Penhaligons' Duchess Rose

  

I have never fallen in love with a fragrance so instantly. 

A week or so ago, I attended an event with the prestigious British perfumer, Penhaligons. Their brand is unique, clear and consistent, with a heritage that dates all the way back to the Victorian era. They say of themselves; 'we strive to create original scents for the discerning eccentrics of today' - how terribly British! 

Penhaligons have just launched 4 new fragrances as part of their 'Portraits' family. The idea being that each fragrance represents a member of a fictional family, with their animal counterparts represented through the perfume lid; Lord George; the distinguished gentleman represented by a proud stag, Lady Blanche; the sophisticated matriarch, quite reminiscent of a cunning but graceful leopard, Duchess Rose; the sweet, innocent-seeming daughter with hidden vixen-like qualities, and The Duke; the daughter's loyal and flamboyant husband, much like an English Hound. The idea of a well-to-do but drama-filled family is such a British image, but relating the idea to fragrance is genius. 

I was immediately drawn to Duchess Rose both in scent and the personality description! It's a beautiful, deep rose scent - the head note is mandarin, the heart note is rose and the base note is musky wood. I absolutely adore the fragrance and so, have worn this every single day since acquiring it. It's incredibly pungent and long lasting, but not in an overbearing way. A few days ago my mother told me that she knew I'd been in the kitchen before her that morning because she could smell the perfume! Despite it being primarily rose, which seems quite traditional and to some, a tiresome scent - I must disagree, this fragrance is full of life and every day I catch myself with my wrist to my nose, breathing it in with appreciation!

It's full name; The Coveted Duchess Rose Eau de Parfum retails at £178.

Her fragrance: 'A sparkling and ostensibly innocnt scent for the youthful daughter. A translucent floral fragrance, an English rose with hidden sensuality and thorns. Sweet and effervescent at first, a delicate and fruity mandarin creates a bright exuberance. A pastel pink rose sits squarely at the heart, luminous and romantic. The woody, sensual character of ambrox adds modernity and disrupts the innocent air of the rose. Graceful and carnal.'

The way this foursome of products has been marketed is incredible. The 'Portraits' family is so unique and terribly smart, not only does it create a character for almost everyone to relate to, it also leaves the door open to add more characters and scents in the future. Not only that, but I can't remember the last time I bothered reading a branded magazine or newspaper as I tend to find them uninspiring, but upon devouring the beautiful imagery and clever, creative descriptions of The Penhaligons Times I remembered why I chose Publishing as my degree. It's so wonderfully creative. I took some photographs of the newspaper's contents as I truly think you have to see if for yourself to appreciate it!

You can admire or buy Duchess Rose for yourself, here. I believe you can also order free samples online!