Penhaligon’s LP No. 9 for Ladies is a lively floral fragrance based on a lively little song that I’m sure you’re singing in your head right now.
LP No. 9 (for the ladies…) is a florist floral. It reminds me of a bouquet of freshly purchased florals. There’s a hint of lemon and lots of red rose, geranium, and a few carnations thrown in. It’s such a realistic bouquet that I swear that I smell “floral preservative”! Love Potion No. 9 Femme smells just like a florist. You better like florals to put this on your skin. Something about LP No. 9 is very prom to me. All of these florals smell like corsages to me. And prom was the only time I’ve ever walked into a florist. (FYI- I ended up going home and making my date a violet corsage because nothing was dandy enough). Love Potion No. 9 Ladies is fresh florals, slightly spicy and lemony…in a natural floral way. And don’t worry, the carnation isn’t O.D.ing with cloves. These florals actually smell cool and like they’ve been refrigerated. But, they have a natural floral spice. Mixed with the all the lemons, this is lively. And since it’s “fresh”, one can pick up on herbal greens. The dry-down is a spicy cedar-floral with plastic vanilla, very faint. It’s an EDT so it doesn’t hang around that long. I seem to only notice the top and middle.
I can see some people really digging this “red” floral with rose, carnation, and geranium. It is realistic floral. And I know those aren’t easy to find! However, this isn’t for me. In fact, in the EauMG household, we joke that this is spray on birth control. OK, I don’t think it is that bad, but Husband does. I don’t find Love Potion No. 9 Ladies offensive at all, but he does. I guess I should never take him to a florist! I really don’t get why he dislikes this one so. Little shop of florist horrors once upon a time?
*I’m sorry. I rarely comment on bottles but I find this one horrendous…even in person. Why would I pay $120 for this bottle? I find a decant much more attractive! This is like if Penhaligon’s created a trashy flanker for a Victoria’s Secret fragrance. The juice is the color of an Aqua Net hairspray bottle. The logo is OK if it was stamped on something in the $30 and under range. The velour sash, the faux-luxe, makes me angry in only that way that Victoria’s Secret mall lingerie tackiness does.
Notes listed include lemon, geranium, bergamot, tarragon, lavender, carnation, rose, jasmine, cinnamon, patchouli, musk, amber, cedar, and vanilla. PERFUMER – Christian Provenzano
I do urge you to try LP No. 9 Femme if you are looking for a feminine carnation fragrance or if you really like a living rose fragrance. Or if you want that smell of the florist shop in a bottle. This is that real!
The 3.4 oz EDT of Love Potion No. 9 retails for $120 at Beautyhabit.
Victoria’s Final EauPINION – A realistic floral bouquet fragrance, smells just like a florist – a spicy fresh floral. This base is soft. I would recommend this scent to those that want to smell like “red florals”, but I won’t be wearing this one for all of the reasons listed above.
And follow this link for The Searchers Love Potion Number 9 version and here for The Clovers. I know you want to!
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Fragrantica (member reviews)
*Sample purchased by me. Post contains an affiliate link. Thanks!
Victoria, do you have a picture of said violet corsage? I would LOVE to see it.
A kind UK-er just purchased the Penhaligon Discovery Set for me today. I wonder if this is in it! I might enjoy it only because florist florals make me think of funeral homes, and I like the smell of funeral homes.
And now you have been sufficiently weirded out by me =( oops!
Haha, it went to sh*t within a few hours. Said prom date is now my husband. Cute or pathetic? Haven’t decided.
My neighbor always says things like “this smells so beautiful like a funeral home”. So, there are many of you weirdos out there 😉
That is terribly cute and romantic! Sigh!
I’m glad I’m not the only person who enjoys the smell of a funeral home. Demeter makes a “Funeral Home” scent and I really want it; it’s perfect: decaying wreaths and formaldehyde.
I guess. It worked out well. One thing in my life that worked out well! haha
I have never smelled Demeter Funeral Home, one of the few 😉
Thanks for the lovely review! To me, Lp No 9 smells EXACTLY like Dior Dune. I fell in love with Lp first, not knowing what Dune which predates the Lp by a decade or so, smelt like. Needless to say, I was ASTONISHED to find out that they smelt the same.
I didn’t get Dior Dune. But, poor Dune has had some changes. I’ll try again 🙂 I need to try the men’s too.