Changing Constance by Penhaligon's

Smells rich, like candied nuts and Christmas candy, but I must give my honest opinion: it lasts and projects more than a sparrow’s poop.

Switching from Constance EDP by Penhaligon’s. Even the name is contradictory, and for me, that contradiction has never been so perfect. It starts spicy, peppery, and sweet; that sweetness lingers throughout. Salty caramel with vanilla, wrapped in spices and a light smoke. It has a childish touch but is super sexy without trying. The evolution tells Constance’s story: birth with the freshness of cardamom and the piquancy of pepper; childhood hoarding candies and sweat from games; and adult life as a woman who smokes a pipe without losing her grace, with vanilla on her skin. Her goal is to be herself, no matter what others say. Only those who want to will appreciate her, as her trail is soft and delicate. The goat from the Portraits collection is my platonic love; the price used to forbid it, but when a special someone gifted it to me, the moments were unforgettable. However, it’s not my fragrance of choice. It’s a love letter with a touching script, but the handwriting is shaky and the ink is smudgable. If you use it for important occasions, you’ll be disappointed.

What a fraud! The perfume is delicious, and the opening and dry-down are good. It reminds me of classics like Gentleman Reserve Privé or MIB, and as it dries down, it becomes more feminine, but it’s totally unisex. The problem is that it projects less than 10 cm right after application; within 30 seconds, it’s skin scent. I’m writing this review now and can’t smell it; no one around me can smell it unless they press their nose against my skin. I don’t know, I think a perfume house shouldn’t sell this. It bothers me to write this because it smells great, but I don’t recommend it to anyone.

Smells delicious and different, but it disappears in less than 30 minutes. Too expensive for such poor longevity.

Spiced and vanilla. Very sweet. I’d only wear it for very special occasions. It’s fine to try women’s fragrances; they seem genderless, but in my experience, they aren’t. You can adapt it to your style, but it has a feminine heart. A faint iris note appears as it dries, which improves the overall impression.

I tried it again today; I don’t know if they reformulated it or if the store bottle was well-macerated, but the performance improved considerably. A single spray on the shoulder was noticeable for 4-5 hours without me having to lean in, and that’s impressive because I was already wearing a potent, dense perfume. I’ll definitely investigate further; if the performance holds up, I’ll buy a bottle. I’m not much of a gourmand or sweet pastry person, but I love this scent, not for everyday wear, but to enjoy occasionally. EDIT: The perfumer is Juliette Karagueuzoglou.

Changing Constance, one of my favorites from the entire collection. A perfume for spice lovers, a magical scent in a dreamy bottle. It has a vibrant and cheerful opening, with huge amounts of cardamomo and a peculiar pepper note that makes it distinct. Almost from the start, you can detect the caramel, sweet but not too much thanks to the balance with salt. The dry down is fundamentally vanilla, silky and warm. To me, it’s a super beautiful scent, and since I got it, I haven’t stopped wearing it. It’s true that projection and sillage drop after 2-3 hours (and the price is high), but I think it’s a tremendously sexy scent, not the loud kind, but the kind that invites you to get closer. Personally, I enjoy that it’s not a beast, though I understand that for many the price isn’t justified. I would buy it a thousand times and invite everyone to try it.

This perfume is a true delicacy. Yesterday I went to a perfumerie to buy Silky Woods by Goldfield & Banks, and as usual, I tested several. There was one that I just couldn’t stop smelling all afternoon; it was exquisite and addictive; I was completely in love. It was Changing Constance. As I always do when I like something, I looked for reviews. Many praised it, but others complained about poor performance. That initially put me off, but after thinking about it, I concluded why deprive myself of something that had me head over heels? I thought maybe it wasn’t for night outs where you want to be noticed from afar, but rather for intimate enjoyment. And here I am, with Changing Constance, the newest addition to my collection.

My favorite perfume. I love it from start to finish, from the opening to the dry down. 100% personal enjoyment, even though it doesn’t have much sillage, it doesn’t bother me; it’s for me. I ordered a decant to try it and ended up buying the bottle because it’s an addictive scent. I thought it would be sweeter due to the praline and vanilla, and I was worried about the tobacco and black pepper notes, but here all the notes are in perfect harmony, delicious without overpowering each other. Wonderful aroma, 10/10, my top pick and favorite.

Delicious aroma but extremely scarce. It really doesn’t last long; not recommended to pay that much. A similar version in its opening and heart, spicy-citrus and sweet, is ‘Flame de Cuban,’ at a much lower price with better longevity.

An impressive perfume; it gave me the feeling it could be a flanker like Baccarat Rouge ‘for men.’ It seemed ideal for those who love this scent but don’t see themselves wearing it because they view it as too feminine; all the notes accompanying the caramel give it more presence (especially the cardamomo), and although it remains sweet, it shifts it toward a more masculine territory, similar to what 1 Million does with amber and cinnamon. It intoxicated me, and although we were heading into summer, I wanted to buy the bottle on the spot. Luckily, I went for a walk around the mall and realized it barely lasts; its performance, as many say, is weak, so it’s a definite no for me. Still, it’s one of the best I’ve heard, a spectacular scent.

Finally, I went to explore the Penhaligon’s line, and so many people talk about how good this fragrance smells that I researched the ingredients. The cardamomo and vanilla convinced me despite my total dislike of tobacco in fragrances. But I didn’t like it: in the opening, it reminded me a bit of Lune Feline, due to the vanilla and cardamomo, but quickly the intensity of the pepper overwhelmed the cardamomo and vanilla, and after 15-20 minutes, the tobacco took over everything, leaving only a strong, spicy tobacco note. It didn’t seem impactful to me, not wow, not gourmand, not memorable. The worst part is that after about an hour and a half, it disappeared from the dry down, so I don’t think it’s worth the cost. Rating: 5/10.

I love it; I still don’t own it due to the price issue… (it requires a lot of thought) but I know it will eventually come down. It’s like having Christmas in a bottle: those days of baking gingerbread cookies with spices, golden dust, eating pancakes with syrup and butter, and drinking chai latte.

Despite the reputation for poor performance, I bought a sample at Le Secret du Marais just to know what it’s about. Even though the performance is terrible, I have no regrets. It’s a very intimate, sweet, and spiced gourmand. It carries a delicious cardamomo, one of my favorite notes, mixed with the stickiest salty caramel and warm vanilla. The salt isn’t sharp; it gives it a special touch. A bit sweet, salty, and spiced. I don’t notice the tobacco. It’s compared to Kilian’s Princess, which I know well, but they aren’t very similar beyond being sweet and intimate. It’s like swapping the marshmallow for salty caramel and adding spices, making it more unisex and mature. To me, it leans closer to Lune Feline because of that cardamomo and ambered vanilla. It’s soft, sophisticated, sensual, and cozy. The bad part is no sillage and ridiculous longevity, about 3 hours. My family couldn’t smell it even if I pressed my nose to theirs. That’s how bad it is. I wouldn’t buy it for that; it seems like throwing money away, though I’ll check out Perfumes Martínez’s inspiration which claims to perform better.

I tried it today and it reminded me so much of a perfume I already own, but I didn’t know which one. I looked it up here, and yes, it’s 90% Kilian’s Princess. Very similar, but better. This one is better crafted; the scent is rounder and less ‘bland’. And it lasts longer. In short, it’s the adult, improved version of ‘I don’t need a prince by my side to be a princess’.