five stars. My absolute favourite of the moment.

Summer has arrived in the Northern hemisphere, a time when perfumistas everywhere are wistfully putting aside their heavy hitters in favor of more sheer and gossamer scents, and many lovely spicy orientals will be neglected until the temperatures cool down. However, if you happen to crave that sort of fragrance even in the summer heat, Malabah may be an excellent choice for you. Malabah opens with a lively gust of lemon in combination with a strong tea note that recalls the steam from a cup of Earl Grey. While the lemon disappears in short order, the tea lingers as a soft rose emerges, along with just enough ginger and nutmeg to satisfy a longing for spices without becoming heavy or cloying. The base notes consist of a light, creamy sandalwood finished with musk and amber. Although Malabah skews feminine to my nose, it can certainly be worn by men. Because of its airy quality and light sillage, Malabah is an ideal oriental for a summer day or evening. Bonus: Gorgeous bottle.

Malabah is absolutely DELICIOUS. It's perfectly spicy without being offensive. The cardamom, ginger, and rose combine so beautifully with the fresh lemon. Cardamom is such a delectably sweet spice. People who don't feel this perfume is spicy are probably used to cloves and cinnamon. I love those spices, but sometimes they seem too harsh. Cardamom is a whole different animal. The tea is only in the opening. As the perfume dries down, the "lemon tea" scent fades away into a beautiful creamy amber. This perfume reminds me very much of Jacomo #8. I was disappointed that Jacomo seems to remain fairly cool. Malabah has a smokiness to it that keeps it warm and gives it depth. This perfume smells like the perfect cup of chai. Malabah is the embodiment of everything that I love about Indian spices. It's so exotic. On me, it lasts several hours.

It's a very nice scent. I love the lemon with the ginger. It is spicy but not overly so. It does remind me of a cough syrup my Mum would give my brother and I if we had a cough. It also reminds me of lemon strepsil losenges. Mmm...I guess thats not really good. Lemon note is not harsh at all and goes so well with tea . The lemon eases off a bit and then the spices come more to the fore. Everything sits on the warm enveloping Amber and musk. It's not very sweet but more lemony/tea with a touch of spice. A nice scent for casual wear on a sunny autumn day or cool summer night. Yes, unisex as well. I wish the longevity was better but considering the notes in this it was never likely to last long. The sillage is moderate.

Malabah is one-of-a-kind, slightly citrus/slightly spicy scent . . .the one perfume I have received the most "Excuse me, what is that you are wearing" stops on the street for . . .and the ONLY perfume I have gone through over 5 full bottles of! It is not a "formal" perfume - I would never wear it with evening attire - but it is a perfume that subtely says "notice me" (unlike my current signatures of Boudoir, AP or Womanity). It is a perfume that can take you to wonderful places and put a smile on your face without ever really making an effort to do so. Wear it with a richly-colored Morrocan-inspired tunic and jeans or to the office - you won't regret it! As long as Malabah is made, I will faithfully buy it.

Man, I love this stuff. Got a sample yesterday and my nose has been glued to my wrist ever since. I do notice the lack of staying power like other reviewers which is a huge bummer considering the price. Regardless, it smells terrific while it lasts. Sweet but not cloying at all for me (I am usually quite sensitive to overly sweet frags). Spicy and floral, yet still refreshing. The notes are so superbly blended on me that I have stopped trying to identify all the individual notes out and am just enjoying the gorgeous "picture" they paint. No synthetic notes here. In a word, YUMMY. Also, while very sweet, I think the right man could wear this. I'm thinking it might be delicious layered with Endymion.

This perfume is very much underrated in my opinion. This is the first perfume I bought in Penhaligon 7-8 yrs ago. Out of all the perfumes in the store, this is the one that stood out to me. For me this is a very refreshing complex lemon tea. It is very unique but at the same time very easy to love. I don’t actually find this spicy at all, like maybe there are some spices that makes the scent more complex and unique but it’s not prominent. It’s a smoothly blended oriental fragrance. I don’t ever get tired of it and I will surely repurchase. If you are into citrusy tea notes you will love this for sure 100%. The longetivity is poor but i dont care for me this is still the best Penhaligon fragrance.

Malabah, which is compared with Jacomo Art # 08 by its tea plus ginger aroma-quality, is in fact a citrusy airy East. Jacomo Art # 08 is loud, full-bodied,tangy-tactile true India, while Malabah is a fragrance wich would be office-suitable in the centre of Europe, yet would fill the room with that delicate and transparent eastern vibe. It sits close to the skin, its light, but has certain depth, like for example after first 15-20 minutes you start to smell beautiful rose in nutmeg. Overall I like both - Jacomo Art #08 and Malabah - each for its own character and suitability.

Orientals are my favorite perfumes. Of my top 6 favorites, 5 are Orientals. This is my pretty much all-the-time scent now. It has the distinction of being lighter, fresher, less sweet, and yet still be a spicy Oriental. I can wear this to work, really anywhere, and not overpower or offend. I love it. My only negatives are the price and the longevity. I will probably have to start purchasing the lotion and/or bath oil to get better longevity. It also comes in a solid, so I may try that.

Lovely citrus spicy scent, perfect for summer. Amber and sandalwood arrive later and compliment everything with a warm, sweet note in the drydown. Rose is very light.... as the perfume itself, which is indeed EXTREMELY volatile. It is truly a pity, because it's such a perfect scent for hot weather, so refreshing and charming. It's nothing too original but then again Penhaligon's is a master at doing it right, without further complication.

I ordered some samples from Penhaligon's, including this beauty. It actually was the one I thought I'd like the least, so of course I fell in love with it. It's refreshing and warm at the same time, just like a lemon and ginger tea. Sadly, I went to find it on the website and it turns out it's been discontinued :( If anyone has a bottle that they don't want, please let me know! Update: found a cheap bottle on ebay! :)))

This starts off lemony and spicy and turns into a lovely rose, redolent of middle eastern spices. Smells fantastic in cooler weather. I wore a tiny amount when I went to my doctor's office to get some test results. I had a low grade fever, and my body heat magnified the scent. When she walked into the exam room, the first thing she said was, "it smells amazing in here!" This one is doctor approved, folks.

I went in blind.... Yes, the name is something else. The fragrance is nothing like I have experienced before, and I have no idea when I am going to wear it. It a sneaky soft character...then it gives you a hint of floral (more jasmin than rose). I seem to have missed the opening alltoghether. Coriander and nutmeg stay with me for about 4 hours. I love it...just wished it lasted longer.

I thought I would not be able to get this anymore, but I found her. She doesn't last long on me but when I wear her It is exactly my scent. If this lasted a bit longer and had stronger silage, I would have one perfume instead if 18+travel sprays. It's just a bit of tea, rose with spice and a nice lemon.

The most beautiful perfume, the most tender, and, in any "stage" of it smelled even while changing, it keeps an utmost beauty. Never loved a smell so much, never had one for such a long time, never getting tired of it!

Lemmony Spicy Summer Scent. Also wearable during cold days, rather autumnal season. It has a warm aspect, maybe ginger and nutmeg contribute to the warmth of this fragrance. Tea is less evident for me.

Spicy cola! A gingery, nutmeggy, peppery cola. The spices are warm, soft and comforting, not harsh or overwhelming in the slightest. This is love for me.

I agree with both previous reviews and how I wish Malabah came in pure perfume. It's a favourite.

Ginger ale, lemon-metallic, tea,rose. Refreshing. My Full bottle is up for grabs.