Peoneve Penhaligon's 2012 Eau de Parfum

The top notes evoke the lush, verdant feel of a rain-soaked English garden, with the cool, crisp impression of intelligent violet leaves. While many peony fragrances offer a light and delicate impression, this peony possesses a refined, three-dimensional quality.

Peony is complemented by the vibrant elegance of rose, while jasmine adds a three-dimensional transparency. The accent of violet leaves further enhances this dignified transparency. This dignified transparency seems to express the freshness within the elegance and wild transparency of an English garden.

Furthermore, this freshness is not fruity, but rather a shimmering transparency created by its interplay with the delicate woodiness of cashmere wood.

Vetiver gently expands this transparency.

The wild, dignified strength and fresh transparency of a peony blooming in an elegant English garden—this is truly Penhaligon's peony.

On my skin, a brief note of Violet leaf quickly yields to the hearty, heady scents of Bulgarian Rose, Peony and Jasmine. These are bright and lush, in full bloom. The fragrance then softens into a musky vetiver and Cashmeran.

One of my favorite peony scents.

“That’s quite nicely done with the flower on the front!” I thought when I picked up the sample of Peoneve at Sahling and was already tempted to buy the bottle just because of its label.

Good thing I didn’t do it - one learns! ;)

The fragrance pyramid actually promised me a nice floral scent, with which I envisioned myself barefoot in a salmon-colored flutter dress hopping across a meadow from bloom to bloom - but not at all! My assumption that the vetiver would stay in the background to support the otherwise floral notes was shattered by a fence post in the form of a nasty vetiver bundle.

I love vetiver! On women bright, radiant, and clean (= Infusion d´ Vetiver) and on men dark, damp, and earthy (= Encre Noire).

That the base note of this fragrance would reveal itself at first sniff already confused me quite a bit. Otherwise, there is a rather gloomy rose to be discerned (Well, that was to be expected!). However, I find the jasmine much more dominant! And it’s not exactly of the friendly jasmine variety, but resembles those whose scent makes one think of bodily excretions. I recently read that jasmine - when harvested very early - still smells green and fresh, throughout the day it reminds one of orange blossoms, and in the evening it actually starts to “stink” *. So I’m tempted to call out to the grass-sois: “Hey guys, it got late yesterday, huh!?”

Peoneve has now held on for a good three hours. So far, the longevity is quite alright. The base is now showing itself and is for me the most beautiful part after “mud-vetiver” and “grumpy-jasmine”: I am mentally standing in a garden after a refreshing rain. It’s floral, it’s green, it’s cool.

Surely my perceptions are just upside down - otherwise, I can’t explain my feelings. Or I simply didn’t understand Peoneve. Perhaps the black behind the peony on the label should have given me a hint..? The opening is at least not as cheerful as one might expect. The base, however, is very nicely done. Unfortunately, I already have such “problem cases” in my collection (where it sometimes goes the other way), so Peoneve will (for now) not find a place there.

To the Peoneve wearers: You smell something that I don’t smell! :(
* Source: Jean-Claude Ellena, The Dreamed Scent

is one of those English, or in this case: American terms, that can hardly be translated reasonably and can only be described with great difficulty. 'Nonsense' or 'poppycock' come closest, but unlike these two, 'Fiddle-dee-dee' is geographically distinctly located - in the American South - and was or is used there almost exclusively by white women. Today, 'Fiddle-dee-dee' is heard almost exclusively when white - possibly somewhat affected or even outdated - women from the South are to be imitated. It is not always meant affectionately. Its most famous user was, by the way, the eldest daughter of an Irish planter named Gerald O'Hara, who named his mansion near Atlanta after the seat of the ancient Irish high kings 'Tara'.

The famous story of the cotton planter's daughter Scarlett O'Hara famously begins with a garden party at the neighboring plantation Twelve Oaks, where she is secretly in love with the heir Ashley Wilkes. Through alternating flattery and threats, Scarlett persuades her kindly devoted Mammy, contrary to prevailing social norms, to put on the deeply décolletée, vividly green-and-white patterned dress (with a matching straw hat adorned with a charming green ribbon) that she has chosen for that afternoon. When Mammy finally states, 'she hasn't noticed that Mr. Ashley wants to marry her,' Scarlett angrily flings her parasol under the cabinet and stuffs her mouth with the breakfast she had just scorned, sitting on the stairs like a farm laborer.

We learn a lot about the young Scarlett O'Hara in this early scene - we discover her vanity and sometimes calculating cunning, her haughty, moody nature, her stubborn pride, and her devoted passion. There sits this life-hungry, capricious girl, wrapped in a fragrant dream of white organza, with ruffles at the hem and neckline, finely embroidered with green tendrils and flower clusters, whose temperament is barely manageable - that very temperament that will bring so much happiness and misfortune to herself and those she loves. Much about Peoneve, one of the younger, albeit astonishingly 'unmodern' arranged fragrances from Penhaligon's, reminds one of this young Scarlett - on the morning before that fateful garden party at Twelve Oaks.

There is the fragrance of the peony, which is not pale, not shy, or even timid, but present and self-assured from the very first moment. Peoneve has something slightly affected in its character, just as the 'Southern Belle', as the daughters of the old Southern aristocracy were often called, often have a somewhat affected demeanor. There is the March freshness of the violet - almost provocatively sweet - and the sensuality and awakening femininity of a deep dark rose. Contrary to its initial girlishness, its base note of wood and musk matures and gives it something dramatic - like Scarlett in her ruby-red sparkling evening gown many years later at Ashley's birthday party, which Rhett forces her to attend, while he says to her: 'And paint yourself thick with rouge - so everyone can see what you are!'

Conclusion: its wild, fragrant top note, reminiscent of the scene described at the beginning in the green-and-white organza dress when Scarlett first uses 'Fiddle-dee-dee' (in German somewhat awkwardly: 'blödes Gerede'), is enchanting. Then it becomes heavier, almost dragging, as if to say: 'let's just postpone it until tomorrow...'

Today the small bottle was delivered, and upon the first spray, I thought: "Wow, this is not gentle at all!" But I immediately fell in love with this scent! And during the second, the "official," application for my card game tonight, the perfume seemed a bit more subdued to me.
But I definitely smell an intense, distinct peony note, no other flower, and especially nothing of jasmine, which was mentioned in the comment by UniqueCherie. It shows again how individual perception can be...
This is not a pastel-colored bloom in the midst of a bouquet with other flowers (like the peony in "Peony" by Yardley), this is a peony of that burgundy variety, which is hard to surpass in color intensity (okay, those are of course my associations, they probably both smell very similar!). Just like the one depicted on the label! Like a diva in a burgundy velvet dress, enjoying her entrance and the admiration. The base note gives her weight and expressiveness.

For me, one of my most beautiful peony perfumes - alongside "Peony," which has a completely different character.