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Icy. Cold. Determined. Polished.
I am lucky to live near Ministry of Scent. I went in looking for a cold fragrance and this suggestion was what won me over. It is ironic because I typically dislike aquatic or fresh scents, yet this fragrance is very much both. Penguin is well rounded and a lovely addition to my spicy and woody leaning collection.
The top is a cold aquatic ocean air that feels almost plasticky. It is sharp through the nose, and I swear you can feel it in the back of your throat. I have smelled many wet fragrances, but this one truly delivers cold without the damp or petrichor notes. It is a dry ice cold.
There is a fresh, near-linen quality throughout. While that is something I normally do not care for, it really works in this composition. The juniper and pink pepper brighten everything and keep it from smelling like a standard laundry or skin scent. The magic is in the subtle suede at the bottom. You can smell it throughout the wear, but it intensifies as the top notes disappear. Combined with the sandalwood, it works equally well as a night out fragrance or an every day, office-friendly one.
Sillage is moderate. It hits a sweet spot for me by being neither too strong nor too weak. Longevity is also fairly moderate. Many of the top and middle notes fade quickly, but the suede and woods persist.
This is such a fun scent. It is confidence boosting and thought provoking. I am excited to finally have a fresh scent that I actually want to wear.
The top is a cold aquatic ocean air that feels almost plasticky. It is sharp through the nose, and I swear you can feel it in the back of your throat. I have smelled many wet fragrances, but this one truly delivers cold without the damp or petrichor notes. It is a dry ice cold.
There is a fresh, near-linen quality throughout. While that is something I normally do not care for, it really works in this composition. The juniper and pink pepper brighten everything and keep it from smelling like a standard laundry or skin scent. The magic is in the subtle suede at the bottom. You can smell it throughout the wear, but it intensifies as the top notes disappear. Combined with the sandalwood, it works equally well as a night out fragrance or an every day, office-friendly one.
Sillage is moderate. It hits a sweet spot for me by being neither too strong nor too weak. Longevity is also fairly moderate. Many of the top and middle notes fade quickly, but the suede and woods persist.
This is such a fun scent. It is confidence boosting and thought provoking. I am excited to finally have a fresh scent that I actually want to wear.
The Pinnacle of Oud and Rose
Should I start with the bottle? Absolutely beautiful. The glass, the real marble base, and even the wooden cap. There are so many beautiful perfume bottles, but this presentation might take the cake.
The fragrance itself is also just as gorgeous. While not listing leather as a note, it’s throughout the entire wear. It’s adorned with lovely florals. I get mainly rose and saffron.
The top has a very photorealistic strawberry scent, but it quickly dissipates. The base notes I get are great quality oud, laudanum, and sandalwood. Compared to other oud/rose combos I’ve tried, this is incredibly smooth.
There’s nothing I don’t like about this fragrance. It is incredibly strong— both in silage, and longevity. It’s not office-friendly, but I’d try to get away with it once in a while if I owned the bottle. My only gripe isn’t with the fragrance itself but the cost is unfortunately extremely prohibitive. $490 USD is hard to swallow. Until I can justify it, I’ll savor the sample that I got with my wallet.
The fragrance itself is also just as gorgeous. While not listing leather as a note, it’s throughout the entire wear. It’s adorned with lovely florals. I get mainly rose and saffron.
The top has a very photorealistic strawberry scent, but it quickly dissipates. The base notes I get are great quality oud, laudanum, and sandalwood. Compared to other oud/rose combos I’ve tried, this is incredibly smooth.
There’s nothing I don’t like about this fragrance. It is incredibly strong— both in silage, and longevity. It’s not office-friendly, but I’d try to get away with it once in a while if I owned the bottle. My only gripe isn’t with the fragrance itself but the cost is unfortunately extremely prohibitive. $490 USD is hard to swallow. Until I can justify it, I’ll savor the sample that I got with my wallet.
Heat Activated Deliciousness
It was so exciting to see Ilio come back for the summer this year. Ive never had the chance to smell it and it was a blind buy.
Ilio is my favorite white floral scent. I’ve always wanted to love florals but find myself really stuck on yellow florals.
On a mild day, it's a lovely, fresh blend of jasmine and iris. But under the blaze of a hot summer day, it transforms. The warmth seems to coax out a luscious, nectar-like prickly pear note, perfectly balanced by the sheer tea/citrus veil of bergamot.
The one drawback is the ephemeral nature of its brilliance. The complex, vibrant notes that make Ilio so lovable fade sooner than I’d like, leaving behind a soft, clean musk that, while nice, lacks the character of its opening.
I wish they had the 50ml options this year as I don’t reach for it enough to have the 100ml on my shelf.
Ilio is my favorite white floral scent. I’ve always wanted to love florals but find myself really stuck on yellow florals.
On a mild day, it's a lovely, fresh blend of jasmine and iris. But under the blaze of a hot summer day, it transforms. The warmth seems to coax out a luscious, nectar-like prickly pear note, perfectly balanced by the sheer tea/citrus veil of bergamot.
The one drawback is the ephemeral nature of its brilliance. The complex, vibrant notes that make Ilio so lovable fade sooner than I’d like, leaving behind a soft, clean musk that, while nice, lacks the character of its opening.
I wish they had the 50ml options this year as I don’t reach for it enough to have the 100ml on my shelf.
Not bad not great
One of the more palatable perfumes I’ve smelled from BORNTOSTANDOUT. Initial spray impressions reminded me of TF Black Orchid for some reason.
It starts off with a synthetic cherry/almond extract scent and some noticeable Oud and a hint of ylang ylang. The rum and vanilla is through the whole wear. It dries down to more of a sweet caramel but still with that cherry/almond extract. The Oud is pretty much gone after a few hours.
Would I purchase it? Nope. Would I wear it again? Maybe once or twice. It wouldn’t be a habit.
It starts off with a synthetic cherry/almond extract scent and some noticeable Oud and a hint of ylang ylang. The rum and vanilla is through the whole wear. It dries down to more of a sweet caramel but still with that cherry/almond extract. The Oud is pretty much gone after a few hours.
Would I purchase it? Nope. Would I wear it again? Maybe once or twice. It wouldn’t be a habit.
My Visually Impaired Buy
This wasn’t exactly a blind buy, but I didn’t sample it beforehand either. Is there a term for that? A “visually impaired buy,” maybe? Whatever you call it, after sniffing half the store, this one whispered loudest to me.
In the chaos of the boutique, it was hard to parse—just woods and pepper at first, with whispers of something darker underneath. The initial spray? Think damp cardboard or a mildewy paperback (and not the charmingly vintage kind). But wait. Give it some time and it shapeshifts into the most gorgeous sandalwood. Juniper pirouettes on top, bright and playful, while the pepper softens into a smoky backbone that lingers.
An hour into the dry-down, the white musks creep in, sweetening the deal without cloying.
It reminded me of Hermès’
Poivre Samarcande dialed down a notch—less intimidating, both in price and personality. But it is a heavy sprayer if you want any amount of silage.
Not my most brilliant impulse splurge, but hey, it could’ve been a disaster.
In the chaos of the boutique, it was hard to parse—just woods and pepper at first, with whispers of something darker underneath. The initial spray? Think damp cardboard or a mildewy paperback (and not the charmingly vintage kind). But wait. Give it some time and it shapeshifts into the most gorgeous sandalwood. Juniper pirouettes on top, bright and playful, while the pepper softens into a smoky backbone that lingers.
An hour into the dry-down, the white musks creep in, sweetening the deal without cloying.
It reminded me of Hermès’
Poivre Samarcande dialed down a notch—less intimidating, both in price and personality. But it is a heavy sprayer if you want any amount of silage. Not my most brilliant impulse splurge, but hey, it could’ve been a disaster.
