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Malabah Penhaligon's 2003 Eau de Parfum

7.5 / 10 355 Ratings

A popular perfume by Penhaligon's for women, released in 2003. The scent is spicy-citrusy. It is still in production.
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Main accords

Spicy

Citrus

Fresh

Oriental

Floral

Fragrance Pyramid

Top Notes

Earl Grey tea Lemon

Lemon

Coriander

Heart Notes

Ginger

Cardamom

Nutmeg

Rose

Iris

Base Notes

Musk

Amber

Sandalwood

Ratings

Scent

7.5355 Ratings

Longevity

6.5249 Ratings

Sillage

5.6236 Ratings

Bottle

8.0233 Ratings

Value for money

6.220 Ratings

Submitted by Seglein, last update on 10/11/2024.

Smells similar

What the fragrance is similar to

Malabah Solid Fragrance

Moonmilk

Secrets d'Essences - Accord Chic

Néroli Outrenoir Eau de Parfum

Etra

The Coveted Duchess Rose

Reviews

27 in-depth fragrance descriptions

01/17/2012

SystemeD
58 Reviews

SystemeD

Helpful Review 4

A spice lover's dream

Oh, Malabah is one of my absolute favorites from Penhaligon's.

I get lemon tea at the opening, but that is quite brief.

I can definitely perceive both the orris root and the rose in the heart, but on me, the ginger and cardamom really stand out.

There's a gorgeous woody drydown, with the spices abiding long into it.

This one is a spice lover's dream.

09/20/2013

5Scent 7.5Longevity 5Sillage

Flavorite
240 Reviews

Flavorite

Helpful Review 4

In Short, Spicy Cedarwood with Lime and Orange

I tried this about a year ago, and it's been on my short list for possible fb purchase. So glad I bought a sample. It's not working for me at all. It sort of reminds me of L'Or Torrente, but without the warm coffee note...leaving lots of hollow pencil shavings and orange rinds tossed about the floor. I get a rustic kind of coriander, ginger spice mixture and I absolutely abhor it when people say that a fragrance smells like "A GrandMa/Old Lady" fragrance- since I am getting up there in years, not only is it not really descriptive- but my Grandmother with her sex bomb "Youthdew" and Vetyver fragrances, seemed to rock my Grandfather's world for 70 years...possibly longer since they lived to be nearly 100. So, I am not going to comment on the appropriate age group for this fragrance or gender...it's All and Both. It's just not for me. I felt it was too cedary, too orange-rindy and too Ambergrisy for my taste, but like everything from the House of Penhaligon, worth sampling. Inspite of being too much of some key notes, the sillage is watery but detectable about a ft. (30.48 cm) away when you move through space and it last for several hours at a lower volume adding a dry, woody, cinnamon and gingery pepper note to the skin- somehow though, the combination just doesn't excite me like Diptyque L'eau or Jo Malone's Nutmeg & Ginger, or Molton Brown's Black Pepper, all of which, "If I were a Rich Man...yada dada da da da..."I would be wearing right now...all day, every day. Seriously though, there is a bit of stuffiness and British refinery in this that really screams "Cucumber Sandwich, crumpet, Earl Grey...haberdashery." In spite of the spices which cool and blend into a trunk of antiquities, the orris root and musk behave rather politely on the right Gal or Guy- this probably spells of Kasbah markets fragrance with curry blends, rich hand carved woods and the finest silks.

02/08/2013

TeaWithMilk
27 Reviews

TeaWithMilk

Helpful Review 4

Chai Tea - My Fave!

I love and worship chai tea. I am a cardamom-obsessed weirdo. I want to eat it and smell like it at all times. That being said, Malabah is one of the best cardamom chai perfumes I've come across. It starts out fresh with citrus and tea, but it quickly becomes creamy with a touch of smoky amber for depth. It's the smokiness here that I really swoon over and that "makes" the perfume.

My screen name isn't TeaWithMilk for nothing! I'm on a quest for the best tea fragrances I can get my hands on, and this is way up there on my list. The only think I can add is that I *wish* it were stronger. If this were a sillage monster I would truly be in heaven!

The notes above are incorrect--it's cardamom here, not cinnamon, says the Penhaligon's website.

SUMMARY: Sipping real Indian chai and eating rasmalai--my cardamom heaven

04/14/2012

6Scent 5Longevity 5Sillage

Missk
1357 Reviews

Missk

3

Spicy but not exotic

Malabah is such a beautiful name for a fragrance. Here I was captivated by its name and imagining a rich, spicy tea scent with an element of exotic sensuality.

This fragrance, to put it nicely, is too polite and refined in my opinion. It's simplistic, inoffensive and rather plain.

Malabah opened with some interesting accords which had me hoping this fragrance would develop into something magical. The lemony tea opening was about as interesting as it gets.

The heart is a combination of sweet and spicy, with such weak sillage that one may wonder if they're wearing a perfume at all. I've had my fair share of spicy rose scents, and Malabah has left me underwhelmed in that department.

For my spiced tea fix I usually turn to the beautiful L'Artisan's Tea for Two, not Malabah. I like strong, in-your-face kind of fragrances, and this Penhaligon's offering is far too lady-like and quiet for my personal tastes. I find it very British.

The lasting strength is pretty poor, struggling to last half the day on my skin. It was far too discreet and lacked serious warmth and distinction. It's pleasant, I'll say that much, but exotic is not a word that comes to mind when describing Malabah unfortunately.

08/11/2020

8Scent 4Longevity 5Sillage

Carboytony
116 Reviews

Carboytony

Helpful Review 3

Light on sillage and projection but big on beauty

This is a beautiful light tea fragrance.

Lemon and ginger form the tart pungent top notes, quickly paving the way for the astringent notes of steeped tea leaves - Earl Grey Tea to be exact. Hints of cardamom and nutmeg tantalize from a distance, adding a bit more spiciness to the ginger. A light, sweet rose adds a bit of floral beauty to this, and is accented by powdery orris. Warm amber and musk, commitments by bits of sandalwood round this down to a beautiful base.

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