Tralala

Meadham Kirchhoff, the eccentric duo who were once the darlings of London Fashion Week with their kooky good-girl-gone-bad and bad-boy-gone-good presentations that echoed the sheer vim and verve of early John Galliano tableaux, commissioned this as their signature house scent; prior to this they had been saturating their theatrical sets with other Pengaligon’s Fragrances, literally misting their venues from gardener’s spray bottles filled with Hammam Bouquet (their favourite Penhaligon’s fragrance). Their influence has outlasted their brand, much to the chagrin of many a British fashion follower - you see it in heaps on the Gucci catwalk now, and their putting boys in streetwear overlaid with embroidered tulle dresses or broderie Anglaise predated all the current furor for less aggressive male dressing that still maintains a degree of wearability Only maybe a handful of intrepid Japanese menswear designers ever moored their ships on that ethereal coastline of the Lolita-boys before they did. So you see, in light of my sheer admiration of them as designers, my review may already be the biased one of a rabid fanboy. But Tralala truly is a wonderful perfume by a great creator. Like Meadham Kirchhoff’s refined Gothic Lolita confections, this scent evokes a perversity beneath its prim powdered demeanour. The booze does hit you right off the bat, but a bright quality whiskey garlanded by Fantin-Latour blooms - unfussy, masterstrokes of translucency. For a moment the gourmand associations hit you along with the whiskey: Parma violets, pastel-hued bonbons and butterscotch. But the leather and musks with the delicious girlishness of deftly-used saffron rein it back in from Marie Antoinette territory and bring forth scenes of a Prohibition-era speakeasy, cheap booze laced with a dry sweetness and the effulgence of Shalimar and cigarette smoke in the air. It’s been said before by other reviewers, but there definitely is a tribute to early Guerlain in this, and yet it is a thoroughly modern reworking of the 20s. Spray this on if you have the good fortune to find it (it’s been discontinued) and play ‘My Name Is Tallulah’ from Bugsy Malone, recline as decadently as you can, and let Tralala take you places before it peters out into a shy musky violet wisp, the kind you wouldn’t mind smelling on fresh sheets. As for that packaging, it’s a small wonder Penhaligon’s let them go to town on that almost ridiculous velvet bow and music box presentation; it stuck out joyously from all the other prim little bow ties in their boutique. This is the perfume that drew me away from my usual love of ‘manly’ orientals and woods and I am sad that it went the way of the Meadham Kirchhoff label. But perhaps, some things are too good to drag on forever.

Love it! Triggers so many childhood memories of various dolls and dolls theatres. I grew up in Germany & Austria where we had tons of creative outlets in form of dolls theatres. The arguably most popular one was "Kasperle" with his crocodile friend. This scent creation (courtesy of the ever-imaginative genius that is Msr Duchaufour) triggers all these early childhood memories for me. It is an olfactory rollercoaster, a fairground, a carroussel of memories, experiences, songs and rhymes, seasoned with all things edible and memorable and gourmand: Toffee Apples, Crème brûlée with that crackling bittersweet almost burnt sugar topping, Hot Treacle over ice-cream, Toffee, and those chocolates on grandmother's Christmas tree filled with alcohol (=whiskey) that you were not supposed to have....but you had it anyways. It's almost as if the two protagonists (the Caspar and the Crocodile) represent the good=chocolate and the bad=alcohol, yet you like them both for one is sweet and the other one is dangerous and forbidden (so much for the psychoanalysis and early conditioning, but I digress). Love the boozy opening with the aldehydes and chocolatey, caramely, whiskey notes that jump right at you like a Caspar doll out of a gift box upon opening. Followed by some bittersweet violet, the tuberose gives it subtle, white floral sweetness, the saffron gives it spice and the carnation the bitter, pungent, nutty base. The musk comes like a slow rising fog and takes over, confusing the story (like a shift in plot) and throws it all around once more to create suspense....until we celebrate a happy ending with a smoldering and bittersweet, still boozy, warm vanilla. A round of applause, please! 10/10 for story-telling. 8/10 for scent. Great for fall/ winter. Perfect gift for someone who works/ loves the theatre. Gourmand, woody, musky oriental.

Beautiful. Amazing parfum and complex! It will take time to understand it, and absorb it for good .. but it is something wonderfully strange and nostalgic. Transports me in a ancient times, in a theater, the nineteenth-century music, but after a while everything is turned upside down and carries me in an amazing place, as an Luna-Park full of roller coasters, fun, sugary sweets,candy... antique dolls etc ... it's almost as if I carry in "the land of toys" holding me here for a while, before getting it back again at the beginning ... transports you in a way a little "drunk" is a perfume .... crazy, with the note of whiskey that keeps the other notes in the background. The aldehydes were a touch of genius in this composition, B.Dutchfour is a great artist .. every note has assigned its rightful place, everything is in constant motion, everything changes and returns .. it is something magical !! advice for "expert noses" .. is a very complex fragrance .. to me it will take days to figure out ... although I already know that will become part of my collection .. Council use in Autumn/Winter because it makes it much better .. (It would be a nice Christmas day). Fascinating and intriguing, Tralala - fancy name that leaves room for interpretation,evokes well the mutual influence between glamor and the retrospective vision privileged by Meadham Kirchhoff. Can not miss Tralala .. I hit me. I see many "Dislike" which honestly do not understand .. how can you not love this perfume ?? it's wonderful. The sillage is great, (6 feet) with 3 spray and longevity huge (12 + h) of me .. Just a few sprays to last many hours .. go easy :). [◣The curtain closes◢] This composition deserves a big round of applause ... !! ♛ Highly recommended! Sillage: 8.5/10 Longevity: 9/10 Scent: 10/10 Overall: 10/10

Tralala is a rich, dense, creamy perfume which reminds me of Chanel No 5 and JPG Classique. The scents themselves are very different, but al three evoke images of plush velvet theater seats, the deep reddish brown of a Stradivarius violin, the scent of ancient dry wooden beams, glamourous cloting, champagne, whiskey and rich foods. All three have a different character, No 5 sips a glass of fizzy champagne, Classique nibbles on orchid flavoured white chocolate and Tralala enjoys an exceptional single malt. It's the richness, the opulence and feeling of luxury that they have in common. Tralala opens with a beautiful boozy whiskey note which has the woody undertone of great single malt. Aldehydes add a little sparkle and saffron lifts the whole composition to the next level. Then it's all about the vanilla-leather mix which is draped over the whiskeywood. The leather has a bit of a rubbery facet, which is tempered, but not masked, by the vanilla. There's also something bitter, vetiver or patchouli maybe. Saffron remains throughout the fragrance to give it a quirky twist. Yes, this fragrance is a tiny bit weird, but also strangely familiar. It breaths both sofistication and decandence, which is a rare combination. I love it for nights out, but also for nights in on the couch with a book and a cup of tea. Or a glass of single malt of course.

It's a shame that Penhaligon's are not going to continue this perfume. In my mind its an amazing underrated creation. I purchased it around Christmas of 2014 and thought it was really well suited to party situation. I love the crazy, zany madness of this perfume. It goes through so many interesting stages. Its such an interesting journey. The opening hits you hard with Whisky. The Iris comes through later and reminds me very much of Penhaligon's Iris Prima. I like how this perfume in many ways has been overloaded with notes and yet they all seem to work together and come through so well at various stages. There are some clashes this creation. There is a refinement which at time battles with the more playful elements in this creation. I agree with many that there is a smell of bon bon's or sugary sweets. Writing this review has made me want to spray myself with this perfume once again and be taken on the amazing journey this fragrance offers. I would advise people to try.