Benghal by Lancome 2007: Watercolour Delight

Hi there Posse. The name Benghal is so evocative that I recently got a decant of this oldie from Lancome. To be honest I’d never even heard of this release and I wonder if it ever made it down to Australia. Anyway, it’s always fun to try new things so after having breakfast with Jin on the verandah. He made traditional Korean New Year Soup (beef broth, dumplings, rice cakes, shallots and seasonings), a couple of days late but no matter, and now we both have a day of leisure. He is on the couch watching Korean TV and I am blogging my heart out. There are many worse ways to spend a day huh? This is about as close to bliss as I get.

Benghal by Lancome 2007

Benghal Lancome FragranticaFragrantica

Parfumo gives these featured accords:
Top: Ginger, Mandarin
Heart: Jasmine, Osmanthus
Base: Musk, Sandalwood

A wet and dewy opening like a watered down fresh orange juice quickly moves through to a ginger and jasmine combo. The ginger and jasmine is pretty, bright and sparkling. Without being a big aldehyde fragrance it still manages to create fizz.

Here’s an analogy that sounds awful but is actually nice. You know when you first meet a friend after they’ve washed their hair. It’s clean and shiny, mostly dry and moves like an advertisement? That smell is what Benghal smells like to me. Pretty functional fragrance with a whiff of clean humanity underneath.

Benghal by Lancome 2007 Perfect hair PXHere

I’m surprised that peony and waterlily aren’t mentioned as notes. A surprisingly modern fragrance, it could have been released by any of the Tocca, Coach, Teo Cabinel or many other brands offerings this year. A fruity floral with a watercolour feeling and a hint of hairspray in the dry down.

eBay stil has a few floating around
Surrender To Chance has samples from $3/ml

Did you ever try Benghal when it was released?
Portia xx

 

Portia also writes for Australian Perfume Junkies.

  • Musette says:

    I keep trynta tell you I adore you but keep getting told my security token is invalid. xoxoxo

  • Heidi C says:

    Have not tried it, but I definitely want to try that soup!

  • Kate E. says:

    That soup looks so good! I don’t remember this release at all and the bottle looks straight from the ’80’s! I wonder if it had a retro ad campaign?

    • Portia says:

      Hey KateE,
      Soup = DELICIOUS!
      Yeah, the bottle seems such a haywire choice for the 2007 when we’ve had so much awesome stuff. It’s like they decided to do an ultra cheapie for the drug store market.
      Portia xx

  • shiva-woman says:

    I’ve never tried Benghal, but some of the notes are great: ginger and osthmanthus. On a side, every time Jin cooks something, my stomach starts growling and I want to come over for dinner. Alas. A continent away. You are so lucky– that soup!

    • Portia says:

      HA! Shiva-woman, having Jin cook each week is wonderful. He really enjoys it and is fantastic at it. My payment is the clean up, he is getting so much better at even that part himself though.
      Yeah, I know how lucky I am.
      Portia xx

  • Jennifer S. says:

    Darn! I just ordered some samples from STC. I’ll keep this one in mind for next time as it does sound nice and easy.