LP No.9 for Ladies Penhaligon's 1998

I first smelled this perfume about a year ago at my aunt's, who had made a blind purchase of "Love Potion No.9" and "Lily & Spice" from Penhaligon's, which she expressed disappointment about. "They're totally awful," she told me, explaining that one smelled like a man (Love Potion), the other like a cemetery (Lily & Spice), and then suddenly sprayed her bathroom wall without any warning. A bit confused by this unusual way of testing a fragrance, I first stuck my nose to the wall and had to agree with her, while also feeling somewhat perplexed by the very pink, feminine packaging and the name, which stood in stark contrast to what I was smelling on the bathroom tiles.

When I visited her again today, I wanted to give it another try and dared to spray it on my wrist. I once again detected that piercing, bitter scent, which conjured up the image of a bearded man after his second bottle of Jack Daniels, trying to mask his odor with the excessive application of a cheap deodorant.
"Phew," I thought, disgusted, and I still get a slight shiver when I think back to it. However, as the evening went on and I continued to sniff myself, the fragrance underwent an almost incredible transformation. The unpleasant sharpness had disappeared, the bitterness was still present but had receded far into the background. Instead, the scent somehow reminded me of a mix between Arpege and Miss Dior (Original), and I now perceived it as floral, elegant, and distinctly feminine.

"That's not so bad as I thought," I announced and let my aunt smell it on me. She had to agree and even said I could have it, as she wouldn't use it. On top of that, she also gave me the similarly rejected Lily & Spice.

While Love Potion No. 9 probably won't become my favorite, I'm still glad to now own such a surprising and multifaceted fragrance. Oh yes, spontaneous gifts are really great!