The Favourite

It is complex: feminine, classy, a little bit powdery. What I love about Penhaligon's - that their fragrances inspire my imagination and evoke images in my mind. I imagine an ingenue Victorian lady wearing this for a spring/summer ball. She comes from a good family, most likely aristocratic. Plays piano, paints, and is 'accomplished' as Victorians used to say. She is romantic enough to dream about love poems being dedicated to her, yet can come across a bit restrained and aloof: might fall in love, but will not lose her mind and do something indecent, such as eloping with a gentleman. Maybe Daphne from Bridgerton could rock it. Usually violet is a difficult note for me - as much as I wanted to love Guerlain's Insolence, it was just too much. The Favourite is strong on violet, but it is also quite strong on mimosa. There is some iris too, but very soft. Could be worn every day with an elegant outfit (definitely NOT jeans+trainers scent) or to the theatre. Noblesse oblige :) It is evocative of old times, but doesn't smell dated. As for the price tag: considering how expensive designers' fragrances became, this is a bargain (much cheaper than Penhaligon's portraits collection). The performance is actually excellent - if you want sillage, it is there!

Penhaligon’s The Favourite. It’s without a doubt my #1 and the only one with a back up bottle in my collection. I like my collection to be really varied and this is such a unique scent, different from everything else I own. It’s a feminine, floral powdery. The opening fizz of orange, freesia and violet, the delicate powdery mimosa, the regal iris all mixed in with a sensual sweet musky woodiness.. my nose’s absolute addiction to ambroxan. I love the fizz on my nose, the tingle in my brain, the tease of mimosa and iris, the fresh, sweet, floral prettiness of it all that then leans into a mature and sensual ambergris-esque musk, finishing with a truly stunning powdery dry down... a beautiful, unique, stunning, comforting and well crafted perfume that just brings me immense happiness when I wear it! Damn, I just love it so much, it makes my eyes roll back when I whiff it, it triggers cute aggression and makes me want to squeeze the bottle to death! An aside - A lot of people talk about ‘compliment grabbers’ on here, and that’s not why I wear my perfumes, but every time I wear this I always get told ‘you smell sooo good’ or asked what I’m wearing.

Ooh I really do like this one! It is literally my favourite of the Penhaligon’s discovery set. Floral and feminine but with an ambery depth to it that sets it aside from a lot of the others in this genre. The mandarin and mimosa add just a little edge to the sweet florals of the violet and iris and there’s a hint of green, fresh cut stems. The woody, ambery, musky base notes don’t overwhelm but give a warm, resinous note in the background. A traditional, feminine floral scent with a touch of whimsical eccentricity. Freshly picked flowers on a table in an old English country house, still dewy from the garden. The faint aromas of old wooden floors and of deep romantic longing. Reading a book and peeling a mandarin in the window seat with an air of studied nonchalance, occasionally glancing out the window in the hope that Mr Darcy (preferably Matthew MacFadyen) gallops up the driveway on his horse.

This is a very identifiable Penhaligons fragrance. It's feminine, floral, light, fun, youthful but in a classy way. A bit of a rogue one, but it reminds me a lot of minty yogurt that you tend to get as an appetizer dip at Indian restaurants... and I love it! The downfall however is the sillage and longevity, initially it packs a punch but give it about an hour or two and it's a very close to the skin scent, give it a few more hours and you may as well not be wearing a fragrance at all. Given the price point of Penhaligons, it's truly shocking performance and really drags down what could be a great feminine spring staple. Scent: 7/10 Projection: 2/10 Longevity: 2/10 Versatility: 7/10 (Although I see it as a spring scent, if the longevity was better this could be a pretty decent everyday/office scent since it's fairly inoffensive) Price (at full price): 5/10 Overall: 4.6/10

Elegant and pretty, The Favorite is my most loved perfume. I live in a humid climate, and surprisingly, it holds up well in the summer heat. All of Penhaligon's perfumes have an old world charm to them, which I find endearing, but is not for everyone. Unless you are use to the perfume house, I would recommend sampling. There is also a very understated sexiness to this perfume, many male friends and coworkers compliment the smell. I think it's because it settles into a very clean, yet feminine smell. The pink ribbon around the perfume is very representative of the fragrance. The mimosa gives a fuzzy element, and if this perfume was a color, it would defiantly be the pink/mauvy color of the ribbon (instead of a purple color that would be expected with such a violet dominated scent). The Favorite is also unique since I live in the US, and not many wear violet fragrances.

Super girly, almost performatively feminine. This is the sweetest, non-gourmand scent ever- it smells like powdered sugar violets more so than fresh violets. The florals are there, but on my skin this leans towards clean musk with slight bitterness from the ambroxan hidden under a cloud of that floral sweetness. This lasts about four hours on my skin, but then hours later I'll still get a whiff of it. Lasts all day and longer on my clothes and if it gets in my hair. I do absolutely love this, after about two years of ordering decants and travel sizes, I finally ordered the full sized bottle. This is my second penhaligon's scent, my first being luna. Both are lovely every day scents, and I love that they're so unique. The Favourite is the more coquette, flirty sister of the whimsical, carefree Luna, and I love having both in my collection.

Smells just like the bottle looks - very cute, girly, sweet, and innocent. This is basically a sweet powdery violet in the same vein as Guerlain Insolence EDP, except not quite as aggressively “violet” (Insolence reminded me way too much of chalky Parma violet candies). Despite also being essentially a powdery violet. I find The Favourite a lot more to my liking as it has some additional floral notes and citrus that round it out. Could I picture a duchess or lady-in-waiting wearing this, as the marketing implies? Maybe. It certainly is a very prim-and-proper, buttoned-up type of scent. Almost smells more like a fancy dusting powder. I think this is best suited to transitional seasons like spring and fall, this is far too sweet for summertime in my opinion and the light florals might get a bit lost in cold winter air.

Writing some quick notes here for my own future reference, more than anything else. This starts off as a powder bomb, although I would say it's inoffensive. No super strong violet at first, I'm just hit with a powder blast. I rated it a 5/10 or 6/10 at first. Then about an hour later the powder was subsiding which allowed the other notes to shine, which bumped it to maybe a 7/10. After two hours, it was fabulous and I was loving it. It was comforting, addictive, and girly. Had a bit of a candy feel and a little more floral. It was a bit gourmand actually and began to remind me of turkish delight! At that point it was a 9/10 for me. It's great for a girl in her 20s. Good for spring. No lipstick effect which you often get from a violet + iris combo.

This was a blind buy that worked. OMG... This is a very bright and not at all syrupy violet scent. If Insolence is too overpowering or too sweet, but you like the idea of it, or the general notes, this might be for you! It sits close to the skin, so you aren't going to offend anyone and I can smell it on myself after 7 or 8 hours with 2 sprays per arm. What I like about this is with the notes it could go bath and body works FAST, but somehow it doesn't. (Which is something I've come to love Penhaligon's for - striking that balance between being light without being "cheap"/"body spray-esque" and complex without being asthma-inducing.) The bottle is so perfect too - the fragrance smells like the bottle looks. A+

A very beautiful scent. Very powdery floral, i can really smell the violet, iris and mimosa here, this might be the most feminine perfume in my collection (in a good way). I can’t smell the jasmine at all. It dries down to a soft musky skin scent. People say that the performance of this is quite weak but on me, it last 12 hours straight. No kidding. I sprayed this 4 times before bed at 9 pm, woke up and the scent is still there! On 11am the next day, i still smell the scent lingering on my skin. Wow. I layered this with lelabo another 13, and oh GOD it turns out amazing!! They both compliment each other so well as they both got the ambroxan note. Love!!

Judging by the notes, the bottle/packaging and the whole vibe, I figured this was one I wouldn't like. Oh, but I was wrong! I am completely in love with this fragrance. It is powdery and only slightly sweet - the violet and iris work perfectly in this composition. Powdery without being cloying or overwhelming. Soft without being a skin scent. This one has projection and is long-lasting (for me). But I don't feel I am overly perfumed or obvious about it. It sort of strikes that balance between clean and professional + soft and feminine. The dry down is a pleasant muskiness - but I find that the iris lingers long. . . Love it!

Sweet violet, lipstick, powder, and heady florals. What more could a girl want? I can’t think of many other fragrances that make me feel this feminine and elegant. This perfume is seriously dreamy. It’s somewhere between Apres L’ondee and Narciso Poudree - vintage but incredibly wearable. noticeable, but not overpowering. I just find myself sniffing it over and over. I would say this is a great springtime scent because it’s so light and fresh, but really this could be a signature as well. I certainly would wear it any time of year.

The Favourite is a portrait of understated power, a fragrance I instantly loved the first time I sprayed it. The delicate charm of violet and freesia opens the composition, a subtle prelude to the poised softness of mimosa and the regal powderiness of iris at its heart. The base, composed of creamy sandalwood and clean musk, anchors the fragrance with a quietly confident depth .. never overwhelming, always composed. The Favourite is an olfactory signature of grace, luxury, and opulence. – Bhavna Darira Chesan

A lovely delicate feminine wisp of a perfume, bringing to mind a lady doing her makeup in a fluffy dressing gown at a traditional vanity. Not a big performer - it retreats to virtually a skin scent after a few hours - but it lasts a deceptively long time in that mode. I sprayed at around 10am at as of 8pm, can still detect a faint sweet smell on the skin. Pleasant and discrete. For those who like this sort of profile, I could see it suiting both daytime and evening wear, and most climates as well.

I love this! It's girly, but a woman can wear it. It's soft, floral with sugar-sweetness. It makes me feel youthful and full of promise. When I first spray it I sometimes smell an herbal note --maybe a touch of dill, but then it goes away and you smell the powdery violet, iris and mimosa floral notes. The Favourite smells like pink fluffy, sugar flowers on top of a cake and I adore it. The dry-down is also so soft and wonderful. The pink bow and packaging matches this fragrance to a T.

It’s hard not to love this fragrance. I adore powdery cosmetic scents, with Violet and Iris being some of my favourite notes. The Favourite is the perfect sweet pink powder puff kissing a rosy Victorian cheek. I’m detecting a sort of clay-like undertone up close on skin, which I adore but may be an acquired taste. I may be biased as a lover of this house but The Favourite is truly the one for me. Plus, how can you not love the gorgeous little potion bottle.

Oh my god, this is sexy. It reminds me of JPG's Scandal by Night, sans the dark cherry note. It's brighter and sweeter but still substantial. It creeps like a floral ambergris cloud and is so impeccably well-blended that I only catch whiffs of jasmine, freesia, and violet notes here and there. Of course, the ambergris-esque and musk dry down is heavenly. Longevity is great, and sillage is arm's length. This is a great Penhaligon addition.

This is such a lovely perfume! If you like powdery, musky fragrances, it is easy to fall in love with The Favourite. This is a bouquet of powdery flowers; mimosa and violet are the stars of the show - at least on my skin. Soft musk and creamy sandalwood in the base complement the whole composition. The Favourite smells sweet, powdery, 'fluffy' and so 'pink' but never juvenile. Maybe it's not the most complex perfume, but still beautiful.

This is a beautiful fragrance, floral and powdery. Very feminine, non-offensive, elegant and well behaved. There's a sort of innocence about The Favourite which is projected through the beautifully blended notes. The words that come to mind are: candid, innocent, girly, feminine, classy, classic, Spring, country cottage garden, a refreshing cup of Earl grey tea under a white-flower pergola. It leans more feminine, suitable for all ages.

I got this perfume from my boyfriend and it became my signature scent without me even noticing it. I emptied a bottle within the year and rebought it immediately. It's a compliment getter and together with Lipstick Rose, the fragrance that made me aware that I'm really into powdery violette notes. It's also very niche where I live, so you're bound to be the only one wearing it wherever you are, which is a plus imo.

This one oozes feminity and elegance. One of my favorite fragrances that I own. I had a small bottle from a set, and instantly knew that I wanted a big bottle. I get compliments, nonstop, every time I wear it. Even without the compliments, it just makes me feel happy. I'd definitely buy a back up. The sillage is great and the longevity last about 6 hr on my skin and stay until laundry on my clothes.

I don't understand the hate (3.8). It's almost identical, if not better blended as Narciso Poudree which gets 4.1 rating! These two are not only comparable, they are almost the same to an untrained nose. Is it the difference in price range? The slightly overpriced Penhaligon's could be rubbing people the wrong way, perhaps? I, for one, love Favourite! It's just a pink cloudy fluffy feel-good bliss!

one of the best perfumes I ever had ,extremely classy elegant even regal and feminine . every time I wear it i get highly complimented , and asked where I got this perfume it starts off very violet and flowery but yet powdery , the dry down brings out the musk and ambroxan which gives it a very long lasting effect , and hovers around you perfectly. not too powerful but yet has a very nice presence

Soft, sweet, tender. Light and powdery scent. As mentioned by other reviews it does have a sharp opening, the mandarin is stunningly fresh and on me it doesn't last long. It immediately softens to give way to violets and iris. Once dry, musk and violet are all I smell. It's a delightful perfume if you're into powdery scents that don't have a strong presence and the bottle is just ADORABLE.

A lovely fragrance. On my skin the mimosa is a little tart at first, but within 30 minutes it dries down to a beautiful slightly sweet floral powder. Of the 9 fragrances I've sampled this week, this one got the strongest positive reaction from my husband; on the first day he nuzzled me multiple times and told me he liked my perfume. I think that means it's worth a full bottle.

Coming back again to say this is my signature now oh my gosh- it’s that good. I’ve never smelled anything like this anywhere it’s so unique. There’s something minty about this in the best way. Creamy mint flowers and baby powder. So much powder. Lasts so long too! My beloved signature, I will never drop you!

Starts very sweet and feminine, and fades to a really pleasant powdery floral scent. Definitely one of my favorite penhaligon's scents I have tried so far. Totally unfounded claim but I feel like this perfume reminds me of a ballerina. Gentle floral smell, excellent spring scent, would absolutely purchase.

This is one of those rare fragrances where every note listed can be smelled distinctly. It’s also one of my favorite Penhaligon’s, although I rarely wear it myself — it’s just very well done. For freesia and yellow florals I prefer Chanel Beige, which is emotionally similar minus the powder and ambroxan.

One of my all time faves. The smell is addictive. I think it’s very reminiscent of delina but with a more fresh, violet twist. It’s delicate, feminine and long lasting and I think it’s the perfect signature scent for someone who loves rose/ floral scents with a softness.

Like smelling the cleanest, most expensive and most elegant baby wipe. The bathroom of your wealthy extended family member with fancy soap and clean, fluffy towels. Familiar and cozy matched with refinement. Not for everyone but I love this

The Favourite is now one of my favourites. The scent is so comforting just like the embrace of a mother. It is also very unique.Lasts on my skin for 3-4 hours. My husband also loves it on me as it is mild and pleasant to the nose.

Es un perfume de una verdadera princesa. Suave, sofisticado, de dama, fino, conservador y armonioso. Lo amo! ♡ Es una joya desde el frasco hasta el perfume, es muy único, diferente a todo lo que hasta ahora conocí.

Beautifully blended, beautifully crafted. It’s a soft, girly perfume. Opens with fresh freesias, dries down to a very well combined mix of violets, iris and mimosa. Delightful, coquettish, fun but safe.

This is a beautiful, feminine, floral, "coquette" and inoffensive scent. The dry down is so powdery and refreshing, but more skin-like. Definitely considering buying full-size.

Sweet violet, clean scent. Feels like a bright morning. Not too strong or overpowering, it's like a powdery sugared violet petals. I absolutely love it.

smells like pale pink ribbons and tulle, high tea at blenheim palace, gardens with hedge mazes, peach powder rooms with gold vanity tables

This has a very pleasant smell, until it hit me that it smells just like a laundry softener, so I can just buy the softener instead?

Princess vibes! Creamy, light floral. So pretty. I could see myself enjoying this at age 5 and as a future senior citizen.

I really wanted to like this but it was headache inducing for me, and I had to wash it off.

I love it. The over the top bottle is how it smells, silly gorgeous.

This is what I believe Marie Antoinette would have smelled like

the performance is very weak but i love this scent so much

the menthol herbal atmosphere makes it good

Smelled this several times now and I feel like I need to do at least a few wear tests before I can form a full opinion to this, but for now I am not really as enthusiastic as I hoped I'd be. As a lover of the powder/iris/violet combinations, I had hoped to love this. The bottle is gorgeous. But that's about it for me. It is not bad: It's a perfectly fine perfume, but it does not smell special to me at all. It gives more freshness and 'regular' floral than it gives that beautiful powdery iris & violet combination for me. Then again, maybe my hope were too specific as I already like quite some other fragrances with the same sort of DNA and was hoping for something that this fragrance simply doesn't bring. UPDATE: I have done wear tests now and I do think this is a really lovely fragrance. It's beautifully feminine/princess-y and very floral. But I just do not think this fragrance, to me, smells anything like how it is described? I do not detect powdery violet at all. It's giving me citrus and florals with a wood base. Beautiful, but not as described. Also, I am not sure if this to me is worth the price of a full bottle, and I really wanted it to as this bottle is just so incredibly elegant and it'd look lovely in my collection. This is a lovely fragrance, but I believe there are much better options available for this price point. The performance isn't really great either, which makes sense considering the scent profile but I needed about 7 sprays to get this to project even slightly, which means a bottle of this probably would not last very long.

On the few occasions I have gone into a Penhaligon's store, The Favourite seems to be their go-to recommendation. The fact that it is an understated crowdpleaser is most likely the reason for this, rather than it reflecting my personality in any way. It is so safe that it is dull, despite being a reasonably pleasant, good-quality scent. Iris is one of my favourite notes, but it is barely detectable here. TF is a sheer, powdery floral, sweet and airy, just about managing to not appear thin. The mimosa is sweet and powdery but isn't as rounded as I'd like. Some soft violet joins it, marrying well with the mimosa, being equally sweet and powdery. The slightly aquatic white florals follow, sweet and slightly wan. Clean musk permeates this scent, and it fades to an ambroxan skin scent, sweet, soft and musky until final fade. Sillage is intimate and longevity is moderate at a push. It is a feminine spring/summer daytime scent. A light, inoffensive powdery floral, TF is nothing exciting, but is a good subtle feminine scent, but is overpriced for what it is. Far from being my Favourite, but not bad. 3/5.

To me, this perfume smells of parma violets and freesias, plus a powdery soapiness. It is feminine, quite pretty, and I would say relatively classic. A pleasant, powdery daytime scent; not too distinctive but I quite like it. It's cute, without being childish. However, when I got into the car with my husband, he remarked: "wow, you smell lovely. What perfume is that??" He doesn't usually notice such things, which I remarked upon, but he said it smelled so unique it turned his head straight away. Goes to show how subjective perfume is! I think its projection is pretty good, although I am less convinced about its staying power. I love Penhaligon's as a perfumery and I will happily finish the 5ml sample. But will I purchase it again given its price tag? No. Penhaligon's has plenty of offerings which are more distinctive and spellbinding than this, in my view.

I like this. It's a nice, clean, shampoo-like floral with an interesting herbal edge to it. I almost smell something spicy or bitter, maybe just some sort of sharpness, but I'm not sure what. That note, whatever it is, makes this perfume more mature and sets it apart from others. It reminds me of Glossier You in a way, but they're not actually that similar-- maybe it's just the iris? Either way, it's very pretty. However I do find it to be overpriced. I bought a 10ml travel size secondhand, and while I like it, and I don't see myself repurchasing the full size. I get the feeling that this could be duped, or at least that plenty of other perfumes share the same vibe. I wouldn't make it my signature fragrance, but I can see it being an easy go-to for spring or summer. I recommend trying a sample or a small bottle before purchasing the full size.

There's something endearingly innocent about this fragrance. Not childish or youthful, just... clean. I'm getting parma violets, bubble baths, cream and sugar. A statement floral fragrance without being too intense or overbearing. The thing I find really impressive about The Favourite is that I don't feel it has an "age" or even a "place". I think you could be in your late teens and enjoy it, or well into your 80s and still enjoy it. Wear it on a date, wear it to the office, wear it to bed! Could just be my own bias talking but this definitely feels like a universal fragrance to me. Though this won't be the bottle I run to buy first, that's not to say I won't be the proud owner of one in the future! It joins the pile of other scents from this house that, for the time being, I think I's be content just having the 10ml travel size to hand.

Pleasantly surprised by this one. I'm usually not big on powder, but this one is a powder done right. It's very subtle, like the scent trail of a woman who just took a bath and powdered herself with a scented puff. The mandarin is strong at first spray, but it settles back into a pillow of mimosa, iris, and violet within a minute or two. I am a little surprised there is no rose in this; maybe it's just a psychological effect of the pink bottle. It's elegant and soft, definitely a spoiled young lady who still has a lovely and gentle personality vibe. Like a princess who is friends with the birds who come to the window of her tower. It feels refined and well-composed, even if the performance leaves something to be desired. I would get a travel size for those days I'm feeling sumptuously sedentary. 8/10.

I'm confused by the reviews here. On my skin, The Favourite is a pretty, elegantly composed blend of violet, freesia, mimosa, and jasmine--those four flower components stand out really clearly--in a way that feels much less indistinct and boring than most mixed floral scents. Definitely powdery insofar as violet is powdery, but not powdery for its own sake, with the mimosa adding warmth/roundness, the jasmine making the violet feel a bit more grown-up with better posture than usual, and the freesia lifting everything a bit. The sandalwood reinforces the jasmine's role and makes the whole thing a bit more interesting. I'm not much into florals, but if it weren't for the rather obnoxious and overdone ambroxan/musk underpinning the whole thing, I'd love this.