Savoy Steam

I've been wearing Penhaligon's Savoy Steam EDP all day today and reveling in it. I really like it and have wondered why it gets so many negative reviews. I've come to the conclusion that few people connect in a positive way with steam. I don't know what else they could have called it though. It smells like a steam bath after someone has sprayed a 30's or 40's mens' rose scented cologne. So that really limits the number of people who have this association. Even I wasn't alive in the 1930's or early 1940's, and Penhaligon's target market certainly wasn't either. I wonder how they described this fragrance in their "concept" meetings at Penhaligon's, which they must have when they're deciding which of their perfumers latest creations to promote. Here's my take. The original description of Savoy Steam did associate it with the Savoy Hotel, but I suspect it was without their permission because that verbiage was dropped pretty soon afterwards. What I think Penhaligon's was trying to evoke was a vision of the interior of the Savoy Hotel for people who have never actually been inside. Think of a white or light grey marble steam room, with white marble flooring with those little square or hexagon shaped tiles from the 1930's, and maybe windows high up in the walls so you can see the light grey sky down by the Thames. Savoy Steam is not a sunshine and roses perfume; it's definitely a cold grey day fragrance. (That alone must disappoint many buyers.) Ok, a vision that would appeal to a limited number of people. Might not even be an age thing; the Savoy has been used as a backdrop for several mysteries and spy thrillers. Maybe Penhaligon's thought they'd reach that market too, people from 25-95 who read a lot, fantasize a lot, look at the sky on grey days, and love wearing an unusual rose scented perfume. It's not a stretch; after all, Penhaligon's thought there was a market for a sea of odd perfumes with snobby names sold in bottles with tops resembling weird chess pieces. (Who has time to keep track of them?) But I enjoy wearing Savoy Steam EDP anyway, and hope it stays around a little longer. I sprayed it on 9 hours ago and can still smell it. All it takes is the ability and desire to imagine a marble steam room. (Savoy Steam will probably not help people who use perfume to attract someone.)

The perfect after shower scent: it clings like a lover, a cloud of aroma. Inspired by the Savoy Turkish Baths, a hotspot for London society's men in the early 1900s, it evokes the idea of perfumed waters and closed doors rather than conjuring photorealistic bathwater. I am as drawn to the story behind the fragrance as I am to the scent itself — men's bathhouses have historically been cornerstones for gay culture and one of Penhaligon's original fragrances, Hammam Bouquet, also draws inspiration from Turkish baths. Unlike Hammam's sulphuric hot spring accords, however, Savoy Steam is a beautifully executed dream of mist and bubbles. Exceptionally cooling on the skin like a fresh spray of water and well suited to both warm summer days and rainy afternoons. There's a sweetness to the aromatic nature of the fragrance, possibly from the rose and geranium underscoring the greener notes. I really cannot put the experience of wearing this into words — it's like walking on a cloud. Definitely a unisex scent, anyone can wear this. The bottle itself is gorgeous, as with all of Penhaligon's offerings, and references its little piece of history on the label too. It has regretfully been discontinued, but it's well worth the money if you can find a bottle.

He is very tall, very simply but well dressed in shades of pale blue flannel suit, has salt'n'pepper hair, little on a floppy side even though he is in his very late 40's. His eyes are gray-blue framed by eyebrows so, so full and naturally sculpted...his cheekbones are laser cut sharp and his beautiful mauve lips so inviting, so fleshy n firm yet juicy and full of promise. He sways towards you: eyes fixed on yours like his all n only the intention is to seduce you in an instant with almost a faint smile, moving closer and closer that you almost feel his breath on your face...but he passes you somehow and reaches for the handlebar you are standing just too close to on the London Underground Bank branch of Northern Line. And he smells so, so fresh, warm, somehow glisteningly yummy, like a freshly showered man wearing clothes from yesterday, but without any rankness of BO, just smelling freshly warm and crisp. Very chick and crisp! And that little infatuation ends the minute he leaves the train, leaving not a trail of scent behind him, more of a trail of memory and an unfulfilled dream of an affair. Make what you want of this, but Savoy Steam evokes this imaginary episode for me every time my man wears it. 10/10 in my books!

Not a fragrance that has mass appeal but I find this fragrance ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL! The most stunning and unique interpretation of “clean” I’ve ever experienced. I get eucalyptus, rose, tea and mint with a subtle herbal quality and the teeniest touch of incense. The other notes listed don’t really stand out as much to my nose. Overall, Savoy Steam is an unconventional, delicate, genderless, uber clean fragrance. Unconventionally clean as in not soapy, no white florals, powder, or white musk, or no aldehydes. No loud screech synthetic smelling aroma chemicals, no harshness or sharp edges. A very smooth, natural smelling, posh and regal type of cleanliness that suggests purity and innocence but not in child like way. A cleanliness that suggests you have access to hygiene products ‘commoners’ have never heard of and will never experience. I hope Im making sense. Basically, if you’re looking for a non traditional, unique and beautiful interpretation of a ‘clean’ fragrance... this is a no brainer. I love the classy presentation also! A Blind buy that I have zero regrets about!

I’ve never left a review here before but here goes. It was summer and I was walking about London and stumbled into a Penhaligon’s store in Covent Garden. I never explored the house before and I thought I’d walk in and smell some of the scents out of curiosity. I smelled quite a few of their signature scents that the sales woman suggested but nothing really spoke to me. I told her I’m quite into more aromatic scents but I don’t like when they lean too masculine. She suggested Savoy Steam and it was... love at first sniff. I didn’t expect to love it so much and even the sales person was surprised as I’m assuming this scent is not very popular. She sprayed some on a handkerchief for me and I walked out and spent the next few days constantly looking for the handkerchief to smell it again and again. Anyways, 2 months later I bought it and now I’m wondering if I’ll ever find another fragrance as awesome as this one.

The opening is mixture of an aromatic and ozonic scent that reminds me so much of a high end spa. The eucalyptus, mint, geranium is very much prominent on the first few minutes but as it settles down then the rose, benzoin and incense notes comes in as well as amber which then makes it sweet, woody and aromatic. I would say this is a perfect all year round scent and tends to be more masculine, albeit a little on the pricier side. A complex mixture of notes but the bottle screams simplicity. I understand that The Savoy Hotel in London uses this as their in house toiletries and with that, you’ll immediately think: high end, class, sophisticated and extravagant. However, I do believe in ‘less is more’ and that is exactly what this scent says, even with the design of the bottle. If this was a person, Savoy Steam’s personality will present himself as a simple yet classy and graceful! Overall rating: 9/10

It is indeed a unique scent. It sometimes reminds me of a really nice bowl of potpourri in some high end spa, but not exactly. I can prominently smell the steam and pepper and rosemary at first spray. It also has that very mild, not off-putting, medicinal herbal scent. Then it becomes dry, somewhat powdery and woody. It smells very light and translucent. It does have rose but I get only hints of it. It's very beautiful. It doesn't project well and it sits very close to the skin but I have yet to try it during hot humid weather. But I think it's something appropriate all year round and is very pleasant and won't offend anyone. That is if they come close enough to smell you. It smells better and lasts longer on skin than on clothes.

I picked this up based on the name - terrible I know - so I wasn’t really sure what to expect. At first it’s very incense heavy which surprised me as I thought steam would equal light. It then had a slight medicinal scent which was rather pleasant and the incense turned to a spicy floral. The dry down was warming floral, very hard to describe but it felt rather comforting to me. Such a unique perfume, I haven’t experienced such a journey with a fragrance before. I was gutted when I saw it was discontinued and even contacted Penhaligon’s directly to see if it was true. Sadly they confirmed it was so I bought two bottles. A dire mistake to discontinue this fragrance! It’s beautiful!

I have tried both the EdC and the EdP versions of this and I must say I GREATLY prefer the EdP. You get better longevity, and it just smells a lot better. I usually like Colognes for the summertime, but the cologne version of this was like lightly scented water. Now I LOVE the EdP version. It was pretty much love at first sniff. Spicy, fresh and slightly sweet. Incredibly refreshing, perfect for the heat and humidity. It just hit all the right spots too! I wore through my samples in a week and was like OK need to purchase a full bottle right now!! I get pretty decent sillage, and longevity isn't to bad. Overall I am very excited to own this, and wear it this summer.

When I spray this on I am instantly transported. It opens as tea and eucalyptus with something of freshly squeezed lemonade garnished with sprig of mint. It evokes a memory of sitting in a humid, tropical country, in the blazing sun with a refreshing drink with the ice melting and condensation on the outside of the glass. As it dries down it reminds me of the scent of a luxury spa, even down to managing to smell slightly steamy. The rose is rich but subtle, coming to the fore only after 30 minutes or so, but still with that fizzy lemonade tang over the top. I really love this, especially for the summer. Bravo, Penhaligon's.

i have been ordering tons of tiny vials of perfume for a long time, and this was the first one i finished. i loved loved loved this so much that i went to order it... and saw it was discontinued. :( i immediately ordered a bottle for myself and will probably stock up in the future because it's left such a strong impression on me on just how refreshing and steamy it is. i absolutely love smelling this. it smells so natural and gently sweet and i feel like an expensive spa wearing it. love catching it throughout the day. this also lasted at least as a good skin scent on my partner for 24 hours.

I absolutely love this scent. 100 % unisex. It's a summer scent. When you first spray it you get an explosion of mint, eucalyptus, lemon and a peppery notes all blended perfectly into this wave. The citrusy notes really tickle the nose but wait for it. It dries down to a creamy ,tea, vanilla warm scent. So it starts off cool and crisp like a summer morning and settles to something which is warm and cozy like putting on your bathrob after a shower. I absolutely love this scent its so well blended. If you do not like bitter scents stay away from this one.... its a bitter babe

When the summer gets really hot and steamy, this is the only perfume I can wear. I have found that, on me, when I get very hot and sweaty, all my other favourite scents go a bit sour. This one, though, shines right through and (dare I say it?), might even get a little better for the salt and body heat. I guess it is that the intended scent, that of a luxury spa, naturally goes with steam and warmth. On the days that turn my unairconditioned home into a steam-sauna or my commute on the train into time spent in an oven, I still come out "smelling like roses."

I'm loving this EDP! For whatever reason, by wearing it I'm transported back in time ca 1930, on a steam boat - something like an exotic cruise trip on the river Nile with Agatha Christie (or indeed Hercule Poirot)! It's a scent that captures my idea of good old days when the upper crust dressed impeccably to the nines on their vacation/cruise. Elegant, clean, beautifully classy, ever-so-slightly sweet. This is also a truly unisex scent too, not too sharp, not too sweet; it's the best blend of so many different elements. Oh it's exquisitely delightful!

Bought this, not knowing that Savoy Steam has EDP and EDC version and I didn't regret getting the EDP version. The smell is very fresh, light floral. Fresh laundry like, but kept me wanting to sniff it. It's so good! I think I will be reaching for this regularly. I like it more than Endymion actually as it is fresher! Very rose forward with hints of geranium, tea, and eucalyptus in the background. Very unisex to me. Perfect for daytime wear.

Absolutely amazing aromatic fragrance with refreshing eucalyptus and thyme. It doesn’t have mush of the some notes (which is a huge plus for me), but it definitely smells like a hammam or a nice sauna. For some it might smell slightly masculine due to spicy geranium, however, on me it doesn’t project that much. Follow me on IG: scent.guide

It's a very pleasant tender rose scent with a nice, natural rosemary-eucalyptus opening, very easy to like and feels well-blended and expensive. Sadly you need to spray a lot if you want to keep smelling it or it disappears very quickly. I hope Penhaligon's would bring this back and make it stronger, and I'll definitely grab a full bottle!

I don't care for this much on me, but on my partner it is clean and fresh a step away from him but so sexy up close, I can't stop breathing it in! Has been great in all weather (had it 6 or so months now), more of a day than night fragrance, and would repurchase. Does have a sharp top note but otherwise perfect for him.

I get a steamy, herby, sweet rose scent with maybe a touch of bergamot initially. It's so well blended I can't pick out any of the herbs specifically except maybe a little of the mint. I love it for the spa-like feeling but the sample I tried before buying a FB was much more rosemary and eucalyptus forward.

The latest in my long term search for a sauna perfume. I really like it, very spa like, I think if it had a cedar note it would be exactly what I'm looking for. Alas, the search continues. Also, it's nice for the outrageous heat that we're experiencing.

This is just sublime! The rose in here is just wonderfully blended into this concoction, yet retains the freshie essence, it's so well done. This is my favourite Penhaligon straight after Sartorial. FB worthy, and an easy blind buy in my books.

Oh my. The opening is gorgeous! You get green aromatics with cardamom and rose. After a few minutes it settles into a sweet, musky, clean scent (can't detect specific notes like I do in the opening). Definitely FBW and can be worn by anyone!

Maybe my favourite summer fragrance of all time. Such a fresh scent. I can only describe it as the cleanest smell you will ever have. Its also extremely unique, i've never smelled anything like it! Need me another one.

Gorgeous fragrance! Smells ‘clean’ in a pharmaceutical way. A freshly steamed and purified body, straight out of the Hammam, this scent lifts my soul. Am absolutely devastated that it’s been discontinued!

Exquisite! This is a true pampering scent, enveloping in a SPA luxury with its fresh rosy aura. The eucalyptus adds a surreal dimension and makes me want to plunge into a bathtub filled with this elixir!

This is very unique - and I'm intrigued by how it really does smell like steam of a bath or spa. It is warm and clean, herbal in the opening but dries to a rose and vanilla that is lovely.

Ii fell in love with this scent - cardamom and rose -ethereal and smart and blissful. The sample smells less intense. I actually bought this after loving the sample. Totally worth it.

If it wasn't for the fact I've got far too many perfumes to juggle with, I'd wear this on a daily basis. It sits beautifully on my skin and I love the intriguing aroma it projects.

Classy, elegant, cosy yet luxurious and feels restorative. I love this scent, so refined. A great rose gateway drug for men

Beautiful aromatic spa fragrance. Perfect for applying after a bath or shower. Clean and luxurious.

Floral, rose, herbaceous like smell. I get a big hit of rosemary and rose, with the rosemary persisting in the drydown. To me it does give a brilliant representation of what 'steam' would smell like. The geranium I feel gives it a spa like feel, but isn't fleeting like a lot of other scents in this category. This is quite a unique concoction to be honest and does what it says on the tin. The fragrance has been described as one that is meant to represent the 'turkish baths'. Projection and longevity aren't amazing but acceptable. 4/5 for me

This scent is really unique and lovely. It is very much a unisex scent. It has a clean musky warm feel to it without being soapy or fresh. Spraying this feels like a warm towel in a lovely steamy spa. It's lightly sweet at times but mostly aromatic. This is one of those scents that I feel everyone would like as it isn't too in your face and could easily seem like you aren't wearing anything at all and that's just 'how you smell!' I think this would be great in all seasons but be best from Spring to Fall.

To me this smells very similar to Ghost Original and Reverie by Vanderbilt . Rose, powder, lavender, tonka, vanilla. it's got a hint of something damp and bitter maybe eucalyptus . it smells very expensive and I've had lots of random compliments from strangers. large sillage maybe conversational distance, long lasting. for me personally I wanted something more herbal and less floral. this is OK for unisex as on a man it just smells like something Arabian and expensive like herbal Turkish delight

As the Cologne and Eau de Parfum versions of Savoy Steam are so different, they should be separated into two especially because their notes are quite different. The notes listed above are all messed up and totally useless to those who want to know how these two fragrances smell. Ratings for longevity and sillage are meaningless. If anyone want to know how they smell, please go to a Penhaligon's boutique or seller. Reviews here are not going to help.

I wore my edp sample twice so far. It is clean, spicy and refreshing. It is not a strong fragrance. Would be great for a daytime outing or work. It is quite unisex. For the person who asked how it is being tested...Penhaligon's gave me a sample when I purchased something else this weekend.

Laundromat. Drycleaner. Roses. Dry sauna. Crisp spray starch. Never smelled anything like this, and I thoroughly enjoy it. This is the one you wear when you want to smell "clean" but not at all generic. Perfectly unisex, despite the rose note. Probably not for the under 25 crowd though

i usually don't care for rose heavy fragrances, but this one's nice. as it drys down, you start really picking up on the lemon, tea and mint notes. a very smooth and classy scent. it's like an improved, non synthetic smelling version of Bond #9's Dubai Garnet

Savoy Steam (Store test) Airy aromatic fragrance that build on Eucalyptus, Rose and end with powdery amber. I like how airy this is, clean. I think this is soft Fougere and steam airy rose. Lite classic, Would love to wear this in Resort city.

A HINT OF ROSE It's spring, and you're at a spa strolling on the bucolic grounds, and a soft, gentle breeze carries a hint of a nearby rose garden. Such a lovely, fresh, fragrance. ps. Unisex, but leans a touch feminine.

A great springtime scent, it reminds me of Diptyque Geranium Odorata, and Hermes Rose Ikebana. Very aristocratic, classy scent.

Very clean fresh out the shower smell. The dry down of Savoy Steam reminds me so much of a very fragrant baby powder.

on me this is interesting: aquatic/tea, smoke, ambery vanilla; very light and airy

This one passed me by completely this release, Now that I've caught up frankly, I'm not enamored. I find it's a bit too balanced, as in the elements like eucalyptus, geranium and tea, could've been real players in the composition and are blended, almost beyond recognition. I mean, what a thing to moan about hey? feel like a right whinger, but this is a disappointing, albeit unique smelling perfume. So you do get this herbal, puff of spa retreat steam at first, complete with warmth and the sense of humidity in the opening gambit, somewhere between white musk and 'clean' associations, alive with 'products' and then a buttery undercurrent starts to develop. It's kinda bland, unpopular biscuit left at the bottom of the barrel kind of energy. I don't quite mean that as it sounds. I actually think that it gives some contrast and I'm glad it's there, because otherwise this fragrance would have little to talk about. It's just not my scene. I simply don't like it. Make it sharper even, the fact I'm advocating for more Eucalyptus or camphor (not a big fan) should tell you how bored I was with this fragrance, I just wanted to grab it by the lapels and shake some fucking life into it!

I was looking forward to a camphorous minty bomb and got none of that. I got nothing but iris at first, then after a few minutes the iris powder morphed into a tea rose powder. I didn’t dislike it, it’s just not what I wanted. Eucalyptus, mint, cardamom, incense... I thought it would be more like a traditional eastern, aromatic spa/herbal medicine (and the brand compares it to a “heady” and “invigorating” Turkish hammam), but instead it was nice contemporary hotel soap and linens. I made a second attempt later and it went straight to a horrible strong sour rose, so this one is just not for me.

This is a unique fragrance. I’m always impressed with this brand’s artistry. It is very floral but it’s interesting how they have managed to capture the essence of steam with these various notes. There’s something cold, slightly aquatic, and pretty about it. Dare I say it even smells interestingly gloomy. I’m guessing the rose adds to the mellow quality while the tea ends up being the other work horse. But it’s a guess, I can’t really place it. I still won’t be buying a bottle or decant, I don’t think it’s especially wearable but it is interesting.

I really wanted to like this fragrance. The name was intriguing and the idea of steam in a bottle sounded very exotic. With a first spray you can indeed smell the steam, which is pleasantly accompanied by cardamon, eucalyptus and pink pepper. It is very refreshing and calming at the same time. It makes you think of the good times: summer time laziness, relaxing bath and even custard buns and vanilla ice cream. It's gentle so you want to spray more and more...and more. And this is when you go wrong. In about 10 minutes it dries into a suffocating rose, you feel like a scarf is tightening on your neck, it's nauseating and headache evoking. You start to regret the last few splashes. However, you try not to panic and wait for the base notes, and ...nothing. The rose is aggressive, it penetrates your nose right into your brain. The rose note in the Savoy Steam is not a typical rose note. Usually rose fragrances make me think of my grandmother who used to keep rose soaps in an old, beautifully carved black wooden cabinet. She would cover the cabinet with an embroidered cloth and keep a few roses from her garden in a small vase on top of it. The whole room smelled of love and warmth evoking roses. The rose note in this fragrance is citrus-sour and thorny. It's like being criticized for something you did not intend. I suspect that if you like citrus and rose, you might like this fragrance. It is definitely unusual and initially, it does smell like steam, which I am still mesmerized by. Purchasing this fragrance was definitely an interesting experience, I have been trying to crack the shocking difference between the top and the middle notes all day. The rose in this case definitely broke my heart so I will be divorcing myself from this fragrance ;)

As some reviews below have noted, the EDP and the EDC are listed separately in the database, as they should be - both fragrances are very different. I have only the EDP, received as a sample with my last purchase. I was expecting something similar to Hammam Boquet, but was severely disappointed. Savoy Steam is nowhere close. It's a light, slightly sweet, rose floral. That's it. It's pretty one-dimensional, you basically get a whiff of rose, and that's about it. As per the salesman at the store, the "Savoy" in the name comes from a tie up they have with the Savoy hotel in London (couldn't find any information to support this). The the "Steam" refers to the steam process by which the rose is extracted, which preserves all of the essential oils. But hey, a rose by any other name... Longevity is poor, I get around an hour and this is a skin scent on me. For the USD 175 you'd have to shell out for 100ml of this, you can pick up around 4.5 litres of rosewater from the nearest chemist which will give you pretty much the same scent with about the same performance. I don't think I'll be investing in a full bottle...

Nope. Was quite excited by the thought of this as I find Hammam Bouquet enjoyable. The perfume of this is boring weak sauce. There is no bite, it's so flat. I've not tried the cologne yet and I'm hoping for better as it has different notes on their website. This perfume is well balanced and not unpleasant in any way. It's a light, balanced floral and some people will enjoy that. However it is so generic and flat. A general peachy rose smell that inspires no emotion and makes you feel nothing. It goes in no particular direction, there is no hook or reason to want this scent in your life. If this was a cheap room spray or candle it would be an acceptable scent, not what I'd choose but I could accept it's existence. For a perfume that is supposed to hark back to Hammam or for something that costs over £130, Savoy Steam is a disgrace.

Wait, there's a "eau de cologne" of this as well? I wonder if that is as bad as this. I don't know why, but it just smelled awful on me. I got a spray from a perfume counter, and it just smelled like an abused rose. A rose that has been tortured and left for dead. It was sad, angering even, with no other notes coming out in any signifiant way. Extremely disappointing and even offensive.

This is very geranium-heavy. All other notes are overpowered by it. We will not be friends. I usually like geranium but it's quite heavy and unpleasant in here - a better option would be Diptyque's Geranium Odorata.