Eau Sans Pareil means here water without equal, so it is supposed to be a fragrance that has no similar counterpart. A bold name, as fragrances nowadays tend to smell quite similar (even niche fragrances), which is due to the fact that there are really tens of thousands of perfumes out there…
I am quite sure that there are fragrances that smell similar to this one, but perhaps things were different back in 1988 when the fragrance first appeared? So don’t be confused by the year 2011. The scent is more of a revival of a fragrance that isn’t even that old. And probably there were already fragrances back then that were similar to this one? Anyway, my fragrance journey through Penhaligon’s scents continues here, and I am always curious about what I will get to smell next.
And yes, it’s once again a women’s fragrance. But I wasn’t sweating in fear in the women’s department; instead, I tested the scent calmly at home using a sample while observing my sleeping cat from the corners, so he wouldn’t jump onto my table and knock everything over at the moment I was handling fragrances (how peaceful and cute they look when they sleep… no comparison to the terror they sometimes cause :DD).
The Scent:
The scent starts with fruity-sweet notes. I smell mandarins, pineapples, raspberries, and orange-like fragrances… it slightly reminds me of a delicious and sugary fruit salad. But to make it feel like a perfume, there are also other scent notes like pink pepper, which gives the fragrance a sweet-spicy note. Above all, you can also quite clearly smell the aldehydes, which leave a more mature impression (but as I said, the fragrance is from 1988, a time when I think many scents had such a fragrance direction with aldehydes, oak moss, etc.).
From the flowers, I can best smell the roses, followed by jasmine due to its sweetness. Ylang-ylang is less present, and the lily of the valley probably gets overshadowed by the sweetness of the jasmine. The iris is also not really noticeable, but you can at least tell that the fragrance has powdery undertones.
This powdery aspect even becomes quite intense over time and thus very pleasant; the scent feels quite soft, and together with the rose mentioned earlier, which becomes one of the main scent notes starting from the heart note, the fragrance smells beautiful and very feminine.
The transition to the base is only gradually noticeable. Because even in the base, the scent remains soft, powdery, and sweet (now even a bit more due to musk). You gradually smell a bit of vanilla and catch a hint of sandalwood notes. Oak moss completes the mature or classic character of the fragrance. A successful scent!
The Sillage and Longevity:
The projection is above average, and you can smell the fragrance well at first and still somewhat from not too far away later on.
The longevity is also above average. It is detectable for just under eight hours, as after that it becomes too weak to enjoy.
The Bottle:
The bottle is, as always, cylindrical and clear. On the front, there is a large white label, which is somewhat simpler compared to many other fragrances from this brand, if you ignore the huge letter "E." The cap is round and has a cylindrical base, to which a ribbon is attached, colored pink and black here.
Eau Sans Pareil has become a beautiful, gentle fragrance that takes two directions. There is the top note, which initially smells beautifully fruity. As described, due to the many fruit notes, it even seems like a delicious fruit salad, and one thinks that the fragrance is actually a fruity scent. But starting from the heart note, the fruity components gradually fade away, so that the fragrance becomes more rosy-powdery and sweet, with classic notes (I would say a Chypre structure).
Very soft, not too strong, and thus suitable for warmer days. It is already usable during the day, but I find that it fits better for going out or special occasions than for using it in the office or something.
And since I just mentioned my cat: Yes, the fragrance is as soft as a cat… and my cat is currently snow-white again, as it rained the other night and his fur is cleaner than usual. It’s funny that his paws, however, have been stained black by the mud; luckily, he hasn’t left any paw prints on the freshly made bed this time… :D
But someone will surely let him into my room soon while I’m still sleeping or my bed isn’t made… then he will naturally jump onto my bed and sleep with me or on the bed, even if I shouldn’t be there. And if I am still lying in bed, there’s a round of “kneading” before he lies down, so he can also clean his dirty paws nicely at the same time! … meow!
Top Notes 
Aldehydes
Bergamot
Cypress
Kumquat
Mandarin orange
Neroli
Pineapple
Pink pepper
Raspberry
Tagetes
Heart Notes 
Damask rose
Clove
Iris
Jasmine
Lily of the valley
Liquorice
Ylang-ylang
Base Notes 
Labdanum
Vetiver
Benzoin
Vanilla
Cedarwood
Crystal amber
Musk
Oakmoss
Patchouli
Flioline
Mydarkflower
Parfümlein
Scentina
Anotherfrag
CharlAmbre
Jennytammy
