The Ruthless Countess Dorothea

The marketing is amusingly correct on this one: this is a rich middle-aged white lady smell. The amusing part is the way the scent marketing posits her as a grand mysterious dame of old. Cashmere, white wine, and the herbs-and-honey background scent of her house? Please. Dorothea is a contemporary countess. She won't poison your tea, but she will shoot dagger eyes at you across the PTA meeting and give you a big fake plastic smile as she shows you around one of those big taupe American houses with the wannabe-McMansion aesthetic. She is the perfect archetypal character of the powerful and ruthless countess of old made contemporary, which I think is hilarious and brilliant. Hats off to Penhaligon's for the story this one tells. Though that might sound cynical, Dorothea is genuinely a very comforting fragrance with a genius note pyramid. The notes are all distinguishable, but blended together well, and each is selected towards a stack of scents that both symbolically and aesthetically work together in a way that is nothing short of art. She is warming in a way that is airy and breathable, but also a bit cloying and dusty, like lying in a patch of sun on an old carpet floor as a child in your parents' bedroom, relishing the warm spot in a house kept a few degrees below a comfortable temperature. You crush as much of your skin as possible into that carpet floor to soak up all the warmth you can, even as you can feel the creeping ick of all that dust tickling you all over. That's the duality of comfort and unease that Dorothea serves up. As she opens the door and invites you into her home, you're hit by a few different scents simultaneously. In the first hour or two, you're enchanted by a sweet treat she's been baking in her oven: thin, crispy gingersnap cookies, with plenty of cinnamon and the gentlest, mildest hint of ginger. The spices are mild and sweet, mellowed out by the process of baking. The aroma of cinnamon gingersnaps wafts all around you in the kitchen as you turn around and peer into the dining room, sensing another scent... The wine! Some sprigs of sage are subtly hidden in the artful decor of the room, and the dining room table holds a beautiful uncorked bottle of white wine, with two glasses beside it. The wine has already been poured. It is for you. The sight of just those two glasses on that long white table sends chills down your spine, though you can't say why. The subtle scent of fine white wine -- not of drunkenness or of perfume alcohol, but of wine, uncorked -- floats around you, intertwining itself with the slightly smoky scent of springs of sage. Has a candle been burning? There will be candles, tonight. The texture of the fragrance throughout, and particularly within the first 2-3 hours, is strongly shaped by cashmeran. This smells strongly and convincingly of a cashmere sweater, which really makes up the body of the confident-rich-lady effect the storytelling pulls off here. It feels delicious, wealthy, and substantial, with living, breathing texture to grab onto and breathe in. This whole big house, too clean, too shiny, too pristinely laid as if it were a trap, it all seems reflected in that fine beige or gray cashmere sweater, and in the hints of aromas that cashmere oh-so-easily picks up. Someone was here before you. Someone will be here afterwards. On me, Dorothea is, at her heart, a beeswax scent, a little cloying and dirty and sickly-sweet, with absolutely delicious edges of yerba mate accentuating the grounded facets of the honey and wax and keeping the sweetness from floating off to cupcake land. Beeswax fascinates me; I think it is one of the loveliest scents in the world, but it is also a little too much for me in its thorough, cloying, biting sweetness, like a grape or a chocolate that bites at the back of your throat as you swallow, too sweet, not in an airy perfumey way, but in a grounded and surrounding way that can feel a little suffocating. This works in the favor of the world Dorothea creates: it's a little too sweet in a way that's sinister, but oh, it's so beautiful, in a way that is mature, that takes up the space it deserves, that knows what it wants and guns for it. This is the room scent of fine artisanal candles that burn here every night, and a hint of the tea that Dorothea brews herself the next morning, when the ritual is done, as she scans her planner from Marshall's for the next PTA meeting or soccer game, filing her nails and smiling to herself. I don't gatekeep fragrances based on demographics like gender and age, and I personally tend to hew towards more mature, powerful scents, but the character of Dorothea is constructed so precisely that even I do not know if I can pull her off with my personality. I may be the thrifted-cashmere-sweater-loving "mom friend", but something about this feels genuinely older than I am now, in a way that I can both poke fun at and simultaneously secretly admire and wish for. The most challenging notes for me in this regard are the undeniably rich and mature cashmere as well as the spices, which start to lean generic-pumpkin-spice at some moments of the drydown. Nevertheless, I will enjoy the comfort of my sample, and decide from there whether I am someone who can wear her properly. She really is lovely, and the storytelling of this one really entertains me. Above all, she is comforting, but there is something sinister in her power that I find absolutely delightful. The projection leans towards being intimate from the very beginning — this is no beast mode fragrance — but it's still very usable and respectable. A subtle volume suits the fragrance well. It makes you dig for all those mysterious subtleties as it transitions through its various delicious stages. The performance is moderately acceptable as well, with Dorothea lasting some 8 hours, clinging faintly but distinctly to the body through much of that time, and leaves a barely-there trace of spices on skin for several hours more. Her whispers are self-assured and powerful. I tell myself she is not for me, that she is not right for me, that she's too fickle and grand in her tastes, too pricey and high-maintenance, and yet... I keep waking up hearing her calling my name from a dream again.

Edit: Since writing the review below I’ve had covid, and now this smells really strongly of warm spice. And not much else. I really could smell more lemon and vanilla before, but now it’s just warm spice all the way. Smells more like Shalimar Philtre than Lira to me now, although it’s much spicier. It’s crazy how everyone’s smell is just slightly different! When I smelled this I knew I’d smelled it before, but couldn’t place it for awhile, probably because it reminds me of something I’d never associate with this. Lira by Xerjoff. Now they are not the same, and not dupes at all. However, Dorothea has a citrus, cinammon, vanilla opening, exactly the same as Lira, only not as sweet. As Dorothea dries down the ginger and other drier, more aromatic spices (sage and mate I guess) become more prominent, and the similarity to Lira begins to widen. It becomes aromatic (which Lira is definitely not!) but still has a caramel sweetness to it. If you find Lira just that bit too sweet try this. I’d even go as far to say it could be a masculine version of Lira. An aromatic citrus cinnamon spiced caramel. Although discontinued, it’s still available often in UK fragrance groups as Penhaligons had it as a prize in one of their games in mid 2021. I don’t get any wine, thankfully, and it projects and lasts fine on me, although possibly not as long as Lira which is ridiculous, but I’m happy with 6-7 hours. I tried it again, with more sprays, and this time I definitely get much more herbal beeswax. Like a cross between 4160 Tuesdays’Captured by Candlelight and the aforementioned Lira. With a huge helping of ‘spice drawer’. Edit: also a similar type of scent to Ani by Nishane, although not a dupe.

Dorothea has a spicy kick in the opening from a strong ginger note, aided also by cinnamon to my nose. A fleeting citrus note cuts through what could be an overwhelmingly spicy opening to some but this mellows somewhat over time. I was quite taken aback by it when I first got my bottle however, now I really love the spiced punch that this fragrance packs, especially when the weather gets cooler. I also get a honeyed herbal tea note and everything is wrapped in a beautiful gourmand vanilla which complements the gingery spice that lasts the entire duration of the fragrance. The resulting scent is very warm, very comforting and evokes deep feelings of nostalgia in me by making me envisage a very classic Christmas scene of decorating the tree in my favorite cozy sweater with my family as the sounds of laughter, children playing and Christmas carols fills my home, along with the mouthwatering aroma of ginger cookies baking in the oven. To me, this is Christmas in a bottle! I have a few bottles from the portraits collection and most of them have notoriously poor to just moderate performance, Dorothea is an exception. Performance was surprisingly good 5 - 6 hrs longevity with moderate projection and sillage. I find it to be a unisex gourmand fragrance but can see why it is marketed towards women. Side note, I also love that this bottle has a lid fashioned to look like an owl which is my chosen spirit animal. Definitely give this sniff if you can and don't be quick to write it off, Dorothea might surprise you as she did me!

The Countess was my first foray into the world of Portraits, and despite her sharing my Mother in laws name, I didn't hold it against her. I was actually matched on the Penhaligon's site with this as a sample, despite it being so far removed from my comfort zone it'd be akin to Bill Gates going to an Apple convention. I've since gone all in on Penhaligan's, much to my bank balances chagrin. I wasn't prepared for to fall in love with a woman, let alone THIS woman. She is seductive, playful and practically edible with her smoky cum vanilla cinnamon opening. Still swirling on dry down, sagey beeswax comes into play and it all blends absolutely divinely. I don't get the wine, the ginger is delicate and comes and goes, but this absolute belter of amber nectar is encompassed in the flacon she so rightly commands. I don't see her in cashmere, more in silk velvet. She may be ruthless, but she is also stunning and she'll dance all night and keep going the next day. Beautiful.

I have worn my sample twice (sample from the Aedes website) and I am getting a totally different experience with this beautiful DOROTHEA. Not quite ruthless but rather sweet and devilishly delectable. Without checking the notes, I applied and sniffed my wrist ... why am I getting a sweet chocolatey-orange liqueur? I decided to apply this gorgeous juice behind my ears and on my other wrist -- oh, goodness! The citrus is luscious and thickened by the vanilla, cinnamon and beeswax but it never gets heavy. Besides being the addictive nectar that it is, this one leaves a delightful scent on your skin way beyond the 8 hour mark. Edit: I now have a full bottle of this and I love it! It's going to be my Christmas scent this year as mix of the sweet notes and delectable spices smell quite festive to me.

Sweetness is the dominating theme of this perfume. It's not cocoa, vanilla type of gourmand sweetness but reminds me of the brown sugar sweetness in Equinox Bloom with a mild ginger oil and very light lime around the edges. It did not seem beeswaxy or winey or herbal unless it's around the edges.It's pretty good but I'm not sure it's complete. I would like there to be some more evolution beyond the sweetness. I only tested one spray on my hand so I will need to spray on my pulse points next time to get a better picture. It is rather unique since I have not encountered this type of sweetness before.

This is my favorite fragrance at the moment and I am enjoying every minute with it. It is like Christmas in the bottle, so warm, soothing, sweet-spicy, with liqueur-undertones. It does not change much during the day, the silage is noticeable, but delicate. This is a gourmand, that will not choke people around you. Cinnamon is prominent, the mate-note gives this scent a hint of freshness, the ginger is not sharp and does not turn into the dirty-warm mess, like in Twilly. It breaks my heart, hearing that this beauty can be discontinued.

This one gets majorly love from me. It's so meticulously blended that it becomes this hardcore 'indescribable' scent. A term I reserve for those that truly perplex me. Ginger, I guess, is truly the most detectable note although they all really are. This one is something that is made up mainly of accords, rather than individual notes that can be closely and intimately detected. Calvini actually describes it pretty perfectly. Except, I'd change the 'not bad' to 'bloody excellent'

Tested this one from a dab on sample and smelled it the next morning. Supreme longevity for such a mild and delicate fragrance. Easily unisex and the prices have dropped significantly so I would assume that more people are purchasing it now. The beeswax and spicy notes are very easy to detect which makes this gourmand but not over the top. Due to it's mildness it can be worn year round and just about any occasion.

I enjoy this quite a bit. My skin amplifies sweeter notes, and on me the tea/bergamot/honey/wine notes blend in a scent reminiscent of roobios and apples. There’s a hint of smoke here too—neither an acrid bonfire smoke nor a woodsy fireplace smoke— more like the delicate curling wisp of smoke from a candle. That and the well-blended spice keep the sweetness from becoming too cloying or childish.

This is English desserts served with my favourite Darjeeling tea (I know it is a weird combination). Highly unique. Very spicy. A bit fresh, a bit sweet, a bit gourmand, well-blended. It is just tantalisingly mouthwatering that it sent me to heaven every time I wore. Countess Dorothea is my true love, despite her ruthlessly poor sillage & longevity.

Dorothea doesn’t need to be the loudest, nor does she care to turn heads from miles away. The countess is delicately rich, sensual and ruthless indeed! To me, the DNA is extraordinary, androgynous, perfectly balanced and true to the notes, free of any cloying heaviness, and worth every penny! ✨

Shivers down my spine. I love it so much. I spray it mainly late afternoon and it comforts me. I've tried several other portraits and this one can't be compared notably in longevity. It's a beautiful warm spicy vanilla. It's worth a try if you love that kind of scents

There once was a ruthless young countess Dorothea by name, she cried Oh, bless! One wants me on one's side When out for a ride Or there'll be trouble ahead, a faiblesse!

A delicious and refine scent. Not overly sweet. The perfume balanced beautiful between sweetness and spiciness.

I think I'd love this as a home fragrance - it's a few degrees too sweet for me to personally want to wear (I've been enjoying wearing the sample out, but at £185 for the full size anything less than a perfect fit would be a mistake) but I think it'd be a really lovely, inviting and warm scent for a candle, or as a mist to make fresh bedlinen feel even cozier in the winter. It is a really masterful and unique scent though - all the notes they claim to be there are distinctly noticeable, and it definitely changes throughout the day: initially a huge wave of spices, especially the tingly ginger-lime note, before the sage and sweet beeswax and boozy cashmeran skin scent (though the ginger and sage are detectable in the skin scent too - there's definitely ginger from start to finish, although it settles from the really sharp, hot (kind of a 'thai curry') smell with the lime at the start into a sweeter gingerbread later on. It's definitely very special and interesting - I honestly wish that either it fit me a little more, so I could justify saving up for a bottle as a signature scent rather than simply because it interests me, or that they would release more products with this fragrance - I'd happily spend around £40 on a candle that could fill my home with this bewitching scent for hours on end.

This smells like absolutely nothing I have smelled before, I see people comparing this to other gourmands scents that I have sampled, and my immediate thought is...NOPE! This is stunning and incredibly unique. To my nose, it smells like a delicious chai latte with honey and cinnamon served with warm freshly baked gingerbread cookies. The scent is inspired by afternoon tea, and Penhaligon's did such an outstanding job capturing the essence of such an experience. I only wish they offered an extrait/extreme version, because this scent is so light, with a small scent bubble, no sillage, no projection, and no lasting power. After about 30 minutes it becomes a skin scent that you're only going to smell in intimate situations such as hugging. So you really need to spray generously and reapply often. My absolute favorite from this collection!

Sweet, Caramel, Toffee .. those were initial thoughts. Its not the suffocating sweet perfume. On the contrary, sweet in a mild why. Might be because of the Ginger and Lime. I think what makes this perfume a success, moderation. Notes do not overwhelme each other. They work together. The perfume is more on the feminine side.

my first thought upon spraying it: sugar and spice! Not sugar in the sense of sickly sweetness, but more like a ginger and cinnamon cookie of medium sweetness level. Very interesting choice for autumn and winter, but both the projection and lasting power are disappointing (and considering its high full retail price...)

Dorothea is really nice (and sweet and totally the opposite of cruel) but looking for a reason to justfiy the price tag...hopefully I can substitute, currently marketed at 260 , there must be something out there at a realistic price?

The opening is a bit cloying and makes you regret on the good money you have spend on this perfume BUT be patient, cause dry down woths every penny. İ suggest you all to spray this 30 mins before leaving the house.

Smells quite masculine- not sweet at all- almost bitter. Definitely a black tea with ginger but not sweetened and more ginger than tea.

Sweet, modern, vanilla in the background. I don't seem to get the spices etc. I love the name, but the the scent was meh for me

I thought I would like it before I went to the store and smelled but in fact I don't. To be accurate I dislike it. Countess Dorothea is the mother of Lord George and indeed she smells like a decisive wise old lady. It is definitely not for young girl.

On me this is thin, sharp, and cheap smelling. I adore spicy scents, glad I tested it, as this one doesn't work. I honestly can't tell which note or notes is causing the issue, the whole thing is too muddled and confused on my skin.

@ambergeese I find many reviews quite fascinating. i’d like to share some insights with you. Perfume, as an old factory art form, transcends the boundaries of race ethnicity. It serves as a universal means of self expression, appreciated by individuals from diverse backgrounds and cultures. This perfume has a Sicilian name attached to it. Making your review insensitive. Fragrance choices are deeply personal, reflecting, unique, preferences, and experiences. By embracing the diverse tapestry of perfume enthusiast, we can gain a richer understanding of the intricate connections between scent, culture, and individual identity. Cultivating an inclusive mindset, enables us to appreciate the nuances and complexities of fragrance as they intersect with various races and ethnicities. It all allows us to celebrate the beauty of diverse perspectives, fostering an environment of intellectual growth and cultural appreciation. So, let us embark on a journey to explore the captivating world of fragrance together, appreciating its intricate nuances and the myriad of ways it intertwines with our shared human experience.

Wonderful caramel/toffee, edible deliciousness in a bottle. Great scent for a lady who is preparing to go out for lunch and who just happened to finish baking her trademark traditional cinnamon cookies which she aims to give to her friends as a Christmas gift. This to my nose is a gourmand scent, but not sickly sweet, not even sweet just perfect. It starts just little bit aromatic, maybe the sage is very noticeable in the first 5-7min but that quickly settles down and then all ingredients well blended appears at once. Very Christmas-y, cinnamon biscuits and toffee and Earl Grey tea with a bit of milk in it. Yummy. I was raving recently about Stephanie (de Monaco) the perfume to be returned on the market and bumped into this. Now, I don't really care if Stephanie will come back, this is as similar enough. Gorgeous, in my next to buy list. Is this for a ferocious matriarch? Hm, I don't know, really, I find it suitable for age group 25 years old ladies and beyond that age, definitely. Personal choice, obviously. Penhaligon's, please do never discontinue this fragrance! p.s. I couldn't wait, I got it.

IMPRESSIVE! CAPTIVATING! Ginger, white wine, cinnamon, honey, mate, and hints of sage. The lime is supporting the white wine somehow to give that sour boosting as the ginger helps with that sharpness effect. I believe there is vetiver as well, not the dirty but the mild. This is very captivating! As i never thought that Penhaligon's would ever going to impress me anymore! and i was wrong, dead wrong! this is quite solid, and very unique! Edit (3rd Jan 2018) This is like lemon lime tart with mild sweetness and tasteful sourness. Very interesting.

It's been 11 years since my last review. My taste in perfume has significantly changed from cute girl to classy woman. Countess Dorothea is the best transition I've ever made. It's elegant, powerful, and sweet but not overbearing. It's seductive, mysterious, and regal. It was love at first sniff. I don't understand why this isn't a popular choice. It truly is a gem. Let's keep this our secret then! 😄

I have only a dab sample. Oh how I wish I could spray it!!! {mental note; in future where possible get samples which spray} Anyhow, clary sage and bergamot are a couple of my fave smells, and this scent contains both. Not in spades, mind you, but still present. This scent,is soft, suitable for the Office or a Summer Garden Party/ Wedding. This perfume is going on my' must try in spray form list'

I found this to be quite smoky haven’t spent much time with it, I was just curious about it as I visited an Outlet Penhaligons boutique today and this scent was discounted from its usual price of £188 to £57, usually the outlet boutiques do not carry the Portraits Collection, this fragrance is being discontinued that’s why it’s been placed into a sale!

I don't know what's mate tea tasted like and for me Ruthless Countess Dorothea smelled like delicious flavoured black tea. A tea perfume like dessert, a youthful and next door good girl than the name suggested an old and hard to get along with lady. And don't know why this has a portrait with the owl. Maybe RCD is for everybody's young golden dream.

-Opens with a blast of cinnamon. -Dry down: vanilla/ ginger cookie -Longevity: Low. Turns into a skin scent in 1 hour, but lingers overnight on clothing. -Projection: Low-Medium -The house of Penhaligon's makes perfumes that are EDT concentration at best imo. -So far, nothing from the house of Penhaligon's have managed to impress me. -Not fbw (-)

This smells very herbal, like sweet and sour tea, literally. Imagine making yourself a cup of spicy tea and putting lemon in it and it`s hot, so the steam comes to your nose and that`s what you smell. I havent smelled anything like it before,perfume wise. I dont know if I like it or if I would like to wear it. I am experimenting with it for now.

This smells EXACTLY like Unknown Pleasures by the House of Kerosene. So much so that I don't need a bottle of this, I already have Unknown Pleasures. The scent is amazing, but with Kerosene you get a better value for a huge 100ml bottle.

I have to agree with another reviewer- the sweet and savoury aspect of this fragrance is really unique. As it dries, The Ruthless Countess brings to mind a satisfying aperitif- it's all honeyed vanilla and lightly spiced fruits.

The combination of notes creates a strange sweet-savory—part Christmas pastry, part Indian cuisine—spice concoction. Not bad.

This is a gem! Very unique scent .