The Manoeuvres of the Baroness Penhaligon's 2026

On first spray this smells like a rather ordinary orange blossom + vanilla you could easily get by layering a regular orange blossom scent like Penhaligon’s Castile with a vanilla perfume. However, as the drydown progresses, the green nuances in the orange blossom and the cream come out more and blend together to get a very pleasant result. I agree it smells designer.
Still though, I don’t know if I’d buy this, since I have another orange blossom + bourbon vanilla perfume, Villa Neroli by BDK which has a much more substantial depth in the base with patchouli and niche uniqueness.

There’s something about this perfume that is really quite understated. Does it reinvent the wheel? No, but it’s also not as sickly sweet as some may think it is. It’s got a bit of heft - the Chantilly Cream top note does a lot of heavy lifting all through the perfume’s time on your skin. It’s soft, creamy, and really powdery - almost musky and talcy. Is it worth the price? For some, sure. But not in my opinion. I went to smell this in hopes that it may replace the somewhat irreplaceable scent that is Orange Blossom by Penhaligon’s, but alas, they are two very different scents. There’s minimal brightness here. That’s totally fine. It just doesn’t have what I want. I’m sure this will find devoted wearers; it might even go viral.

Upon smelling this perfume for the first time, I immediately imagined the Baroness as an actress, powdering her face, while her soft orange blossom perfume projects and gets itself intertwined with powdery decadence. She powders before going on stage, and then just before the afterparty. She smells demure, sweet, approachable, but still somewhat stuffy. She’s a paradoxical character. Everybody is looking at her - what is a Baroness doing, lowering herself to acting? Yet, as people get closer, they can smell her intoxication. Her scent doesn’t shout, or yell, but it does attract.

Some fragrances simply smell good - and then there are ones like The Manoeuvres of the Baroness. This isn't one you wear absent-mindedly. It stands out, but in a quiet, self-assured way.
The bottle is quite something, too. This golden antelope head is pretty unusual, almost a little over the top - but somehow, that's exactly what suits it.
On the shelf, it looks more like a decorative object than a perfume.
When I first sprayed it, I briefly thought: okay, this is interesting. Slightly spicy, with something floral as well, but not that typical "sweet and floral" profile. More clean, well-groomed, a little like getting properly dressed up for a special occasion. Not a fragrance that shouts loudly, but definitely one that gets noticed.
After a few minutes, it becomes noticeably softer and warmer. I mean, there's something woody in it, perhaps sandalwood, along with a light, creamy sweetness. But nothing artificial or overpowering. Everything remains quite controlled and elegant.
I wore it for the first time at a dinner, dressed up, in subdued lighting, with not too many people around. And sure enough, someone asked what fragrance I was wearing. One person even said it smelled "expensive" - which somehow seemed fitting to me.
What I particularly like is that the fragrance isn't unambiguous. It has something feminine about it, but at the same time, a certain severity or coolness. That makes it feel less playful and more mature and confident.
The longevity is also impressive. Several hours on the skin, and you can still notice it on clothing the next day. But it always stays relatively close to the skin, so it's not a fragrance that fills the entire room.
My conclusion: Not for every day and not for anyone who simply wants to "smell good". More for moments when you want to make your presence felt a little without being loud. A fragrance with character that doesn't try to please everyone - and that's exactly what makes it interesting.