The start: pleasant, aromatic, slightly cigar-like tobacco with a light boozy note, to which a little cinnamon, saffron and vanilla is added. So now I am comparing them side by side, Mr. Sam actually is much stronger in the opening, so strong that you can’t smell Papilefiko anymore.

Does he have to? Definitely not. Sometimes less is more, and that's what has been perfectly erased in this case. I mean it’s okay, but it’s top loaded to make you think it might be good and justify buying, but I’d be disappointed if I bought that fancy bottle and this was lurking in the drydown. Hm, wasn't that exactly what I actually wanted? A perfume with which one could identify me without problems? Something that stays true to my line, but still seems special? In a sense, a metamorphosis of my old familiar sweet favorites, only in niche? Yes, it was and is. The fictional storyline of the frivolous Mr. Sam on top of that an absolute win for my dimples. I just can't lie to myself, whether I dislike it or not.

The description that the portrait is of someone in the fast lane is as accurate as a fist in the eye. Dominique Ropion is my favorite perfumer of all time and anything I've smelled from him has been quality, quality, quality. From my last 5 favorite, amazing discoveries, 4 have been his masterful creations. So I was very excited to finally get to get my hands on Papilefiko. But I will prefer Papilefiko to Mr.Sam, it is smoother and a little more versatile, little mature, little more naturals here, but to be honest it’s crazy how similar the scent profile is and how little changes were made to Penhaligon’s formula.

I love Penhaligon’s; beautiful pkging, iconic, historical etc. - sampled a ton , just wish I could afford all the ones on my list lol - their prices can get ridiculous & not sure the frags are groundbreaking - but great quality, approachable & beautiful none the less - like Blanche is similar to other frags but it doesn’t make Blanche any less stunning. It just offers me nothing I can write to you about, that will make it stand out in front of others with something. I wasn't excited at the opening or first 2 hours, but now that I've had a full day wear out of it - I can say it's pretty linear & boring. The Revenge of Lady Blanche is a well-blended fresh and warm scent. It is a rare composition and even rarer a good one among its counterparts. Mugler aura is also a blend of freshness and warmness but it is not as well-blended as this one though it is still a good perfume. Its freshness and warmness are kind of separate. What I mean is that you smell the freshness in one sniff and the warmness in another. However this one is not. The freshness and warmness come to your nose at the same time. I don't know how they do this but indeed it is a succeed. In other words, you should get dressed up for it rather than just being dressed up in loose clothes. This noble drop should be used in style!Nevertheless, I put my search on hold, because I was a bit disillusioned by the temporary result. But unexpected often comes and so it happened that I was recently again testing new fragrances, including some Xerjoffs, such as 40 Knots (great, high-quality fragrance). Almost incidentally, Penhaligon's The Blazing Mr. Sam was sprayed on my wrist, which I didn't pay much attention to; I was too taken with 40 Knots. As the day went on, however, I lost more and more control and was only sniffing Mr. Sam, which I had previously dismissed as an overpriced mainstreamer. More and more I liked this actually simple composition, which reminded me a bit of my favourite Spicebomb (original, not extreme). Now I started to do some research and came across the remarkable stories of the Portraits series from Penhaligon's. Highly recommended, almost comic book like. In doing so, I found Mr. Sam's story exceedingly interesting and, to my amazement, somehow applicable to my life's journey. Not the nouveau riche or playboy posturing, but the impetuous, brash, and not-always-correct-with-your-head-through-the-wall strategy. If my mother were to read the description, she would probably smile and somewhat cynically claim that this would apply perfectly to her son. The same goes for the scent itself, which according to her would be far too sweet, just like the ones I have accumulated since puberty and which she resists. But that fits yes, what else she is not used to from me.

These spring blossoms becomes gently honeyed roughly 2 hours in, before merging together into an iris/laundry white musk in the next 9 hours of long dry down. The laundry-like white musk doesn't smell aggressively sharp, thankfully. Instead, it's rather smooth and fluffy, which reminds me of the diaphanous LM Parfums Chemise Blanche. There's occasionally some metallic/citrus-y aldehyde dancing around the edges, which also makes me think of Byredo Blanche, although Lady Blanche is much less muddy and more translucent. One sits comfortably together and enjoys the tender waffles and the company on this slightly rainy evening.Age group? I would say, as Penhaligon's already described or rather it leaves the impression, rather for the younger and wild as well as aspiring star on the walk on Fame, who writes "I am here, I am here". Scents were issued regularly from the original shop on Jermyn Street, until it was destroyed in The Blitz of 1941. The shop disappeared, but the fragrances of the company endured, and in 1956, Penhaligon's was granted a Royal Warrant by the Duke of Edinburgh for the manufacturing of toiletries. This is how Mr. Sam started the acquaintance with me, leaving me confused for a few minutes .. but then, I realized that we met before, in another context - I will explain. According to my nose, this fragrance does not offer much change at the beginning, which will not happen in the next few hours According to the marketing blurb, Lord George is supposed to be a tragic figure, Blanche a dangerous woman seeking revenge. I do not see George as Agamemnon nor Blanche as Clytemnestra. If Penhaligons had sold the Lord George perfume as Blanche's revenge (a dish served ice cold) and this flowery bouquet as George's secret tragedy it would be much more apt and far more intriguing. As it is, they made the obvious unimaginative choice and are thus promoting something not just boring but politically suspect. What's that you say? A bunch of flowers, or a perfume pretending to be a bunch of flowers, or a perfume pretending to be a 1970s soap pretending to be a Victorian bunch of flowers, is not political and has no relationship to a dangerous nostalgic-nationalism? Blanche is innocent!, you protest. Are you sure about that? And, yup, perfume can be political and so can a vase of flowers.

Sometimes I feel like I can barely smell it at all… but then I can? like the closer / more I try to smell it, it disappears. But then if I just wildly wave my wrist around/near my face… there it is again. It’s very slippery & elusive. You know that nice feeling which we have sometimes for a few minutes when something seems familiar to us but we do not know from where and what is it? The first hour of The Revenge of Lady Blanche is promising: bitter green sap of hyacinth with a subtle powdery texture, almost like those in vintage green floral fragrances but not quite as harshly soapy; velvety petals of lily-of-the-valley scattered within, while the golden hay nuance of narcissus lies underneath. The whole effect is like a modern ballad of spring blossoms, lively yet polished as well. At a business appointment to radiate Confidence and to bring the last persuasive power with you. Or at a wedding to become the compliment magnet of the evening

It is a confident, ambitious beautiful woman who has her own career and life. She is not a dependent of men. The freshness is her in daytime, acting as a protective shield covering all her secrets and ambition underneath. On the other hand, the warmness resembles her dangerously beauty and deadly lust for money and power which are unknown to anyone. But this is exactly what makes her tempting and beguiling. Sweet, curcumin like dry, lavender is somewhere there, it grows so fast on me, I start to like it more and more. Penhaligon's is a British perfumery established in 1870 by William Penhaligon. Originating as a barbershop, Penhaligon's offered its first fragrance in 1872, Hammam Bouquet. The fragrance was inspired by the neighboring Turkish Bath and its sulfurous steam. The company's best-selling fragrance, 1902's Blenheim Bouquet, created at the request of the Duke of Marlborough at Blenheim Palace, broke with the prevailing floral trends of its day to enchant with zesty citrus, spices and woods. It reminded me something in the store and now when I bought it, first spray and literally just right away I knew that it’s just Blazing Mr. Sam, I mean not similar, I thought it is the same perfume.