Zizonia

I have a real soft spot for Penhaligon's. The 150 year old house has deep historical roots and a long connection to British royalty. It's all very stuffy and dusty and posh -- in the best way! Zizonia (originally created in the 1930s) has a woody edge and spicy zing that I really like. It smells very classic but not dated. It's quite glamorous and carries a sort of Art Deco meets Old Hollywood vibe. Fur shawls, velvet coats, leather seats, carved cigarette holders -- you get the picture. I love heavy handed ginger notes if done well, and Zizonia does it well. With five other spices in the mix, you'd think this one would pummel you in the face, but it doesn't. The woody notes soften the edges, and the geranium heart makes it sparkle. It's an EDT so I didn't expect amazing longevity or sillage to begin with -- performance is indeed mediocre in those departments. Very little projection and the scent is detectable on the skin for 2-3 hours max. I adore the perfume though, and I got a great deal on price, so I'm very pleased overall with Zizonia.

If there ever were a Cartier Declaration Pour Femme, this would be what it would smell like. It's light and not as heavily spicy as Declaration can be. Cumin is non-existent. This is Ginger and Cardamom strong with mild herbs, citrus, and spice in the background. As is the case with the majority of Penhaligon fragrances, both performance and sillage are below average. It will not make it through an 8-hour workday, but will require a lunchtime refresher. I own multiple flankers of Declaration, and I own Epice Marine. I think while Zizonia does relate to Declaration, it doesn't smell like Epice Marine. Epice Marine has not only the salty cool marine notes, but a toasted cumin/floral opening. They are like cousins with a common grandparent, not siblings. While I compare Zizonia to a for women version of Declaration, it is unisex in spite of Fragrantica's categorization. That being said, I would love to smell this on a woman as I think it is well-mannered, but beckons one to discover it's underlying spicyness.

I've been coveting a few Penhaligon's fragrances based on their reviews, namely Elixir and Malabah. I hadn't smelled them, but thought they seemed like the best fit for me. I ended up winning them inexpensively on eBay, and threw in Zizonia because it was also inexpensive. Elixir is good. Malabah is a little more modern and mainstream than I was looking for. Zizonia? It's the real gem of the bunch. Classy without being dated. Doesn't smell synthetic. Nothing dominates. It's expertly blended. It's inoffensive, but not boring. Both my husband and I can wear it. I've only tried it in cold weather, but it seems like it would wear well in any season. Zizonia was the surprise favorite of my Penhaligan's purchases, and I'm so grateful I decided to order it.

This is a good scent. I'm not going to go mad about it, Zizonia is good! A fresh opening leads into Creamy woods and gentle spice. I get mainly geranium, nutmeg and sandalwood, cardamom (in fact a range of spice) but it's a mixture of really well blended notes. That's the story of Penhaligon's complex but oh so simple, I wasn't surprised this was aimed at women because I felt a certain soft, powdered femininity from it... but don't be fooled I'd wear it. My girlfriend however thought it was too minimal and didn't like it...not gonna find it in her christmas stocking then! It didn't last on my skin though, and I don't just mean in the way that many from this house don't, I mean it's very soft and close to the skin from the start.

It’s like a ginger/cardamom heaven... like walking out of the elegant barber shop in 4th.arrondissement in Paris in late May, on a recently showered, now sunny, street where the scent of lavender lingers in front of some new-age-vintage cosmetic shop next to the florist with a green grosser on the opposite side of the street...blissfully spicy warm freshness in the air... This beauty is 101% unisex mildly leaning towards male spectrum... If you are a collector do not hesitate for a second but grab it ASAP and enjoy every drop...

Zizonia has that vibrant burst of spices and zesty citrus notes, which immediately makes you dream about faraway lands. It smells sophisticated and elegant. Old fashioned yet contemporary and timeless. Good for any occasions in my opinion. Although I have lot of frags in my collection, I keep coming back to this when I am unable to decide. 05.2024. as my mother smelled it the other day and tried to buy it for her own collection, we just realized it is not formally in Penhaligon's lineup anymore. That's a shame!

I love Zizonia. I was wearing it to dinner with a friend, who said, 'you smell how I imagine the art deco apartment of a glamorous film star, like Marilyn Monroe to have smelt'. I could smell what he meant , there is something opulent and glamorous about it. But to me, it smells exactly as Penhaligons describes it themselves. Its freshness conjures rain on desert sands, and satchels filled with dried fruits,and spices swaying from the camel train. I looooove it!

I managed to stumble upon a 2017 bottle for next to nothing on a webshop — and this fragrance is absolutely incredible! It instantly reminds me of Silver Mountain Water and Mefisto. On my skin, the ginger and lavender really dominate the scent, leading into a beautiful vetiver- and earthy patchouli-based drydown. The opening is a bit sharp and citrusy for the first few minutes, but it fades quickly. I paid around $50 for 100 ml — unbeatable deal

This is divine. It's the best Penhaligons and probably my favourite fragrance overall. Creamy, spicy, fresh. Its light and refreshing. I like how refined and interesting it is. There are a lot of notes and each is balanced perfectly. Really pleasant to wear.

Based on notes, i was worried it to be like Estee Lauder Youth-dew beast, but this is so much better. My love at 1st sniff - tender, not too loud nor silent, well blended and sofisticated. I'd adress it to inteligent, self confident person.

Zizonia is zingy and warm, very original as per usual with Penhaligon's. I like the spices, the citruses and woods ... if made as a dressing by a Chef, I'll give it 5 stars because is masterly blended to work very well all together.

Fresh but spicy, very refreshing like a cologne. My boyfriend describes it "like a knife to the head" so I don't wear it around him. It is sharp to me but not THAT sharp. Way to hyperbolize, babe!

Not feminie for me, though i like it. Fresh in the begginig, citrusy. The dry down is lighter and softer. I will wear it in summer, but i think my son will like it too.

This is another of the family that I would call "light woods," and initially I thought it was going to be very close to their Opus 1870. It's very subtle right out of the vial, with a similar sweet (but not sweetened?) cedar and some orange. It has just enough of the dry pencil-shavings to be a true, believable wood scent, without going overboard; it feels like the notes stay near the surface but I wouldn't call it shallow. It's like a vague shadow of Nicolai New York that has shed the heavier components. There's maybe a hint of bubblegum (frankincense?) in there but not enough to spoil it. I think that Zizonia retains discretely detectable wood and floral notes, while in Opus everything blends together into a transparent, uniform wall of scent. Unfortunately my nose got stuffed up halfway through this, so I may rewrite it later, but I also know that it's weak from previous trials, and that it possesses the same soft, powdery vibe that neuters a lot of their "masculine" offerings.

I really wanted to love this scent but it's so incredibly faint that I can hardly smell it. It's the first time in my life I get such a feeble performance from a well known brand. And it's really a pity because the scent is quite lovely: a beautiful but very original cologne, both fresh and spicy. I also get strong geranium vibes from it and a hint of vetiver. It's super dry, perfect for very hot weather and quite masculine, as others have pointed out. Forget about any type of projection: this is really subtle and stays close to the skin, before dissolving completely in a couple of hours. It's the only fault.

There is a picture in one of the books released by makeup artist Kevyn Aucoin, I forget if it was Making Faces or Face Forward, where a sooty-eyed and dark-lipped Kate Moss gives the camera a stern look that contrasts with the wealth of tiny curls exploding from underneath her headscarf (image search "Kate Moss Biba look" if you are curious). Indeed, Biba, the legendary London store that reinvented 1930's glam for the 1970's. She looks as if she is about to reach for the knife hidden in her boot if you take one more step, while at the same time maintaining an air of elegant detachment. That is Zizonia to me.

It's a really well done scent. Very dry, I don't know what note it is that gives it a high desert quality but it is distinctly dry. With its woody and spicy notes, it leans towards the typical masculine side and is very unisex. It sits close to the skin and I find myself reaching for it in the summer months.

Although marketed for women, I would say this is more masculine especially on the dry down when the base notes settle in. Also, though it says pepper is in the heart notes, the pepper is more prominent on the base notes when it settles down alongside the lavender. Good for day time wear. Overall rating: 7/10

I'm so underwhelmed with this scent. It's barely a skin scent within minutes. And, I find it more masculine than I'd prefer. I'm going to gift this to my son.

A blissfully smooth, wonderfully blended, aromatic and certainly androgynous scent. What I imagine a hairdresser’s husband to smell like. 🙂

Zizonia starts opulent and spicy but is not long lasting. IMO it is more a male scent. Try before you buy.

Disappointing sillage and longetivity

Zizonia was originally created in the 1930s and was relaunched after a reformulation in 2010. Even so, the fragrance still carries a certain old-fashioned character. The opening combines fresh citrus with the spiciness of ginger. Soon after, cardamom, lavender, bergamot, and vetiver appear. The transitions between stages are not very pronounced. Overall, the scent stays within a dry, fresh, spicy-woody profile. Longevity is quite short; it essentially behaves like a classic cologne. In my view, it leans more toward a masculine style. If you have ever been inside one of the old traditional barbershops in Europe, the atmosphere there often smells quite similar.

This is gorgeous but I'll admit that it leans slightly more on the masculine side (slight barbershop aroma). Easy grab! If you're into this scent but want something that's more unisex, Savoy Steam is a great option.

Dead ringer for Cartier Declaration. I only wish I knew that before buying Zizonia, that is way more expensive than the Cartier. I sort of like it, its a fresh cologne leaning 100% masculine, fresh and woody with a lot of cardamom nutmeg and vetiver all the way. Nice for summer, inoffensive frag. But nothing to write home about. I regret buying it for the low sillage and underwhelming (one hour max) longevity. Disappointing. Save your money and skip Zizonia!

Dry and spicy. Love at first sniff for me. Orangey and gingery, yum! Awesome opening but the drydown is just okay. -

This is a tamed geranium scent, pleasantly spiced but not sharp, and rather balanced - almost tea-like; not that it smells of tea as such, but that's how I imagine geranium tea might smell like... very lucid for something that contains so many spices. I think it's the caraway that takes the edge off, so the pepper and the ginger (and the geranium itself) don't tickle your nose with their sharpness. It's also pretty dry and a little "dusty", like Hammam Bouquet, but not as attention-grabbing and opulent. The drydown is more woody than anything else. Overall, it's neither a strong nor a long-lasting scent. It seems to be the older version of Malabah, which to me is more impressive in all respects.

Zizonia is actually a unisex EdT. I picked up a bottle on clearance sale recently, and my GF (who has a very discerning nose for fragrance, and pulls no punches with her opinions on them) positively loved it on me, and added that it smells very masculine with my body chemistry. My own impressions: a nice, well-balanced Fougère with a noticeable Geranium note that is at the same time not overpowering or biting to the nose as in many another Fougère. The assortment of oriental spice notes adds a complex and mysterious layer on top of the woodsy elements. Stays balanced and pleasant all the way through dry-down. Another exquisitely composed olfactory symphony in the classic Penhaligon's style.

Ok, I need to stop blind buying based on notes. It is becoming a serious problem with me ... Does anyone else think this smells exactly like Hermessence Epice Marine? To me they are identical ... and now I own both (sigh). The only notes I see in common are cardamom, bergamot and vetiver, and that they’re both fresh spicy and woody, but I swear on my skin they are the same juice. I would class Zizonia as a salty wear-to-the-Beach-on-a-windy-winter-day unisex frag. Unfortunately I am not getting lavender, ginger or Nutmeg (the 3 top reasons I blind bought this). Don’t get me wrong - it’s a lovely scent, I just didn’t need 2 bottles of Epice Marine.

The ginger and cardamom are done really well here - nothing harsh, sour, or acrid about them. Delicate and lovely. Unfortunately, like many Penhaligon’s creations, it barely whispers when it needs to shout, or at least to speak loudly and clearly. After a few minutes, I found myself searching for the scent on my wrist. Nearly gone! Second only to Iris Prima in terms of how barely-there it was. If you’re going to do something well, it should project so that somebody can smell it. What a shame.

It is a beautiful, complex, elegant fragrance, which are not usually qualities of fresh fragrances. Despite all this, it smells quite modern. I don't know how much it's been reformulated, but it does not smell like a nearly hundred-years-old fragrance. It's aromatic, yummy, zesty, it feels like refreshing raindrops. Reminds me to Royal Mayfair, it carries the same elegance behind the aromatic freshness. Maybe this is why it's perceived as old-fashioned.

Zizonia is like a niche-version of Cartier Declaration. Very warm, spicy, and mysterious. One of the best from Penhaligon`s! Highly recommended. -Fragrantica.com should change the title "for women", because this scent is for both men and women leaning a bit over to the masculine side of the scale.

Love it, beautiful, fresh AND woody, really woody perfume! It is delicate but long-lasting, light and slightly herbal (owing to the wonderful lavender). Perfectly elegant, non-disturbing yet recognizable scent, I wouldn't hesitate to wear it both for more and less formal occasions.

Masculine-leaning chypre orange (lavender-geranium) that is well-blended although lavender is most prominent. The citrus dies down before the lavender does and by then it smells gorgeous and comforting and feminine for 5 minutes. Total longevity is less than 45 minutes however :(

very sharp and absolutely masculine