The Favourite is a Penhaligon’s fragrance launched in 2020 and composed by Aliénor Massenet. The house drew its inspiration from Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough, brought to the screen by the film The Favourite. This musky floral pairs mandarin and bergamot with a heart of mimosa, iris and jasmine, over a base of sandalwood and musk.
Aliénor Massenet built The Favourite as a musky floral: mandarin and bergamot at the top, mimosa, iris and jasmine at the heart, sandalwood and musk in the base. The house singles out three key notes: violet leaf, iris and musk.
The flowers
Penhaligon’s places a violet leaf absolute at the top, alongside mandarin essence and bergamot. The heart brings together a mimosa absolute, sambac jasmine and an iris concentrate, the material the house puts at the center of the fragrance.
Sandalwood and musk
The base pairs sandalwood, which the house describes as Indian, with musk, to which Penhaligon’s adds ambroxan, a molecule with woody and ambery facets. The house sees in this accord the sandalwood stage onto which its heroine steps.
Similar perfumes
Similar notes and family, from other houses.
- L'Heure Bleue 2026Guerlain
- L’Heure Bleue x Begüm KhanGuerlain
- WorldKenzo
- Valaya ExclusifParfums de Marly
- Rose VeloursVan Cleef & Arpels
- Her Eau de ParfumBurberry
- Glossier YouGlossier
- Flower Ikebana Mimosa by KenzoKenzo
More perfumes from Penhaligon's
Also composed by Aliénor Massenet
- Million Gold for Her ParfumPaco Rabanne
- Repetto Néroli Solaire Eau de ToiletteRepetto
- Million Gold for HerPaco Rabanne
- CosmosMemo Paris