Yes… from my title, you can already imagine that I feel a certain excitement for Christmas even now. All the annoyance over gingerbread and even Santa Clauses hitting the shelves too early (we’ve had them here since the beginning of September this year!) has faded away (and they are now happily being devoured here :D), instead, I’m pondering questions like “How will I decorate my Christmas tree this year?” or “What should I gift to one or another good friend?” etc…
Some know that I’m totally into Christmas, and therefore, when I hear the fragrance name Tralala, I immediately think of Tralalalala (I hope I didn’t forget a “la” :D) from “Funny, funny, tralalalala” :)
Funny is also the bottle itself. Instead of a normal bow, like the ones you find on Penhaligon’s bottles, this one comes with an abnormally oversized bow, and there’s a woman’s face adorned with red lips on the cap, which makes everything seem somehow funny, almost clown-like. On the other hand, one should know that the term “Tralala” in French doesn’t relate to Christmas but means something like “to dress up” or “to get dolled up,” which might explain the large bow and all.
Everything is funny and unusual; let’s see how the scent smells!
The Scent:
I must say that the beginning is also unusual but somehow wonderful. In any case, it’s something you don’t smell every day in a top note. I detect a whiskey note here, which quickly becomes sweeter, as you can soon smell violet and vanilla. This makes the alcoholic note softer and creamier,… creamy whiskey! Additionally, there’s a green-herbaceous note from the saffron, and the aldehydes, which shine equally with the whiskey and vanilla, give everything a somewhat classic touch.
The heart note seems to kick in quite quickly, as I can easily identify the leather and the powdery iris from the listed notes. You can also recognize the ylang-ylang, as it always smells heavy and sultry, even though it’s a bit weaker in this fragrance than usual.
A little later, the herbaceous notes recede, and the scent generally becomes a bit softer, thanks to the vanilla, which unfolds more and more.
After about ten to fifteen minutes, the scent becomes noticeably resinous, which should now be due to the myrrh or incense. Then the herbaceous notes have almost completely disappeared (and the scent now smells spicy instead), and you can best smell vanilla alongside the incense (at the very end, vanilla is often the only note you can still detect) and some sweet flowers in the background. And so the scent remains until the end.
The Sillage and Longevity:
The sillage is above average strong and thus reasonably noticeable. If applied generously, it leaves a larger scent cloud behind.
The longevity is also good, with over eight hours of endurance.
The Bottle:
The bottle initially has the typical cylindrical shape of all Penhaligon’s fragrances. The label this time features a heart (or a heart-shaped pillow or something…). The most unusual feature is the large bow, and especially the design of the round cap, which has been dressed/painted in the form of a face. This makes the bottle particularly stand out and is fun to look at, even if it isn’t really pretty, as it might seem too kitschy to some. Well, it’s a matter of taste.
So, well, the scent isn’t really Christmas-like (although the smoky and vanilla notes do fit this wonderful time), but it has turned out well nonetheless. Perhaps a bit old-fashioned due to the aldehydes, but still beautiful. At first, it leans towards Shalimar by Guerlain, but from the base, it changes too much from that and becomes noticeably softer and creamier. It’s not necessarily suitable for younger people, but for everyone else, it’s a lovely scent, especially if you want to wear it in autumn and winter.
It’s great for going out and, of course, for leisure time. With the slight whiskey touch, it could be a wonderful companion for Christmas markets; on the other hand, you’ll probably be drinking copious amounts of mulled wine anyway, so you’d smell a bit like alcohol even without the fragrance :D
Yes, I’m already looking forward to Christmas! And now everyone sing along: “Let’s be merry and cheerful,…”, … bah, no one is singing along again. You boring people, you! *sigh*
Top Notes 
Whisky
Aldehydes
Ambrette seed
Galbanum
Saffron
Violet leaf absolute
Heart Notes 
Frankincense
Tuberose
Leather
Carnation
Iris
Ylang-ylang
Base Notes 
Musk
Opoponax absolute
Vanilla
Heliotrope
Myrrh
Patchouli
Cedarwood
Vetiver
Ka3n
Licorice
NikEy
Gold
Stilloni
Heikeso
Michelangela
Mörderbiene
CharlAmbre
YvSaint
