Happy Tuesday everybody. Guess what I've managed to get? More Penhaligon's samples!
I purchased, via the power of a reputable Ebay seller, the Impudent Cousin Matthew* and the very kind seller actually sent me a sample of his sister, the Ingénue Cousin Flora along with him. Let's go meet her!
*For reference he cost a pretty penny, but a lot less than the RRP. I consider him excellent value for money - he's a superb scent.
Perfume Notes
The nose behind Cousin Flora isn't listed, but she was launched alongside her brother, Matthew, in 2019. Both Flora and Matthew are citrus based. Matthew's notes are Mandarin orange, petitgrain and patchouli. Flora goes with:
Top Notes - Citruses
Heart Notes- Musk
Base Notes- Ambroxan
I'm sensing, like brother Matthew, Flora could be one for the summer. Aside from the citrus, they're not otherwise similar though.
Perfume Background
Cousin Flora is another perfume in Penhaligon's series of 'portraits'. Each fragrance is meant to be based on a fictional individual from the British Upper Class and is designed to make the brand seem a bit more fun. Some people hate that Penhaligon's have taken this marketing turn, some people love it, and some people are like me and just don't mind.
Of Flora, Penhaligon's state:
The wide-eyed innocent of the family, cousin Flora is courteous to the old, punctual for her riding lessons and a smiling angel around her ma-ma. (She is the sweetest and youngest first cousin of Rose.) Always a most valuable witness to the mischief of her twin brother Matthew, she is diligent in her reporting and aims to be as helpful as she can. Her one true virtue, the meticulousness with which she hides her own guilty trail…
So is Flora actually the 'wide-eyed innocent' one of the pair? Well, 'ingénue' does mean naïve and innocent, but it's also a type of role played by an actress. So Flora may well be just twisting people (including Matthew) around her little finger. Clever lass.
All of the 'Portraits' are represented by an animal whose head adorns the bottle. In Flora's case this is a bird (I'm not an ornithologist, so I'm not sure what type, but it's one of the smaller ones!), which is one of the better toppers in my opinion. She comes complete with lilac coloured juice as well - very fetching!
The Scent
Flora's notes don't exactly give too much away in terms of what she might smell like so I was quite excited to spray this one to see where it went. It didn't take long for me
... keep reading on reddit ➡Paul-Jean TOULET 1867 - 1920
D'une amitié passionnée Vous me parlez encor, Azur, aérien décor, Montagne Pyrénée,
Où me trompa si tendrement Cette ardente ingénue Qui mentait, fût-ce toute nue, Sans rougir seulement.
Au lieu que toi, sublime enceinte, Tu es couleur du temps : Neige en Mars ; roses du printemps... Août, sombre hyacinthe.
I think I've found the type of fragrance that suits me best and that I simply love: simple, fresh, clean citrus. Eau Sauvage helped bring me to this epiphany, although its cloudiness and headiness made me want for something fresher. Bergamote 22 and CK One pushed me closer, but tended to harshness where I hoped for something clean and soothing.
Then I bought a sample of Penhaligon's' The Ingénue Cousin Flora and fell in love. Sour citrus meets cool ambroxan in a symphony of fresh linen. In all honesty, where most houses will boast one or two fragrances that I like, Penhaligon's' range has no shortage of fragrances I could see myself wearing - Quercus, Juniper Sling and Endymion rank amongst my favourites. The Ingénue Cousin Flora rises to join their pantheon.
My quest for further (and, ehm, cheaper) citruses continues.
Who are your favourite “ingénue” characters (normally a young woman who is sweet and innocent) - can be played straight (e.g. Lucie Manette from A Tale of Two Cities), or a deconstruction (e.g. Sansa Stark, May Welland from The Age of Innocence, or perhaps a male example)?
It’s an archetype with such a long history, and one which perhaps seems outdated today, so very curious to hear people’s thoughts!
I swear there exists a word that sounds similar to "mopette" or "foppish" or something (I know foppish is an unrelated word but the actual phonetic sound of the above two examples feel somehow close to right). The word basically means an innocent young girl that one would dote after.
