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.

I'm getting the Tea on the Amber and love it, especially with Lemon :D

fresh ginger citrus,and warm beautiful rose my winter scent !!

A cup of English lemon tea touched with spice. Penhaligon’s Malabah carries a distinctly old fashioned British perfume character. The opening is dominated by lemon, tea, and a lightly green spice accord. Beneath the brightness there is also a dry bitterness. Coriander adds a fresh green edge that keeps the opening from turning into a standard citrus tea fragrance. The rose and iris in the heart are handled with restraint. They simply add a gentle floral layer between the tea and spices. Iris introduces a slight powderiness that refines the texture. The oriental aspect of the fragrance is kept very controlled, so when nutmeg, ginger, amber, and sandalwood appear, the scent never feels like a heavy spice market composition. Everything remains soft, fragmented, and close to the skin. At this stage, Malabah resembles a “light oriental” fragrance without strong olfactory drama. The drydown settles into woods resting softly against the skin. There is no dense sweetness and very little projection. On my skin, after about two hours it becomes something that can only be appreciated up close. The fragrance carries a sense of travel, with faint suggestions of Indian spices, yet the expression remains unmistakably British. It does not turn oriental perfumery into something dark, dense, or syrupy. Instead, it preserves transparency between tea and spice while maintaining the clean, restrained, slightly distant style associated with Penhaligon’s.

Ok, I inadvertently deleted my review! D'oh! Upon first spray, I enjoy the light ginger-tea feeling of this scent. As it dries down though, it seems to get "soapy" to me; is that because the scent reminds me of my green Palmolive dish soap, or because there's an aromachemical hiding in the back somewhere that my brain detects but my nose doesn't understand how to register? It may just be that when the rose comes out, the cardamom and coriander don't really balance it out, but rather combine to make a weird "not really lemon" scent that clashes (in my opinion). I clicked summer, but I don't know that it would really suit hot days; I think maybe summer evenings or cooler days would be best. You could probably wear it to the office without it bothering anyone, as the throw seems really small, and there's really no notes that would overly annoy most people. Personally, I like the opening half hour but don't care for how flowery it gets, so I would give it a pass (it's too "girly" for my tastes). If it was going to date another Penhaligons scent, it'd probably like with "Juniper Sling" best. I don't really know why I think that, but I do so thought I would say it. :)

Penhaligon MALABAH opens ever-so-briefly with a touch of lemony tea, but the spices emerge nearly immediately to dominate this truly spicy oriental edp. Yet the spiciness does not have the dwarfing effect of making me feel as though I have shrunk to but a fraction of my former self and am now locked in my spice drawer, clawing and fighting to get out, screaming in my tiny, barely audible voice against forces much greater than me. Instead, MALABAH blends its very strong spices together into a pleasantly gentle complex: ginger, cardamom, and nutmeg circulate about the roses and slowly diminish in strength until the drydown, which is a delightful, only lightly sweetened sandalwood anchored in amber and musk. MALABAH may be too much for the hottest days of the summer months but is just perfect for the fall and winter. Or a bit of Christmas in July, should the temperature unexpectedly drop!

Reviewing a sample from 2008. Malabah EDP was launched in 2003. Discontinued. Malabah is a very soft citrus tea scent. The opening citrus is now faded in my sample. The spicy tea and florals are elegant -mostly rose and orris but not powdery. The ginger is faint. Beautiful sandalwood and amber base. Not sweet at all. I did not appreciate Malabah when it was first launched preferring English fern and Ostara . Perhaps it was for the same reasons that led to its discontinuation. Basically it is too weak for an EDP; specifically it has poor sillage. Quality- 3.5/5 quality ingredients but too weak Unisex -leans slightly feminine Performance 3/5 poor sillage even with overspraying/ lasts 4-6 hrs as skin scent Malabah is a lovely fresh unisex softly spiced tea-floral amber. Worth picking up a vintage bottle but only at a reduced cost due to very poor performance. 7/10

Citrusy, green, radiant, sparkling, with a touch of green tea and hints of spices. The opening is truly magical, like a beautiful multi-faceted gemstone that's both pale yellow and pale green in colour. I am transported to a place that looks luxurious and minimalistic. Drydown on me smells like creamy, warm tonka with just a whiff of citrus. I do not detect sandalwood at all, which is strange since my skin is a sandalwood amplifier. The dry down is rather disappointing to me because the opening was just so brilliant. I like it, it gives me some sort of nostalgia of the 90s, when I was a child and life was carefree. P.S: Longevity is 4-5 hours on me. The magical top notes are gone by the first one and a half hour, leaving behind a very soft scent that lingers on like a second skin.

A blast of spiced lemon in opening notes, calms into a gentler sandalwoody warmth. I smell rose at the heart, rounding out and prettifying this scent. As far as spices go I smell cardamom and nutmeg more than ginger at first, then it all dries down to toasty warm powdered ginger and sandalwood after half an hour, the tea note is dry and astringent but very much in the background in dry down. There are no headachey aroma chemicals thankfully, or none that stand out. It's very easy-to-wear, quite neutral - neither masculine nor feminine really. A nice choice for autumn days, but it is fairly light and doesn't linger much after a couple of hours, though you could spray more generously and it would leave a soft sandalwood a bit longer on clothes I think

I would define it a "ready-to wear", clean cologne. I like citrus and this is a blast of citruses that melt into a spicy pot. Cinnamon, clove and woods, yes, and a lot of cedar in it.... and some balsamic notes, like juniper or pine. Indeed, very fresh in its spiceness! I see it very well on a winter morning - for the summer the spices in it could be a bit too warm. It does not smell like after shave to me (oh I wish all aftershaves would be that good!) and is not masculine to my nose. Fresh warm and modernly feminine at a time. Yet, it is a classic cologne for the day, clear, comforting, clean and with a lovely staying power.

I was sorely tempted to blind buy this fragrance, based on the notes and the reviews. Glad I didn't: on my skin, Malabah opened with a short-lived blast of citrus, then moved into the tea note. But what this translated to was not a feeling of tea, but the scent of cigarette tobacco, strangely enough. As it developed, it morphed more towards a light spice, but with a remaining bitterness that was unpleasant. It was not the spicy oriental I was hoping for. I am very thankful for samples! The dry-down continued to warm up, and became more powdery with a very faint spiciness. Nice, but not wonderful.

Pleasant daytime scent, that's easy to wear. Descriptions of Malabah as lemony ginger tea are pretty accurate! The lemon actually reminds me a bit of lemsips, which is cold and flu medicine. Although the base is simple, the addition of cardamom and nutmeg make it more complicated and refined. It does make it spicy, but there is nothing sharp to offend the senses. In the drydown I get some smokey tea, which is really nice. On the whole I do prefer richer and sweeter scents, however this is nice to wear when you want something light and refreshing.

Beautiful refreshing and calming lemon tea opening. Slight wafts of ginger throughout and some creeping amber in the last hour or so. Quite a simple scent. No real development...it just gets softer and softer until it disappears. Such a shame the longevity is so poor as is this truly a lovely, inoffensive Spring/Autumn scent. I would throw my hat in the ring that this could be considered unisex. Retail asking price is just not worth it as reapplication is needed every couple of hours. L:Poor S: Soft

I quite like this scent, which surprises me. I immediately liked the lemony floral scent, but I was concerned it would stay sharp. It didn't! It dried down nicely, with a lot of iris and some warmer amber/sandalwood. Occasionally I get the tea and lemon scent, but mostly it's a pretty, light irish deepend by amber, musk, and sandalwood. For reference, my skin loves amber, iris, and vanilla, and hates leather, smoke and rose (which are always overpowering).

Mysterious and HOT! It smells tasty, spicy and interesting. The best part about this perfume is that is smells totally different, without smelling alien. It reminds you of something you may have smelled years ago, in front of an antique store, or an oriental marketplace... BONUS: It perks up my mood when I put it on! You gotta love this, and you have to have something like this for variety and spice in your perfume closet.

Delicious blend of lemon, tea, and light spices. Get a bit of the rose in there too, but not nearly enough to make it a floral. Feels soft and fresh, not at all sharp like many citruses tend to be. Only complaint, as others have mentioned, the longevity is just awful. It disappears completely within a couple of hours. Such a shame, that's the only thing keeping it off my 'want' list.

The opening reminds me of a spiced licorice and preserved fruit candy I've had when I was young! Sweet, tart, and lightly dusted with warm spices to round it off. In the drydown, it gets warmer and sweeter, almost vanillic, but has an undeniable degree of soapiness about it. A rather interesting fragrance.

A bright ginger tea with a slice of lemon is what greets me on opening. Then jasmine, rose and spices subtley infused to offer a sweet warm heart. Orris also softens the composition leading into a gentle wood finish. Refreshing and a good Oriental for warmer weather if you must wear Oriental in the heat.

Malabah is such a pretty fragrance! Elegant and colourful, like its backstory. It opens fresh and citrusy on my skin, then slowly transitions to a spicy floral. The ginger, the nutmeg and the orris play beautifully together with a lingering amber drydown. It's a very warm and sensual fragrance.

As people have already described, this is a nice fresh lemon tea like scent, you can also smell the ginger etc but not much rose. It could be unisex I guess, but I think slightly more feminine. It is lovely if you like this type of scent but not for me.

Let me preface by saying that I love Penhaligon's and own many of them. I was disappointed in this one. On a scale of dislike, okay, like and wow/love, this is just an okay for me. It smells spicy; nothing special; cheap whore.

Simular to Artemisia, but citrusy, instead of powdery. Smells like lemon sweet tea. A small hint of spice in the drydown makes this fragrance more elegant than straight up cuppa. A lovely tea fragrance.

It's an alright scent. What prevents me from liking it more is that I mostly get ginger notes, too much to my liking. I wish there were citrus notes too, but they seem not to develop on my skin.

Zinging, sparkling ginger spice. Ginger ale for adults. It comes and goes very quickly though. Wish the longevity lived up to the verve.

Such a pretty oriental fragrance, love the spices!

To me it smells like coca-cola!

My wife received this a few yrs. ago as a gift from a friend. Was told it was the woman's favorite perfume. It looked cheap to me with its antique like box and label. And the cheap, poorly fitted cap made me wonder who had created this kitchy little bottle. The notes to me were muted and hard to discern with very littIe projection. However I was quite surprised to find out that it's not a cheap fragrance at all! After looking at the notes Fragrantica lists I decided to have a go at it myself, even though I prefer more traditional masculine scents. (Don't tell my wife.) I do pick up the citrus and tea in the top notes. And I do pick up a slight Coca-Cola vibe as one other reviewer noted, but not sweet at all. After a few minutes on the skin I was surprised to pick up deeper, richer notes. I decided however that I will not put this on my own skin again. It's too subtle for me to pick up on my wife for every day use. But I'll encourage her to have a go again with it on a date. I would not blind buy this or give it to someone as a gift. It's not offensive in any way. Just a bit pricy for someone who does not have the nose to truly appreciate this sublime fragrance. It's not for me

The first Penhaligon's I've sniffed. The brand is not awailable here (some perfumes can be purchased online), I got a small sample via swap. I'd love to test the other perfumes of the house as well! Malabah is a citrusy ginger with a hint of rose and soft spices. The lemon note softens in the drydown, resulting in a harmonious blend of the notes. Don't expect any heavyness, it is soft. Soft, yet unique. Leans more feminine, can be a perfect daytime scent for the late spring or even for the summer. Scent: 7/10 Sillage: 6/10 Longevity: 7/10

Its a very fizzy scent reminds me of soda or sparkling flavoured drinks/water. Great for warm weather, its sparkly spiced citrus. I don't know why this scent makes me think of beverages (just realised there's a tea note, makes sense). Its not boring like most citrus scents as there's a lot of spices in this that makes the scent more intriguing. Its a really warm scent and sticks moderately close to the skin. As with almost all Penhaligon's fragrances longevity is not great.

I'm a fan of Penhaligon's, I have a lot of their fragrances, so I'm sad to say this is a huge disappointment. It's a beautiful scent but much much too light for my taste. Like others have said, it would be better as an Extrait de parfum. I tried it in winter thinking it would project better but it didn't. It's become my bedtime perfume because I don't want anything strong, but it's too expensive for that purpose. I've put it for sale.

The unfortunate thing about Malabah is that on my skin at least those lovely richer spices don't make an appearance so I'm left with something reminiscent of a cough sweet or the tea that you drink when you're ill, which isn't particularly what I want out of a daytime fragrance.