Reveriie

When I first smelled my sample it felt like a dream come true- soft sandalwood, slightly powdery florals, and a barely noticeable freshness from the citrus in the background. Unfortunately after spilling some on my hand this entire bouquet is overshadowed by the stench of ambroxan- its harsh chemical smell is the first thing I notice whenever I spray it on myself. It still occasionally makes for a wonderful spring perfume but that one note always jumps out at me.
I assume The Favourite would be a very safe and pleasant scent for anyone who isn't too sensitive to ambroxan, but it is definitely more prominent here than in any other Penhaligon's I've tried.

A deep, woody amber with a slightly sweet vanilla in the background. Perfectly unisex, boasting surprising depth and packing a punch when it comes to both sillage and longevity. Elegant and commanding respect and admiration; it really does create an atmosphere of a grand sour, specifically a night at the opera. It does feel ever so slightly synthetic, reminiscent of the other Kurkdjian perfumes, but it doesn't significantly affect the perfume aside from giving it a familiar DNA.

Just as with Baccarat Rouge I can't smell anything other than latex and some synthetic medicinal fluid, but this time with an added layer of cotton candy on top (at least when I first spray it). Completely disappears within a minute to my nose, but those around me say I smell sweet and fruity for hours. I guess I'm just anosmic to every Baccarat-esque perfume.

Oh how I wish I could smell what everybody else is smelling. I'm nearly completely anosmic to this perfume, aside from a bizarre medicinal note which I can only describe as the feeling of a dentist's latex gloves in your mouth and some weird chemical paste on your gums. Maybe a bit of a freshly cleaned hospital floor too. Whatever it is, it's deeply offputting on both mine and other people's skin to my nose, even though I can barely smell the actual perfume.

A sweet, girly, fun guilty pleasure. It is sugary, but not overly cloying due to the lack of powdery notes. While it is often criticized for being juvenile it reminds me more of a girl in highschool rather than a child. It's not a perfume for serious occasions, but it doesn't attempt to be one- it's fun and that's all it needs to be!

The liquorice note is prominent but that seems to make me like it even more; a memorable note is essential for a scent that is this unabashedly sweet in order to steer it away from being generic and forgettable. This is the 2000s velour tracksuit of the perfume world- it's the lip gloss, shimmery eyeshadow, hot pink streak in your hair nostalgia for the early 21st century.