The Cut

Another great fragrance from Penhaligons with the same old problem. The scent is often described as a modern take on the fougere type, I guess that's a good description. I just feel that The Cut is moving into something else completely different too. The opening is an astounding mix of all the notes mentioned in the Penhaligons blurb, easy to pick out individually but also beautifully blended to create a little refinement. The cypress, mint and fir are most prominent initially, closely followed by basil a little woodiness and lavender. It's just so clean and fresh in a different way to most other freshies and fougeres including the brands own Sartorial, a favourite of mine. Neither are better or worse than the other, just different paths leading to the same destination. Back to the age old Penhaligons issue. The first couple of hours at most, the scent stays comfortably within a metre and a half for projection and sillage purposes, very nice indeed. Offering a solid experience and feeling of being well groomed to the wearer and anyone within the aforementioned aura. It's just so beautifully crisp and immaculate. Sadly, it fades to a quite intimate scent, with perhaps a detectable boundary of less than half of the initial area at most. Strangely, the scent stays very prominent in this way for around 3-4 hours and is pleasing to the wearer only after this time for a few hours more. This is where I have an issue. This isn't a cheap fragrance and for the price should be a better performer all around. In fact, this scent deserves it. Yes it's well crafted and yes it's something quite unique and exciting but it just falls down as an all day apply once scent, in my opinion the very space where this fragrance needs to excel. All said and done it's very pleasant, an easy reach if I'm only popping out for a few hours, specifically if I'm dressing smart casual or more. It's worthy of wear all year round, except very hot summer days. I think it is a daytime scent too, it's a little too bright and assertive for a relaxed evening vibe but could work if your heading out for something a little more lively. It would shine at formal events or the office too. Just remember to take it with you for a spritz every several hours to top it up. Definitely a nice option to have despite an average at best performance. Innovative, crisp and immaculately created scent let down by the very mediocre longevity and sillage.

#25 of My Fragrance Journey: A Note on Penhaligon’s The Cut I wasn't prepared to love this as much as I do. The Cut doesn't play by the usual fragrance rules; it feels more like slipping into a suit that's been cut and stitched with exacting care. No fuss, no theatrics-just quiet confidence, the kind you notice only once it's already filling the room. The opening is startling in the best way. Mint and basil mingle, but not in a garish cocktail sense. No toothpaste grin either. It's the scent of a sprig crushed in your hand, green oils releasing, fresh but dignified. It's vivid and natural, almost startlingly real. As it finds its footing, clary sage and lavender step forward, and suddenly you're in familiar barber-shop territory-refined, polished, without an ounce of cliché. There's tradition here, yes, but it never feels dated. It feels timeless. The base - cedar, cypress, fir balsam - lends the staying power. Woods that don't brood or boast, but provide a solid, smooth foundation with just a touch of smoke. By this point, it wears like a second skin, close but steady, never faltering. The impression is one of balance: fresh without being fleeting, classic without being old, tailored without being stiff. Not loud, not ostentatious, but with the quiet confidence of a well-made thing. It works in any room, whether you're sitting at a long oak boardroom table or lingering over Sunday coffee. There's something almost architectural about its balance-freshness paired with depth, tradition cut with a clean line of modernity. It isn't a shout or a declaration, but it makes a statement all the same. This isn't just a fragrance-it's a companion piece to the suit you're glad you put on.

This was love at first sniff for me. It smells like a cold day in a pine forest with a hidden undertone of gourmand sweetness. I've seen other reviews suggesting its bland and generic, but to my nose, I had never smelled anything like it. I would never have guessed that this was a Fougère. To me, it smelled like a dusty, minty, nutty, subtle vanilla that walks right on the line of fresh and warm, but upon sniffing it after seeing the notes, I can totally smell the green-ness of it. However, I made the mistake of wearing this in high heat and that one uncomfortable day of wearing it has put me on a journey of trying to rediscover my love for this. At the moment its cloying and suffocating and reminding me of the nausea I felt on that day, so its going away for a few months. Pros: - Smooth, addictive and put together scent profile. - Compliments - Comforting and confidence boosting vibe. Cons: - Thick, almost foggy silliage. You and EVERYONE in the room is going to smell you and there's no escaping that - Average Longevity Initially: 9.5/10 currently: 5.5/10

A really nice, unique and polished masculine fragrance. Very office suitable, but also great for outdoor in spring or summer. It conjures images of leather books, wool, men's suits, yet is very green and I guess more energetic. It first hits me with a mowed grass smell but what is predominant throughout to me is basil.. the pungent odor from fresh Italian basil picked off a shrub. I don't get mint at all. And people saying it's sweet?? Bleu de Chanel EDP, Man in Black - THOSE are sweet. The Cut is sweet, but it's a green herbal sweetness from the basil and grassy notes. I feel like there is pepper in this, and/or wood, that helps to make it a little spicy but moreso makes it a drier fragrance. Great for office..Would be perfect at the Kentucky Derby too! I can't think of anything else like this. I also get frequent whiffs of it randomly throughout the day which I love. It's well done.

Deliciously crisp and fresh, and the mint note is strong in the opening for me. It's a natural mint leaf note rather than just a generic crispy fresh mint like toothpaste, which is way better as it lends to the foliage/woods/forest notes awesomely. Painting the picture of a Saville Row tailor, stitching a fresh suit is a perfect fit for this fragrance. And closing your eyes when you smell this fragrance, putting yourself in that environment really suits the aroma. The ONLY downside which is a common theme with Penhaligons I've owned in the past - They just don't last as long as I'd like them to. But nonetheless, an amazing, original smell which is a perfect office/daytime/daily driver for me. Not offensive at all and broadly mass appealing, fresh, clean and crisp!

This fragrance is very well crafted. It manages to be fresh and sweet at the same time, but with just the right amount of sweetness, in my opinion. I think it can be worn in almost every season. I’ve seen many people say that the longevity is poor, but on my skin it actually lasts quite well. What impressed me the most, however, is how versatile this fragrance is. I feel comfortable wearing it for something casual, like walking around during a trip, but at the same time it also works perfectly for more formal occasions, such as an event where I’m wearing a suit. Overall, it’s a very versatile fragrance with a really pleasant and unique scent.

Very good scent. Definitely leans more toward a modern designer version of a barbershop. Not nearly as much class as Sartorial, but that can be a good thing. It still has a strong but subtle vibe that it gives off. I (40M executive) have worn Sartorial for several years, and I like it a lot. I have only ever received one comment/compliment from it, which was from a junior sales kid at work. Wore The Cut for about two weeks, and got one of the best compliments I have ever received from a woman, who was another executive. I plan to wear it for quite a while and see how this turns out. Likely will be my signature for 2026.

First wear of this fragrance to the office today. So far, I am absolutely loving it. Very masculine fougere with moderate projection. I'm hoping the longevity is good. I think this is flexible enough to wear all year round, day or night. I'd even go as far as saying this could easily become my signature scent. Pricey from retailers, but it can be sourced at a more approachable price from the grey market. Edit 1: Applied the fragrance (about 8 sprays) around 5.00 am, now 11.00 am, and received a random compliment in a shop. Still loving it!

I had the pleasure of testing The Cut at the NYC Penhaligon's boutique on Monday. To put it bluntly it's a younger more freshie/herbal take with the cypress, clary sage, mint, and basil; designed for the up and coming go getter compared to the more suave and sangfroid gravitas of Sartorial. More Kingsman than James Bond, a unisex leaning masculine heir to the very masculine father. Silage is about the same, easily overpowering if sprayed too much and on me it lasted 6-7 hours before fading away.

As I said in another comment for “The Dandy”, I really love Penhaligon’s scents. This one smells very herbal, but elegant. Very fresh, but it knows when to stop. I’d wear it during the day with ,again, some more elegant clothes. Extremely disappointing performance however for the price point, since it doesn’t last more than 2 hours for me, as much as I tried to add more puffs. I’m a victim of this because I really enjoy the scent.

It's really nice for male! If you are sporty active male with maturity underneath, this might be the one for you. The first impression is very fresh scent pops up and gives an impression "Vigorous". After dry it down, very elegant scent playing on your skin/clothes which I personally felt that it is well described the Savile Row tailoring. The price is relatively very kind from this house.

Perhaps it's just my nose, or the way this smells on me, but this opened with a huge hit of citrus and lime that I wasn't expecting at all but really liked. The dry down is a classic but light and refined fougere that's very pleasant. I can see me wearing this a lot.

Masculine, easy to wear, green and elegant. I like the smell I assumed it would be similar to Sartorial with the lavender, but it really isn't. Even though I clearly smell lavender, sage and cypress as the most obvious notes. Feels very office safe.

Heavily considering getting a bottle of this soon, smells clean, for a well kept man. Smells woody aromatic, fresh and green but in a non offensive or sharp way. Office and School friendly, bottle design is nice, stays on for a while.

This scent is amazing! I’m mad at myself for waiting this long to buy it. I am literally bathing in it everyday. It’s incredible. Penhaligon’s can do no wrong. Wonderful fragrances at a reasonable price. I’m a forever fan

Loving this!! Fresh and modern interpretation of a fougère, understated and classy. Unobtrusive but still with character and presence! This might just become my signature scent going forward!

Imagine if you mixed Creed’s Green Irish Tweed & JPG Le Male Le Parfum and had Paul Guerlain create the fragrance. That’s exactly what you’re getting. It’s exceptional.

This is a very likable scent. I think it will be very successful for them. To my nose it does smell unique with a greenness that is fresh and not too cedar-y.

I cannot believe rhubarb is not one of the notes - this smells like you’ve just snapped a fresh stick of rhubarb.

Smells a bit like those Haribo rhubarb and custard sweets but dressed up. Quite nice, I'm tempted to buy some.

Picture a bittersweet green guava cut in half . That’s what I got instantly . So good 9/10

Its fresh grass, not hay not mowed ... fresh But the fresh never lasts .... DAM

it's calm note, but i cant smell the lavender. also it is a summery fragrance

Brilliant everyday for almost anyone!

Oh now this is quite exciting! This is by perfume royalty Paul Guerlain, but he's not resting on family laurels. He trained elsewhere apparently, worked in America, I think? And he's the grandson of Jacques Guerlain. Does it matter? Yes! I think it does, all that olfactory DNA has got to count for something and to my mind, or nose, it really does. This is actually a scent reset, among all the woody/amber synthetic scent-bombs out there. Clearly he saw his brief as creating an echo of wjhat Penhaligon's is supposed to be about. I sense a delightful lack of ego here, because this perfume is slightly quiet, at first. I predict it'll be a winner over time though, and that's because it's not linear, it's lovely at every stage, and the dry down is very, very easy to live with. I can see it would mostly be regarded as masculine, because it speaks of gentle woodsy balsamic vibes. It has a delightful sandalwood, a delectable fresh and inviting rhubarb in opening notes, alongside subtle herbal leafiness. I looked it up and found out the notes from an interview. The word 'fresh' here, does not mean screechingly sharp fougere, or aquatic, or indeed predictable citrus notes (though it does contain citrus) it's about the mild euphoric rush of crushed herbs and rhubarb from the garden, culinary and just right. The dry down is gorgeous, and I can see why they call it 'The Cut'. I can just imagine a fine tweed suit, worn by a tasteful but cutting edge gentleman, smelling exactly like this. As a woman who enjoys natural scents for everyday use, alongside the more female perfumes I wear, I must say I love it on me too! Love it. Well done Paul Guerlain.

A modern take on the classic fougere, barbershop style fragrance, but a bit more green than usual. Definitely masculine. Think along the lines of MFK Masculin Pluriel, but more "green", particularly in the opening. It's mainly about the lavender and clary sage here once it dries down, it's almost all you get, but with subtle nuances of a couple of those other green notes still lingering. Performance isn't great on my skin, but its OK. It seemed to last longer when I was testing it from the one in store, so maybe some maceration is needed, or maybe its in my imagination or I'm going noseblind. Anyway - I've ended up buying this one. It's a very nice fragrance. I'm really liking what Penhaligon's have been doing this past year or so. The Dandy is one of my favourites and Finley is pretty good.

As someone who has become more infatuated with fougeres over the last year or so, this one struck the most interest out of me. I love herbal and cypress/pine notes in fougere compositions. It has a refreshing aspect to it that I wouldnt necessarily say "Mint", but pine like. It has a sweetness to it in the opening I just cant seem to get past. Like clary sage that was sitting next to a mint bunch in the grocery store and dipped in sugar. Doesnt remind me of the traditional style of fougere or that I would classify it as so myself. But interesting none the less.

I found it to be much sweeter than I expected, but it's not an exaggerate amount of sweetness because of the mint and the cypress at the bottom of the scent. I don't get why users voted this as a summer fragrance: it's easily a spring or fall fragrance, I would even use it in winter for the said sweetness. Only "bad" side: I expected this to be similar to Sartorial, but this goes in a completely different direction.

Love the opening and the mid phases. It becomes generic in the drydown. If you’re looking for a modern fougere this does its job quite well, but if you don’t mind its honeyed and slightly more ambery accord Sartorial is a true masterpiece from this house

A smooth herbal and green fougere with an aromatic basil. A decent offering that is pleasant enough.

A rustic English cottage. Trudging in from a muddy walk in springtime.

Well, maybe you could call this a "modern" Aromatic Fougere and get away with it. Lots of people are stretching the Fougere genre parameters that way. But myself - a Fougere lover - would classify this more accurately as a Woody Aromatic. Yes, maybe just a curtsy to the Fougere, but only slight one. It has a lavender note, after all. There should be a listed "Green" accord too, which is especially prominent in the opening. I've smelled this general scent profile across several fragrances before, but dangit, I can never get a quick recall of which ones. It seems The Cut has unlisted spices also. I don't particularly like The Cut's scent profile, especially in the drydown. It opens promisingly. Ultimately, I find it fairly unremarkable. It seems the Cut is a companion of sorts to the brilliant Sartorial, but nowhere near as good. A miss.

"The Cut" presents a green, herbal, and aromatic profile that is instantly recognizable to anyone familiar with the Amouage classic - Memoir, especially on paper. It is "lighter" though. The scent on the skin did change a little, with noticeable sourness, and its longevity is only moderate at approximately 3-4 hours.

This smells like a neutered version of memoir man by Amouage. Wasn’t expecting much considering Penhaligons recent run of releases and this again fits into the category of disappointment. Sartorial is worth the price of admission with character and personality akin to tailors shop. Memoir man/woman far superior.

Very much an old school men's fougere. Quality scent. Unfortunately for me this is one of those fougeres that leans a bit soapy on the drydown - like a shaving foam. I love a fougere but I enjoy the lavender wood combination side more than the soapy side like this one. I think it's the mint/basil herbal combo.

Has a fresh, herbal open then dries down to something like a lighter, more powdery version of Creed's Green Irish Tweed. While I'm a fan of Green Irish Tweed, this one was only ok for me.

A reinvented fougère, the perfume evolves from sweet and balsamic to smoky to oppressive. Perhaps a bit too blended. Fragrance: 6/10, Longevity: 7/10, Sillage: 7/10.

It’s an ok one for me, nothing special I would not buy it but if gifted I would definitely wear it.

Bland as hell, totally forgettable

I think most people on this site would agree that one of the better feelings in life is having a fragrance that immediately works for them, 100%. The kind of fragrance where you hold the bottle and look at it for a spell before and after you put it on and sometimes just because you walked by it. You don't care what anyone thinks about it either. Any compliments are just a bonus, YOUR happy regardless. Well that's were I'm at with Sartorial right now and on my last order, I got a sample of The Cut. My nose just can't put The Cut together right. The opening didn't surprise me in the least bit - clean and herbal but not unique to me. The dry down was a cloying fog I can't describe at the moment but it sent me straight to the shower. I'm going blame my nose...for now. I suppose if one was interested in a Fougere that's NOT Sartorial or even "Sartorial like" IMO, then I would recommend getting a sample or test it at a retailer. I don't think The Cut is what most will expect. I still have a few more sprays with my sample and if something changes I'll update the review. Sorry for the vagueness; there are much better writers in here that can/will fill in the blanks. I wish you all well.

As much as I have a great love for Penhaligons fragrances I can't help but think they missed the mark with this one personally. On first spray, and even on dry down after wearing it for today, I can't help but think this smells exactly like rhubarb. Like a reviewer mentioned below, I'm really suprised its not listed. Because of that, it keeps reminding me of a cleaning product. It does have a hot press feel to it no doubt, but it is far from a fougere in my eyes and has a sweet profile to it which I wouldn't associate with the marketing they're pushing. Unfortuantely, nowhere near the calibre of Sartorial in both composition and performance.

Very generic, nothing memorable and weak fragrance. Extremely overpriced for what it is, you can get better and similar in your basic high street shop. Probably the most disappointing Penhaligons to date

I'm surprised this doesn't get "eternal" for longevity - the aromachemicals are grimly clinging to the back of my hand some 36 hours later. And no it's not what I would call a fougere.

I agree with quite a few reviewers: generic modern molecular synthetic dry down and had to scrub it off. It gave me headache.

Really gorgeous mint and herbal opening. But somehow, like other Penhaligon scents, this one dries down to straight 💩💩💩 on me. Just an awful way to ruin something that could have been utterly beautiful and wearable. If you’re a fan of Guerlain Herbes Troublantes, and the Penhaligon woodsy scents play nicely on you - it’s worth trying.

Man what a let down, I’ll be back with a proper review but first impressions is of a 2006 high school locker room, not a fougere and NOTHING that should ever be marketed next to Sartorial. Wow this is bad and shows me just how many bs glazers there are in the frag content space.

At first, I found The Cut by Penhaligon’s somewhat reminiscent of Memoir Man by Amouage, mainly because of that elegant mentholated touch in the opening. But after wearing it two or three times, I realized this is truly a fragrance with its own identity — a perfume in every sense of the word. The Cut delivers an immaculate sense of cleanliness and understated sophistication. On my skin, it lasts for hours and hours while maintaining a refined, polished and incredibly elegant profile from start to finish. It never tries too hard, yet it always feels perfectly tailored and distinguished. What fascinates me the most is how much it grows on me with every wear. What initially felt like a subtle fragrance has now become my new scent for the season. And I wear it with the same pleasure, care and rigor as I do some of my most expensive and exclusive fragrances. Penhaligon’s has achieved something genuinely difficult here: modern elegance executed with perfect balance and restraint. At first, I found The Cut by Penhaligon’s somewhat reminiscent of Memoir Man by Amouage, mainly because of that elegant mentholated touch in the opening. But after wearing it two or three times, I realized this is truly a fragrance with its own identity — a perfume in every sense of the word. Al principio pensé que The Cut de Penhaligon’s tenía ciertas similitudes con Memoir Man de Amouage, especialmente por esa salida ligeramente mentolada y elegante que ambos comparten. Sin embargo, después de llevarlo dos o tres veces, me he dado cuenta de que estoy ante un perfume con identidad propia, un perfume con mayúsculas. The Cut posee una limpieza impecable y una sofisticación silenciosa que no necesita exagerar para destacar. En mi piel dura horas y horas, manteniendo siempre un perfil refinado, pulcro y absolutamente elegante. Tiene esa capacidad tan difícil de encontrar de hacerte sentir perfectamente vestido sin imponerse jamás. Lo más interesante es que cuanto más lo uso, más lo comprendo. Ha pasado de ser una simple curiosidad dentro de mi colección a convertirse en mi nuevo perfume para esta temporada. Y lo llevo con el mismo placer, respeto y rigor con el que utilizo algunos de mis perfumes más costosos y exclusivos. Penhaligon’s ha conseguido aquí algo muy difícil: una elegancia moderna, limpia y perfectamente equilibrada.

First impression: On skin for 4 hours and 24 hours on paper: Without knowing any listed notes, this smelled like clary sage mixed into virginian cedarwood, like a simple essential oil based mix. It felt raw, herbal and not at all like finished "fine fragrance". The clary sage note is very much alike to H24, and if we go bit beyond, A&F - Fierce. It gives that herbal musty feeling first, then provides a musky and powdery aspect - not bad at all. But I couldn't find more to look for. It is quite nondescript, there's this hint of Japanese style scent culture revolving around precious woods and cypress (hinoki), I was expecting some English style here, maybe some florals and old school barbershop hues, unfortunately not found. Between this and H24, H24 (both EDT, EDP and Herbes Vives) shine like a masterpiece. Even A&F - Fierce would be a better clary sage fougere in my book (even though it's done and dusted, Fierce is a perfumery icon). p.s. STOP AI REVIEWS, THEY STICK OUT LIKE A SORE THUMB.

i bought a sample for this as an introduction to fougeres - and as far as fougeres go i'm stopping at this. i didn't like it personally. it had a screeching quality to it, it was unpleasant and i also feel like the price point does not justify the scent. this smell reminds me of something very specific: being at the veterinary clinic. it has that same artificially scented fabreezed air + a weird sterility to it. i scrubbed this off with hand soap, then grabbed a loofah and proceeded to scrub this off with a body wash and it's still persisting. please get this off of me

Unfortunately this is quite generic, especially in the opening. There's a lot of fragrances that smell like this. It really doesn't reflect the marketing. It doesn't smell like an expensive tailored suit. A lot of new releases just feel like they've got this base gravy they just put a couple of different ingredients to to make it marginally different but the base is the same - this sweet modern generic smell. Edit: Ugh, had to scrub it off. I rarely find I need to do that. This is not a fougere