Terrible Teddy

Here's the lowdown on Teddy. It's not very good. I'm sorry Penhaligon's I'm a fan of the brand but many of this line are poorly conceived, poorly executed and not up to the standard of the regular line. Taste wise this fragrance is well up my street though. I impressed the lady in the store when identifying pink pepper in the opening. I don't know why she was impressed it's so blatant it's unbelievable, and as a schinus molle enthusiast I should be jumping for joy, especially in a broadly modern, unapologetically unnatural type of composition...but something about this isn't that great. Teddy lacks depth, it's that simple. The opening is a spicy, incense accord and for all the pink pepper and actually a cumin/caraway character creeping in, it feels a little flat and lifeless. Teddy didn't last very well on my skin either. I'm sorry because the Rhino stopper is one of the coolest so far. I have a sample so I guess I'll wear it again properly but I doubt my opinion will change. UPDATE: Let this serve as a reminder not to judge to hastily based on a spritz on your hand in store. To be fair I did state that I loved pink pepper and incense and that Teddy smelled great in the opening, but like some 'bro' Youtuber I got all fixated on 'performance' and value for money. I stick to what I said about the line and Penhaligon's pushing out the releases as if they are on some treadmill, but Birsch's efforts here are decent and Teddy is a fascinating, sparkly pink pepper and incense accord which smells remarkably sweet airy, with a hint of leather tinged smoke, smooth but with some jagged angularity to it. It's fresh and uplifting to me, not quite as much as some (cruely) Olibanum based incense because it has slightly more heft, Labdanum and frankincense being prominent. Truth is I'd rather have this than the one I own Lord George and I'm reasonably fond of George so that's praise indeed.

I love it. It gets me reminiscing on future past lives in parallel universes. That synthetic ambroxan thing with frankincense is all a tad Comme Des Garcons /Gucci/Prada circa 2000. Lets all wear appropriately austere minimalist garbs and do our signage in 90s kanji fonts. This and Inimitable William Penhaligon are not far from each other with the freshness, and the ambroxan and incense, just that IWP is using the (Haitian?) vetiver and other things, and this Teddy dude has the leather so there's the hint of fruity sweetness that leather has, where IWP has that touch of green and wood. I think they're about 50% similar as fresh incense ambroxan experiences. This with a tad more projection might be a nice option, though thinking about it, that result might feel a little juvenile/commercial. I once was involuntarily squirted by an overzealous assistant with a Spicebomb flanker that reminded me of flyspray and I felt it obnoxiously projected, so we probably wouldn't actually want that with this profile. EDIT: Fades deeply into the background after 5-6 hours - by 8 hours huff extremely deep for even a faint trace of ashy powder metallic something, in contrast IWP's overall profile would be intact through the lingering phase, both sweet and green. Is this worth the money? Depends if there's something else with the same/similar profile and a bit more duration (which kind of rules out CdG). If not yeah, if that's how you want to smell, what else you gonna do.

I picked up Penhaligon's Terrible Teddy on clearance, making it a complete blind buy. At the time, I had never even heard of Penhaligon's. What first caught my attention was the beautifully designed bottle, especially the distinctive animal-head cap. I thought that would be the highlight of the purchase. I couldn't have been more wrong. The moment I sprayed it, I was instantly transported back to my younger years, visiting centuries old European churches and monasteries. The rich incense accord awakened memories I hadn't thought about in years. It's warm, mysterious, and deeply nostalgic. The composition is outstanding, complex, refined, and wonderfully blended. It unfolds beautifully throughout the day, with very good longevity and projection that easily lasts through a full workday. Every time I wear Terrible Teddy, I'm wrapped in the captivating aroma of incense. More than just a fragrance, it evokes a time when I was discovering faith, history, and the mystery of the world around me. It reminds me of a period in life filled with curiosity, hope, and the feeling that the future held endless possibilities. For me, Terrible Teddy is more than a perfume, it's a bottle full of memories.

Although I am not a massive fan of ambroxan normally, I don’t mind it here! The way that this synthetic molecule is paired with incense and leather is absolutely beautiful! This scent is really delightful! I feel a sweetness coming from somewhere, might be the incense and I really am enjoying what I am smelling! Smells almost ambery and very warm. The leather is smooth, fine and soft, rather like a suede and compliments perfectly the sweet incense. As the perfume dries down, the leather becomes more prominent on my skin and the smoky aspect intensifies as well. I am not going to lie, I was not expecting to like Terrible Teddy at all when I saw ambroxan and leather as the main notes in this perfume I was expecting it to be super masculine and potentially rough. But I am pleasantly surprised with how well rounded and polite it actually smells. From the top of my mind, there’s nothing I currently have in my collection that reminds me of Terrible Teddy, which feels so refreshing to sample truly something new! I really like this!!!

This one leans a little too masculine for my tastes during the opening, but sometimes I get whiffs of it in the dry down and change my mind. It drys down and smells almost *exactly* like dragon’s blood incense. And I love that smell. Very woody and just slightly smoky. You definitely get the ambroxan in the dry down as well. This also did not tend to project very far when I put it on - it stayed close to the skin. I don’t think I’ll be buying the full bottle of this one because I don’t prefer to wear overly masculine scents myself, but I would love this on my husband!! Very dapper scent. EDIT: After a few more wears, I changed my mind. I’m now obsessed. The peppery opening doesn’t even matter because it immediately settles into straight up Dragon’s Blood incense and I just want to sniff myself all day. This is not the Nag Champa kind of incense. So glad I kept giving this chances because I’ve been looking for a scent that captures that dragon’s blood smell and this does just that perfectly. I’ll buy the full bottle one day.

This is a comforting, gentlemanly scent. The scent profile is quite simple, but it smells of very good quality. You can't wear this with a T-shirt—a collared shirt is a must. It smells like a young man sitting in his grandpa's study room, rummaging his books, sitting at his home-built wooden desk, somewhere up in the mountains around pine trees. This is the man who can chop wood during the day, dress up in a suit and drive 45 minutes into town for a soirée. When I smell it, I think of a brown or charcoal suit, books, carpentry, a pocket full mints, virility, and comforting strength. Imagine Acqua di Gio Profumo, but without the fresh aquatic notes. It's got that high-quality incense note that people love from Profumo. Although Terrible Teddy isn't a fresh scent, it's clean and neutral enough for all seasons. It's not sweet, but rather peppery-sweet with almost a brightness to it (like pink pepper or cinnamon). There's not that much sweetness, so it's not going to be cloying during the summer.

I was not sure what to expect from a fragrance that consists of 3 notes, of which incense is not one of my most favorite notes. But.... I love it! I have it for about 3 hours now and I keep smelling my wrists. I like it much more in dry down, than in the opening. It's so soft, cozy, warm, tender, sophisticated, sweet (but not sugary or candy sweet, more liquor or balsam sweet), rich, expensive and elegant aroma! I smell the resemblance to B683 indeed, but that one is harsher, more metallic, while this one is soft, like a warm favorite cashmere sweater. The fragrance is so rich, I, too, smell much more notes in it: tobacco, coffee, rum, some animalistic notes, wood. I love it and would love to wear it, it is definitely just as good frag for women, as for men. I can imagine this fragrance would smell very differently on different skins.

A ambroxan, leathery scent drying down with a synthetic peppery sweetness, at first try I thought this fragrance was intensely linear although after repeated use it's complex construction became more apparent, I now use this as my comfort leather, musky frag. It's like no other I have in my collection, so glad to have purchased this for a greatly reduced price on the second hand market, had only been used a couple of times & came with original box. Would I repurchase and pay full RRP, No but I'll search for another used bottle, great longevity drying down to a very musty scent that evokes odours of antique buildings, libraries and old manuscripts, definitely an acquired taste, the liquid is quite dense with a potency like that of a parfum strength fragrance lasting for about 4-6 hours on skin before the need to re-apply!

And nothing, bow down again to another masterpiece of my favorite nose: Quentin Bisch. Terrible Teddy wants to represent an aristocratic man, who lives in the English countryside, with an apparently hard and strong, virile and sensual character, but which hides tenderness inside. In short, a hunter who in turn is hunted. Here we have a peppery opening, which paves the way for incense and finally leather, giving life to a decisive, strong fragrance that I would always wear. I love it . He is virile and sensual at the same time, and, I will repeat myself because I often say it, a perfume like this on a woman gives her that something extra, it makes her stand out. I recommend it for autumn-winter, on me trail and persistence are really excellent. “The return from the hunt” painted by Courbet.

Freshly cut pine with a soft frankincense aura, that’s what Terrible Teddy is about... a manly opinionated and unapologetic fragrance! Ambroxan is the star of the party emanating a clean and strong pine wood cloud... Incense is also present, soft, aromatic and amazingly blended... the leather comes out after a few hours, creamy and delicious. There are many Ambroxan perfumes out there... and only a few can confidently say they are not trying to copy the rest, but rather create a new aroma... Penhaligon’s does an amazing job reinterpreting such a well known olfactory profile to give us a completely different experience... a very clean smoky pine scent with an ambery leather bottom. Projection is moderate and longevity is around 5 hours. An excellent alternative for Ambroxan lovers.

Another very simple fragrance from Penhaligon. Ok, says its for men up top. Ignore. It's unisex. It's not hard to pick out what is in this surprisingly light weight scent. On me it's largely ambroxan. What little leather there is does not make much of a impact until the ambroxan finally eases off. Finally the incense joins the leather. Come on Penhaligon?! It's time to fly the union Jack high and proud. Stop churning out cheap fragrance in gorgeous classy bottles. The juice really does matter. You have created some real beauties in your illustrious history like Luna, Savoy Steam and Halfeti. Don't lose your way. Poor longevity and sillage. Well you get hit with a cloud of ambroxan but that's only for 15 minutes or so.

I have a tester of this. It smells brilliant. Great silage, stays strong and dominant for about 2 hours but then just vanishes off my skin. What a wonderful 2 hours they are though. Perhaps I went anosmic from smelling it too much. The incense is prominent but not overdone, and mixes well with the leather and woodsy accords. The ambroxan is strong and reminds me of Sauvage, but I prefer this one by far. It’s got a dirty, but well groomed presence that makes me think of Alan Quartermaine or some other dapper steampunk adventurer. Spray this on and you will feel like going on your own journey to the centre of the Earth. I would definitely consider this for a full bottle if the longevity was better.

I find this fragrance intoxicating. I first noticed it on a friend & it made me want to climb him like a tree. Such a deep, sexy fragrance, not at all overpowering but definitely masculine and sexy. The combination of Incense, leather & ambrosian is perfect. The initial spray is almost peppery. I notice insence first and then the softness of leather & musk come through, leaving a sensual warmth - akin to patchouli - at it's heart. My nose doesn't pick up this fragrance on myself in the way it does when I notice others wearing it, but that is probably a good thing. I can't imagine ever tiring of this. It has become my signature fragrance. Terrible Teddy is terribly sexy.

What a beautiful discovery! An incense, leather aerial and light, which develops and surrounds you with ease! This one is clearly in the DNA of the house Comme des Garçons , and it could be the big brother of incense Kyoto more tenacious. Do not rely on the reduced list of notes, it is much deeper than announced, a smell of very light cypress, vétiver and tobacco comes lightened leather incense always in the background, it is a linear fragrance without evolution, but in his case this is rather an advantage because it makes it a safe all-day fragrance! Teddy is in the end terribly well made and effective, a real perfume of gentlemen

Terrible Teddy & Lord George are the best of the portraits collection for me. I was really impressed by the clean, crisp & warm nature of Teddy. The incense/leather combination would usually put me off a fragrance but both are so well executed in this fragrance it really works. The leather & Incense are dialled back and the amber, ambroxan & pepper are amped up which delivers a very elegant beautiful warm clean scent that I really enjoy. It smells completely different but the warm calm delivery of the fragrance reminds me of how I feel wearing Dior Homme Intense.

Absolutely adore this scent. Of all the fragrances I own this is definitely a top 3 contender. What I don't like is the price (way overpriced) and lack of any real silage/longevity. I feel you can get away wearing this pretty much anywhere, the versatility is brilliant however given the lack of any moderate longevity it really is only best suited for a night out/date night. Wearing this to the office by lunchtime no one will be smelling anything. It could just be how my nose works, but I don't smell a whole lot past the 4 hour mark. :(

I know this is a man fragrance but I got it as a sample and really liked it. And I can imagine women or any gender wearing it too. As for the man I think this would definitely be a compliment magnet, at least I would compliment you. I usually dislike leather scents butter this one is so fine. I also love the story behind the smells and the whole portraits line. I am impressed, hope to smell the rest of the line to and maybe one day buy one for myself. 9.5 /10

Oooh this scent reminds me of a cheeky yet humble lad at a bar who makes you have butterflies with just his banter. It's such a nice light musk but has the warmness coming through the incense. Like I just want to steal a cute kiss from this guy, absolutely blushing smelling this fragrance. Brings a smile on my face, with how light the scent feels. It could be a signature scent but I see this scent more on a casual night out. Zodiac Trio ⬆️Libra ☀️Leo 🌜Pisces

For me, it's nor leathery or warm, but an intense apothecary mixture of sage or thymes, maybe very strong herbal tea with a drop of an alcohol. It's sharp and fresh, but in a natural way. Such a highlight, I never had a fragrance like this before. As I see, most say, it's a masculine scent, and it probably is, but for me it perfectly works unisex, if I do not feel anything sweet. Great, sophisticated scent, even its deferentially on a pricey side

If I have a signature, go-to fragrance, this is the one. I love it, it has a unique scent and is by far and away the one I receive most positive comments on from both women and men. I note some comparisons to Creed on here, but I really don’t get that. It may just be the combination on my skin, but this gives a strong, rich, spicy long lasting effect. Initially it starts off quite peppery, but settles in to warm rich spice, my partner loves it.

Very nice.....especially for those who loves pine scents (dominant), not very long lasting- after 2/3 hours (even on a cold day), stays close to the skin. From the same “neighborhood” of comme des garçons (pine/pepper) but more easy going not in your face, smoother. Fall/winter- day/night- elegant and safe for every occasion. More masculine (to my nose). Enjoy this scent, it’s nice. Quite expensive especially because of the short lasting.

An amazing quality juice from start to finish. For the 3 listed ingredients I find this to have an amazing wide range of hints of this and that. There is a bit of citrus at the start and some sweetness from somewhere. I find this about 2 hours in to be similar to Baldessarini. Both are slightly dusty, sweet and a little musky. This is a fantastic juice. A top ten for sure. I would try before you buy due to pricing. Otherwise, Enjoy!

In another review of this scent, jung_ty1223 said: "Unbearably savage-like smell. This is the worst fragrance I've ever smelled. It smells like cannibal caves in black plague ridden 14th century dark age Scotland." If I didn't already love this scent, that review might have sold me on it. I agree with the general assessment. The only difference is that I think it is great.

Amazing masculine masterpiece. Lots of black pepper, pencil shavings and amber. I also get some Oakmoss. If you like The Omniscient Mr. Thompson, you’ll like this - but it’s definitely not duplicative. I have FB of both, but Teddy is more masculine (Thompson is softer with lots of vanilla). Excellent projection and longevity. Bought it for my husband, but I wear it too.

I got the discovery set, would like to try the female fragrance. Terrible Teddy is presented as a fragrance for men, however it's very unisex in my opinion. Pros: It's a slightly gentlemanly incense top note but i'm an incense lover. The ambroxan base scent is lovely. Cons: Hmmm it's not that long lasting. I couldn't even smell anything after 3hrs. Bit disappointed.

Do not understand these reviews, if you do not like amber , incense , and or leather fragrances why would you buy this? There is nothing wrong with this fragrance. I was lucky enough to get a bottle for 120$ and it was a steal! This is gorgeous, beautiful smokey amber and leather fragrance. Another masterpiece from a master perfumer.

Im surprised about the rating of this perfume. I love it, is masculine and grown up scent. It has good longevity and sillage. Although im not particularly loving abroxan, the compination with insence amd leather is fantastic. The insence is stronger at the begining but then calms down and blends very well with the other notes.

Terrible Teddy and I were made to be. As a woman I love this fragrance on my skin, I love the nose of Quentin Bisch. It opens peppery on me, then the woody incense takes over. Vetiver is one of my all time loves and its perfect in this fragrance. I have to say, I love it and I want a full bottle now.

Sex in the bottle,that's the only way I can describe it. I just love smelling it on my husband,everytime he wear it I can't stop sniffing him. Smell very expensive too,proper niche fragrance . I can not imagine this scent on a woman but you do you ;)

I smell the note listed but the result is somewhat medicinal. In a really good way though. It's a good expensive clean smelling medicine or old library smell. Hard to explain sorry if this isn't helpful

Amazing masculine smell. People always tell me I smell good when I wear it, the only problem on this perfume it does not last long max 3,4 hours, I bought it for the smell. 9/10 cuz of longevity.

this might be THE perfume for me. hits all the boxes, smells absolutely divine on my skin, stays longer than what i had anticipated, and evokes strong nostalgia...

A slightly fruitier, more peppery and wearable version of Gucci Guilty Absolute. I like this, may take a few wearings to fully understand it though.

Really enjoying this from initial application. Hopefully the longevity is not compromised. 🤞

One of the best leather incense perfume. Very mature and sophisticated.

Goated fragrance but to expensive :(

It smells like incense, turned down compared to a favorite incense scent, M Generation (no longer available, but a great one!), with some added pink pepper. With the addition of black and pink pepper, Bang! or Clive Christian V come to mind. It hits you deep in the back of your nasal passages with a nice, warm, peppery scent. There is a leather that, while not as forward as the pepper and incense, could bring to mind horse saddles and reins, if you have ever been in the storage area of a stable, but only if you concentrate on that scent and the stable hard enough. I love the rhinoceros bottle, with its sharp points. The smaller recessed pointy horn behind the main, larger horn could quite literally draw blood. This fragrance seems so serious. I wish it had a lighter mood to it. Where is the fun? The sprayer is amazing and perfect. The label is paper, why not something more protected? But what does it smell to a someone who is not a "fraghead"? Actual product reviews: "It smells nice but it’s very strong. I’d say this is more for an older gentleman. It does dry down to a pleasant scent but it’s still on the strong side. Does remind me of creed’s aventus. So if you like that fragrance then you’ll like this one. Great gift for a mature individual." "This fragrance reminds me of a stronger version of Creeds Aventus (definitely can smell the pink pepper and Ambroxan). Sillage is around approximately about 6-8 hours unisex fragrance and not for the faint of heart" "Very unique scent. Love it. I used to think nothing replace Aventis ... was wrong about it." "woody and delicious" "Amazing and unique smell. Very satisfied withe the purchase." "Recommend as a unisex scent. Very sexy" "I bought one for a family member. You will get amazed by the unique scent" "Amazing fragrance! I love smelling it on my husband. It goes on kind of strong, but the aftertaste is very gentle and sexy." "Want to smell like a man? Want to turn heads? Think Creed with class."

Maybe it's not fair but I tend to have an expectation for a scent that costs as much as this (for only 75ml no less!), that the scent smells rich and full and luxurious. You could design the best family sedan but good luck selling it for $100k, there's just an upper limit of what people will spend for that type of car. I feel like that's the issue here. Terrible Teddy is by all accounts a nice fragrance. It starts with a pretty airy frankincense that is flanked by pink and black pepper. Over the coming hours it transitions into a slightly sweetened pine sap and needle smell, and lurking deep in the base is the same leather accord from Gucci Guilty absolute - just with a bit less heft due to the lack of patchouli. It's simple and smells good, but I feel like I should like it more than I actually do. I think what is holding it back is that, as many have noted, it has a synthetic quality to it. I don't mind synthetics at all... the issue here is that the scent profile is something so natural (pine + frankincense) that, the effect of it smelling unnatural is akin to a beautiful vase filled with plastic flowers; or eagerly biting into a piece of fruit only to find out it's fake. I realized that whenever I'm in the mood for this scent profile I would reach for Memo's Shams Oud over this. They don't smell the same, although they both do scratch that peppery/incense/pine (sap) itch; Shams is fuller and richer and smells like a lot of rich naturals are used. Still, if you want an airy CdG-style pine incense with some of that Guilty Absolute leather accord, do check this out!

Terrible Teddy is an airy amber-incense scent, rich yet relatively muted, in keeping with the other Portraits I've tried. On smelling this, I also was not surprised that Quentin Bisch is the nose behind this scent, given the rich, well-balanced amber accord and good use of synthetic materials. TT is a lightweight, approachable day-to-night amber. TT is has a peppery opening, dry and nose-tickling, quickly giving way to the smooth, balsamic incense. I love a good incense note, and here it is wonderfully churchy. There is a pine-like undertone, elemi-like alongside the amber, bringing to mind cypress. It is all very smooth, with the leather note slowly developing in the background, contributing to the amber accord. It becomes woody as it develops, dry and smooth, complementing the amber nicely. There is a smokiness to the base, making things very dry, but it is kept smooth by the smooth leather-amber accord, with lightweight, creamy ambroxan playing a key role here. Sillage and longevity are moderate, and it is masculine-leaning in my opinion, best worn in autumn/winter. A lovely masculine-leaning amber scent, TT is multifaceted and beautifully put-together. Everyday elegance, like many Penhaligon's. 4/5.

Tested this on a paper strip and couldn't stop going back to sniff it. It lasted for days and was pinging some old nostalgia thing for me that I couldn't quite place. Tried it on my skin and it wasn't quite as nice as on the card, and not quite as strong/long lasting. Still decent projection, and fairly long lasting (especially as nothing lasts on me). Opens up quite strong, sharp and soapy, then with a nice fizzy Frankincense scent. Did not get leather or smoke at all, it was all warm spicy on me. Dries down and smells like Lynx. Just, exactly like Lynx. Which isn't even a complete insult to be honest because it does smell nice to me, but no wonder I found it nostalgic! I'm almost relieved because I did not want to fall in love with it and then have to fork out £250 if I wanted a bottle. Also want to add that the entire portraits collection is a bit off-putting to me because of the marketing. I don't care about fictional rich people, and I have to be honest, I think the animal head bottles are a bit trashy-looking given the price tag. The whole marketing for these just comes off a bit goofy to me personally, but obviously that's just my opinion.

A peppery, spicy, masculine scent, that is modern but familiar, the not so Terrible Teddy hits the mark. Teddy does not hide it's intentions, it starts as it intends to go on, opening with a strong burst of black and pink pepper, with a mixture of nondescript spices. The incense notes are haunting and ephemeral, not lasting long enough to leave an impression, but enough to leave a vague memory that it was there. I detect the leather component, but it is more of a soft, supple lambskin leather used for something like delicate gloves. There is a salty or saline quality associated with this that gives it a "savoury" feel, which is quite unique. Sadly thats where the journey begins and ends. It is content in its simplicity, which isn't a bad thing, but it knows its limits. It does let itself down in terms of longevity and projection lasting a few hours and not getting off the ground. On my skin, it veered towards a faint synthetic "rubbery" or "meaty" smell in the heat, but overall a decent addition and well made perfume in the Penhaligons range.

Terrible Teddy Penhaligon's: The Rugged, Alpha male It’s clear that Quentin Bisch left his signature over this fragrance. If you’ve smelled his other works like B683 or Attaquer le Soleil, you’ll recognize that specific DNA here. The amber accord is very labdanum-heavy, giving it those deep, balsamic, and woody facets that Bisch is known for. It is also "hot" spices. It feels peppery—almost like a hot chili type of scent. Overall, the fragrance is very warm and evocative, reminding me of burning wood or intense spices. It’s a perfect match for colder days. It is very masculine and carries a specific "Alpha" energy. The Style: This is a fragrance for darker clothes and heavy textures. It pairs perfectly with a thick wool sweater or a heavy coat. The Persona: It feels like it was made for a rugged, masculine man—think hairy chest, and a strong presence. It’s a scent with a lot of personality that doesn't just blend into the background. Rating: 8/10 (A warm, spicy, and uniquely masculine character.)

Hi Teddy. In the opening; this might be the pepperiest pepper I've ever come across. Real, authentic table pepper. Some cumin aswell. My mum used to keep a big container with all of her spices inside, Teddy reminded me of opening it up as a kid and being hit by spicyness galore. A good dose of aromatic greenery in the middle. Pine and maybe a hint of patchouli. A touch of herbality, strong black tea, oregano, rosemary. Some very nice earthiness in the base. Leather with a soapiness to it. I do get some smokey frankincense, but not as much as others seem to. Pine tar! Pretty linear in it's development, which is fine by me because I'm quite enjoying Teddy's character. Also performance seems a bit better than other Penhaligon's fragrances. VERDICT: I imagine this would be pretty polarising. I think Teddy is gorgeous, but he's too masculine for me. Will be signature worthy for some.

Opening reminds me a little of Arso by Profumum Roma, but Terrible Teddy is less sweet and even has a little salty quality to it. Definitely has a touch of pine and/or cedar even though it is not officially stated. Contrary to what I expected, this fragrance is actually pretty clean and sophisticated for being an incensy leather scent. I think this can be attributed to the ambroxan, which seems to add volume and a slight sweetness to the otherwise pretty heavy top and middle notes. Some words that come to my mind when I smell it are: woodwork, sauna, smoke, tar, pinewood, sap, incense. Smells outdoorsy and dressed up at the same time. Quite versatile. I like it and I think it is very well crafted. This gets a 7/10 from me.

Compliment machine. I traded a bottle of Aventus for this masterpiece. Simple yet powerful and effective to get tons of attention. Opens with a smooth smoke and leather and quickly get even smoother with an overload of salty citrusy ambroxan. I've heard actual ambergris is used in the masterful compilation. To sum it up very masculine and easy to pull off. Compliments roll in by the ton. Lasts for eternity and sillage is a room filler. You won't find performance like this often. The ambroxan jumps out to carry the heavy notes. Pink pepper and green spiciness attributes the forefront.

Strong Herb scent at the opening making it masculine. The leather does a good job at controlling the greenery and makes it a good Winter wear. The only thing is there isn't anything exciting about the fragrance. It is great for an office or anywhere you don't want to stick out, but it isn't a million dollar scent. It feels classy, like wearing a wool suit to work in winter. The only issue is there is no excitement. A Rhino is a good representation of this scent because it is fairly simple and to the point like the horn, but it is also strong and sturdy scent.

This has a very familiar profile. I get the feeling I have smelled this before but, I haven't ( maybe it's from the Ambroxen or something ) With that said, it's a really nice, mature, office type of fragrance that is excellent for the fall time. It's nothing too extraordinary but, it's a nice masculine, amber type of fragrance thats worth a sample for sure. A buy? That's something for you to decide. It doesn't really change up overtime. What you smell initially is what you get throughout, which is good but not wow ( for this price point )

I like it a lot. It's a bit odd, but very enjoyable, least to me. I get a strong blast of pink pepper, incense, and spices in the opening, with some patch and leather in the dry down. It's both warm and fresh at the same time, in the same vein as Resin Sacra. It's overall a frankincense frag, and a good one, as it isn't cloying or churchy smelling. Rather, smooth, polished, and reserved. I love the dry down, it's the best part of this fragrance. The price, however, is the worst part of this fragrance.

This is really, really nice. It reminds me of an old, premium leather sofa inside a prayer room, infused with years of warm incense. The initial hit is really spicy and intense, in a good way; cool, strong and almost tribal in intensity. The drydown is comforting if not a little too muted, as the delicious incense note is replaced with a softer leather scent.The performance is good, and the scent lasted about 4-5 hours at peak strength before tapering off a little.

SMOKE N' MIRRORS How can this easy-to-wear smokey delight have only 3 notes? (Must be the smoke n'mirrors trick.) I really enjoy the underplayed smoke and incense - great daytime scent that can be perfect for the office without offending. It's in the world of Elysium Cologne by Roja Dove - not saying it's similar - just saying that if you own Elysium, not sure you necessarily need to pick this one up unless it's a steal. Nice job, Penhaligon.