Terrible Teddy

Terrible Teddy, inspired by Penhaligon's Terrible Teddy (2019)

Incense arrives first, dry and resinous, like the air in a stone church after a service. Leather follows close behind and soon takes the centre, supple and a little bitter without the tarry darkness some leathers have. Underneath, ambroxan, a modern ambergris material with a clean, faintly salty woodiness, gives the composition a lighter frame. With only three main notes, it reads as a focused, compact composition.

About the original

Penhaligon's released Terrible Teddy in June 2019 as part of Portraits, its series of scents built around characters in an invented story. Teddy is cast as a smooth and deadly operator linked to Heartless Helen, who launched at the same time, and the character is depicted as a rhinoceros. The brand sums the scent up as incense, leather and ambroxan; one US retailer adds vetiver to the base. A review attributes the composition to Quentin Bisch, though we have not seen that credit on Penhaligon's own pages.

Our version

Ours is an independent eau de parfum made to evoke the same character. It is not Penhaligon's stock, not an official relaunch and not the original formula.

Who it suits

Men who like leather but find the classic animalic versions too dense should get on with it, as a review of the original calls it bright and punchy. Retailers place it in their men's sections, while Penhaligon's presents the Portraits range largely without a gender. The smoke and leather are present from the start, so it will not please someone looking for a fresh or sweet scent.

Related scents

• Penhaligon's The Blazing Mr Sam
• Penhaligon's The Tragedy Of Lord George
• Tom Ford Ombre Leather

Notes of the original fragrance, as published by the brand.

Top notes: Incense

Heart notes: Leather

Base notes: Ambroxan

The opening is incense, dry and resinous, with the grey, ashy feel of a stick that has just burnt out.

Leather takes over in the heart. It is smooth rather than rough, closer to a worn glove than a saddle.

The base is ambroxan, which adds a mineral glow and stops the leather from turning heavy; some listings also mention vetiver.

Is Terrible Teddy a men's fragrance?

Retailers sell it in their men's ranges, but Penhaligon's itself presents the Portraits collection largely without a gender, so anyone who likes smoky leather can wear it.

How smoky is Terrible Teddy?

Incense is the first thing you notice and it stays in the background as the leather develops. The ambroxan base keeps the finish cleaner than a campfire-style leather.

Is there an intense version of Terrible Teddy?

We have not found one. Penhaligon's sells Terrible Teddy as an eau de parfum, separate from the house's Portraits Intense line.

Inside the EU, delivery is free on orders of €49 or more. Below that it is a flat €4.99. Outside the EU, delivery is a flat €4.99 on every order. We send every order in 1 to 2 working days. It arrives in 3 to 7 days across the EU and in 7 to 14 days outside the EU. You have 14 days to return an unopened bottle.

Penhaligon's and Terrible Teddy are trademarks of their respective owners, and all rights remain with them. Parfumour is not affiliated with, endorsed by, sponsored by, or connected to Penhaligon's in any way, and no business relationship of any kind is implied. Our product is an original interpretation created to evoke a similar scent profile, and the trademark names are used purely for honest, descriptive comparison, so that you can quickly identify the style and fragrance family you are looking for. We make no claim to sell the original product, and we do not use the same ingredients or formula. Any similarity lies in the overall impression of the scent as interpreted by our own perfumers, not in the source materials.