Penhaligon's introduce Roaring Radcliff

Craig of That Dapper Chap reviews Roaring Radcliff, the latest fragrance in the Portraits collection from Penhaligon's and offers readers the opportunity to enter a competition to win the entire range.

The new Roaring Radcliffe fragrance with it's distinctive rum and tobacco scents

The Portraits Collection

In my last post about the Portraits collection from Penhaligon's of London I covered the unveiling of the collection and introduced you to the various members of this mysterious Victorian family, their characters and their secrets.

Time has passed since then and I now have the pleasure of introducing two new members of the family, although Lady Blanche may disagree that either of these characters bring her any pleasure whatsoever, and I am sure she is plotting their demise as I type!

Clandestine Clara is unveiled at Lord George's mistress and Roaring Radcliff as their illegitimate son!

Other members of the Portraits family vying for attention as Roaring Radcliffe and Clandestine Clara take the stage

Product

For this review I shall focus on Roaring Radcliff, his propensity for fast cars and faster women and the deliciously evocative scents that this new fragrance brings.

While this is a sponsored post I will be entirely honest with my thoughts and observations as always.

The Roaring Radcliffe bottle and gift box

Penhaligon's are well know for their very unusual fragrances and this one is no different. Punchy and powerful, it's a heady mix of warming rum, rich tobacco and sweet and spicy gingerbread. Think of a gentleman's club full of well to do gentlemen in all their finery and you're almost there.

It's deep and woody with a hint of oriental inspiration, and not like anything I have encountered before. Just like the Lord George fragrance, which instantly appealed to me, Radcliff had an immediate impact.

Price

As with other fragrances in the range, Radcliff retails at £178 for 75ml. While this may be at the higher end of some peoples budget, this is a special fragrance and sits apart from its competitors.

Peacock feathers decorate the Penhaligon's store in homage to the Clandestine Clara fragrance 

Packaging & Presentation

This is another area where Penhaligon's excel. The bottles in this range are exquisite. While the labelling is simple and unobtrusive, the bottle topper makes this range very exciting. Roaring Radcliff, with his powerful presence is captured in the form a lion. The topper and the bottle themselves are heavy, feels good in the hand and feels expensive.

The box itself is another talking point, and it is entirely covered with the stunningly intricate illustrations that fit the collection so well.

The central circular display in the Penhaligon's Regent Street store, London

The stunning and intricate artwork that accompanies the Penhaligon's Portraits collection

The entire Portraits Collection. Win the collection by entering the giveaway at the bottom of this post

Performance

This is a long lasting fragrance. I used five sprays first thing this morning and can still detect a faint whiff on my collar 12 hours later.

The fragrance is intense, it's lively and rich and was noticed by those around me. Not in an intrusive way, as they did have to come closer to get a better smell, but maybe that's just one of the plus points of this fragrance, that it makes people want to get closer. Not something Radcliff would readily disapprove of I'm sure!

The rum really comes through initially, this is then followed by the scent of tobacco as it starts to dry on the skin, It's then that a sweet spiciness of the gingerbread becomes apparent. 

With rum, tobacco and gingerbread, the fragrance packs a punch

Pertinence 

If you prefer a subtle fragrance that sits back and doesn't interrupt, Radcliff isn't the fragrance for you. This fragrance is your equal and will enter a room with you, having an impact and helping you get noticed.

I'd suggest that this is more of an evening fragrance rather than one for every day use.

The Roaring Radcliffe fragrance. Get ready to party!

The window displays at the Penhaligon's store in Regent Street London

Pro's & Con's 

This fragrance is unusual, it packs a punch and doesn't apologise for it. That could also be a downside as putting too much on will cause issues. Sometimes less is more and that's definitely true with Radcliff. You may want to add a couple of additional sprays if you're out on the town, or off to your own gentleman's club, but if you do choose to wear this every day, just be wary of its potency.

The bottle is another plus for me, it's super stylish and feels great. I know that you can't wear the bottle and that it's really about how the fragrance smells, but it really does add to the experience of wearing one of these fragrances.

A closer look at the Roaring Radcliff bottle with its beautiful lion head stopper

People

Women love this fragrance! I have never heard so many gasps of approval. "I love it" Suzy told me "It's strong and sexy" Carla said "I love the bottle. Bottles make me buy fragrance, and it's nice to see a company putting so much effort into their design" She also told me "It's like walking into a Gentleman's club, I just love it"

Matt said "It's very masculine and smells very expensive. I'd be worried that it could be slightly overpowering as it's very heavy. It'll last all day though and I love the bottle"

My first smell of the new Roaring Radcliff fragrance

Précis

To sum things up, I very much like it, as do the people that I shared it with. It's an unusual scent and one that some people may find hard to adjust to.

The design of the packaging and the bottle are second to none. For me this is a real winner.

Inside the Penhaligon's store on London's Regent Street

Win the entire Portraits collection

For Valentines, Penhaligon's are offering you the opportunity to send a loved one a virtual bunch of flowers with secret meanings via their website, and in doing so you will be entered into a draw to to win the entire Portraits collection. It's as simple as that! Good Luck!!