Babylon Penhaligon's 2019

On the bank of the Euphrates once lay one of the ancient world's most influential cities: Babylon. It was the capital of Babylonia in southern Mesopotamia. Today, that's about 60 miles south of Baghdad, Iraq. Mentioned in the opening book of the Bible, the Book of Genesis, and often dismissed as a mythical building, they have also associated the Tower of Babel with well-known Babylonian structures such as the temple of the foundation of heaven and earth. The story of its construction appears to be an attempt to explain the existence of several human languages. The Babylonians wanted to name themselves by building a mighty city and a tower "with the top in the skies". God interrupted the work by confusing the workers' language so much that they could no longer understand each other. The city was never completed, and the people were scattered across the face of the earth.
"Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other. So the Lord scattered them from there over all the earth, and they stopped building the city. That is why it was called Babel — because there the Lord confused the language of the whole world. From there the Lord scattered them over the face of the whole earth."

However, Penhaligon's Babylon is not another Tower of Babel. Instead, it is anything but confused or scattered. It is a harmony of spicy, earthy, woody accords, all rolled into one. Babylon opens with a robust spicy deal, a fragrance for spicy lovers, a blend of the holy trinity of spices - coriander, nutmeg, and saffron. At first, I get a blast of spicy, woody, and herbal accords, with a whiff of camomile, dry flowers, hay-like nuances. Then, I perceive the slightly leathery note of saffron with a slight citrus hint of bergamot that fades quickly. I even feel notes of blanched almonds, like almond paste, not as sweet as the marzipan. I adore this mysterious fragrance because of its unique personality. Oriental notes of spicy potpourri open the door to that magical oasis that we have rarely seen before.

Soon, the warm spicy nuance twists into something smokier, and I think it's cypriol oil. The effect is intensely dry and smoky, like a burning brazier on which spices are roasted. The aroma converges into the earthy notes of cypriol in the heart, which is very dominant here. Cypriol oil blends with cedar and sandalwood, reproducing a picture of ancient times, hanging gardens, making rugs and oriental beauty. Although the cypriol adds a slightly leather nuance, the cologne never takes the leathery way. At a certain point, the perfume takes on a scent that recalls the smell of dried figs from Turkey. It is a nuance that does not resemble the classic milky fig, but is much closer to the caramelized fruit, cooked and dried in the sun. This is a nuance that I like and did not expect.

Wrapping the wearer at the base is a decadent blend of coumarin and creamy woods. I get good deep and lasting base notes of warm vanilla, sandalwood and cedarwood. It is like an amber veil that covers my skin for many hours. It might be me; however, I perceive little vanilla. Yes, there is, but it's not a keynote, as many others have said. I don't find it a vanilla scent. It's not the edible type, at least on my nose and on my skin. This is a very welcoming and comforting spiced vanilla. No sugar sweetness here. I get a lot of spiciness at the beginning, then a dry smokiness in the middle, and finally a woodiness with amber reflections. The creaminess of the sandalwood blends with the dryness of the cedar shavings, and the result is impressive.

Babylon is a fragrance that slowly grows on me, and my skin is pleased with this elixir. The formula and scent are simply divine, and I love the warm amber note combined with the woody base. It feels like a long, warm, comforting hug from a loved one. I rarely like gourmand vanilla on my skin. Still, the spice and bittersweet undertone similar to caramel and almond come together in beautiful, sweet harmony. I find it a perfect choice for fall, and as we're heading into winter, I feel this is an excellent addition to the winter rotation. The duration is ideal, while the projection is a bit contained.

I base the review on a decant I have owned since November 2021.

P.S. After wearing the perfume a few times, I can say that in my opinion, Babylon differs a lot from Horizon Extreme, in which the aromatic tones of rosemary prevail. Instead, I noticed a certain resemblance to Lalique Le Parfum Eau de Parfum, especially in the drydown where they bestow the same spiciness and creaminess. While not clones of each other, the two perfumes share some sensations and vibrations.

-Elysium

Penhaligon’s is a brand that’s known for their nice, mass appealing fragrances. Very gentle, always drawing within the lines.

I bought myself a couple of samples because, even though I love myself some stank every now and again, I work in an office environment where that’s not always appreciated. Most of my samples I had already smelled in the stores, so I knew more or less what to expect. This one I hadn’t smelled yet. But hey it got pretty high scores so what’s the chance for disappointment right?

Well with Babylon we have ourselves an exception to the Penhaligon’s rule. Right off the bat it smells extremely aromatic. The woody smokiness is really something I didn’t expect from this brand. I sprayed it on about one hour before going to dinner and I remember thinking: “oh yeah this is awesome!” But in like 30 minutes or so it turned into a nightmare that gave me flashback of my worst childhood memories.

You see, I grew up in the 70’s where literally everyone smoked. My mom was a first class chain smoker. And I don’t know if you’ve ever experienced sitting in a car as a non-smoker, and it’s just blue inside from all the unfiltered, exhaled shag? That nauseating feeling? That’s what I get from Babylon. And the evening had yet to begin…

There’s no smoke or tobacco accent to be found, so I wonder what it can be that’s choking me out. I saw reviews complaining about burning rubber tires, I’m not sure if that’s because of the nutmeg, or maybe the vanilla. Boy, even thinking about it gives me a migraine.

It lasted about 4 hours on my skin and that wasn’t because the stuff had lost it’s power but because I scrubbed it off.

First impressions: warm, dry, dusty, cosy, festive, spicy, classic, familiar, woody, sweet, fluffy.

Babylon is a beautifully balanced autumn and winter fragrance. It has just the right amount of spice, wood, and sweetness and everything feels seamlessly blended. It smells classic and familiar, but not boring.

The opening of saffron, nutmeg and coriander gives it a comforting feel, like an old leather jacket or the dusty shelves of a library. Cypriol adds an aromatic lift that keeps it from becoming too heavy or stuffy.

The vanilla is soft, creamy, and slightly fluffy, almost like marshmallow. Sandalwood and cedar in the base add a dry, grounded warmth.

I’m always happy when I smell an oriental-style scent with wood and spice that avoids the sticky, resinous, ambery notes that can feel cloying on my skin. It’s strong (just one spray lasts all day) and if I overdo it, the sweetness can start to feel a bit nauseating. So I think I’ll especially enjoy this outdoors; catching whiffs of it during long, crisp winter walks, browsing Christmas markets, or listening to carols in a cosy village square.

I just got a new decant and in the middle of the current summer heat, it’s making me long for the colder, cosier months even more. Babylon will definitely be one of my holiday go-to scents.

For more scent thoughts (and glimpses of my daily life with my dog), find me on Instagram @melanie.buist

Lovely gourmand that reminds me a bit of the now discontinued Traversee du Bosphore from L'Artisan Parfumeur. Not at all like most ambre fragrances, much more like gourmand vanillas. Nothing sour, nothing animalic, and not cloying as some ambers can be - just gentle vanilla and spices with a light woody background.

Is Penhaligon’s Babylon meant to evoke Babylon, the den of iniquity and pinnacle of sin? Or perhaps that groovy Satanic prostitute, arrayed in purple and scarlet, decked with pearls and precious stones, with her golden cup spilling with abominations and filthiness? I’m not sure this softly-spiced, velvet-wooded fragrance is as outrageous or dramatic as all of that. Imagine that golden cup, surely sensationalized to pique public indignation, was instead some sort of humble, unassuming vessel, a bowl of roughly carved but fragrant sandalwood, filled with a milky liquid, redolent of honeyed saffron, the aromatic, earthy warmth of nutmeg and coriander’s peppery-aniseed camphor, and delicately resinous, subtly smoky vanilla. If you’re a fan of Dior’s Hypnotic Poison, but don’t love that obnoxious root beer note, I think you’d find Babylon a more tasteful and understated option. I do enjoy this scent immensely, but I’d still like to smell a more vivid and exuberant perfumed interpretation of this apocalyptic beauty.