Fragrance Terms

Fougère

I noticed recently that some of my fougère shaving products were getting low or close to being finished, and that got me thinking about this family of fragrances, their character and variations, and their history. So I researched them a bit.

The name for this type of scent comes from the French word for fern, and the profile typically has a primary note reminiscent of a shadowy rainforest's flora. The name originated with Houbigant Parfum's Fougère Royale, created in 1882 by owner and perfumer Paul Parquet. Houbigant is an old and renowned French perfume house, established in 1775 and famous for creating fragrances for members of royal families; it was said to be a favorite of Queen Marie Antoinette. The association of the fougère scent with ferns often has been called an imaginary one, since fern plants supposedly have no scent. However, a few people have claimed that damp ferns actually do have a smell somewhat like loamy earth and hay and suggesting the presence of pine balsam and other wet foliage, and that the smell varies depending upon the species of fern.

Fougère Royale was the first fragrance that included a synthetic component, the chemical compound coumarin, which was created from coal tar. Coumarin had been discovered in 1868 by the English chemist Henry Perkion. Blended with lavender and oakmoss, it creates the woody base for fougère fragrances. Coumarin can be found in nature in some plants such as sweet clover, bison grass, woodruff, lavender, and South American tonka bean. Its name comes from the French word 'coumaru,' which means 'Tonka bean.' Perfumers claim that it is present in concentrations exceeding 1% in about half of the world's fragrances and appears in 90% of them.

Parquet at first devoted the Fougère Royale fragrance to women; but since it subsequently was primarily purchased and used by men, especially the dandies of the time, his classification and marketing of it changed. It had an overall note that captured at the time the imagination of Western Europeans who were in search of pathways for recalling nature in an increasingly urbanized and industrial landscape. Since that time the majority of fragrances in the category have been for men, with the Chypre family its feminine counterpart. Because it included for the first time a synthetic factor, Fougère Royale set a precedent that opened up the world of scents, previously consisting of simple 'natural' products, to the creative imaginations of perfumers. Production of Fougère Royale was stopped in 1950, although unsuccessful attempts to recreate and update it were undertaken in 1959 and 1988. Under the ownership of the Dana Company, Houbigant re-introduced the fragrance in 2010, changed somewhat due to decreased ingredient availability and health regulations.

The fougère family usually is included in the broad green category of scents. These products are usually based for the most part on 'natural themes' that smell like plants, leaves, and grasses. The green factors provide bright, strong accents that can be found as top or middle notes in compositions. Fougère perfumes almost invariably feature lavender as a sweet top note, along with geranium, bergamot (for brightness), oakmoss (for woodiness and further sweetness), and coumarin (for freshness). Although the family has evolved dramatically over the past century, it has maintained its basic accord and multifaceted quality. Modern fougère creations often have various citrus, herbaceous, floral, and animalic notes added. Common additions include vetiver, galbanum, amber, sandalwood, guaiac wood, rosemary, sage, and other herbs. Fougère subclasses, building upon the same basic skeleton, include Citrus, Woody, Leather, Aquatic, Green, Fruity, Spicy, and Aromatic Fougères. Over time fougère fragrances fell out of favor, but more recently they have enjoyed a resurgence in popularity, with modern perfumers adding new twists to the classic combination. Generally they remain herbacious and are characterized by a tobacco-like warmth, a fierce aromatic intensity with an almost 'bitter' character, and a dry, grassy and hay-like drydown. Clean and fresh, they are quite versatile and can be worn on a wide variety of occasions.

Examples of men's fragrances which fall into the fougère class include Brut by Fabergé, Paco Rabanne pour Homme, Azzaro pour Homme, Boss by Hugo Boss, Prada for Men, Eternity for Men by Calvin Klein, Canoe for Men by Dana, Dolce & Gabbana pour Homme, Drakkar Noir by Guy Laroche, Tabac for Men, Michael for Men by Michael Kors, Davidoff Cool Water, Penhaligon's Sartorial, Clubman Pinaud and Special Reserve, Polo Blue and Chaps by Ralph Lauren, and Kouros by Yves Saint Laurent.

Big thanks. This is a great for frag heads and wet shavers! Truly appreciate this - learned a lot.

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My opinion...
Because Fougeres are green and earthy by definition, Sartorial cannot be a Fougere. I know they used the word Fougere in the marketing, but I really believe they did that just because Fougere was the hottest word in perfumery when Sartorial was released... But the fragrance itself is based off the smell in a tailor shop which has nothing to do with a forest floor.
Penhaligon's English Fern is a proper Fougere by definition.

My opinion...
Because Fougeres are green and earthy by definition, Sartorial cannot be a Fougere. I know they used the word Fougere in the marketing, but I really believe they did that just because Fougere was the hottest word in perfumery when Sartorial was released... But the fragrance itself is based off the smell in a tailor shop which has nothing to do with a forest floor.
Penhaligon's English Fern is a proper Fougere by definition.

Nero. Exactly right

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This is one of the greatest threads I've ever come across. Thank you so much to the OP for providing me with some language and understanding of the scents I love and don't love. I feel like I just completed coursework. It's been a pure pleasure to read.

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Seriously, I feel like I should pay for this education!

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Seriously, I feel like I should pay for this education!

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Thanks for the nice comments. It's been fun to do the posts.

Agreed this one of best threads in all shavedom.

There is a similar thread,albeit disguised as ‘What Frag Are You Wearing Today’ in The Shave Nook.

Participants are many of the same characters as the thread on DFS but the post goes WWAAAYYYY beyond pretty photos of the day into debates amongst renowned nonindustry experts that renders it worth a daily check in. To my perspective it also vies for greatest thread in all shavedom and worthy of subscribing

Agreed this one of best threads in all shavedom.

There is a similar thread,albeit disguised as ‘What Frag Are You Wearing Today’ in The Shave Nook.

Participants are many of the same characters as the thread on DFS but the post goes WWAAAYYYY beyond pretty photos of the day into debates amongst renowned nonindustry experts that renders it worth a daily check in. To my perspective it also vies for greatest thread in all shavedom and worthy of subscribing

I'll check it out! Thanks for the tip!

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Patchouli

Back in my hippie days in the late 1960s, when I was completely ignorant about fragrances, I thought that patchouli was some type of herb and spice blend, sort of like a potpourri.  For many people my age who grew up in the sixties, it was the smell of headshops, where it apparently was used sometimes to mask the smell of marijuana.  It was supposed to have been brought to Western markets by backpackers on the 'Hippie Trail' through India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Iran.  Its distinctive earthy scent appealed to the back-to-the-earthers of the time.  In the movie High Fidelity, John Cusack yells, "Get your patchouli stink out of my store!" at the bohemian Tim Robbins.  Patchouli really was ubiquitous then, and because of its strong, overwhelming scent seemingly everywhere, I eventually grew to dislike it.  (In addition, a lot of the patchouli used in the 1960s was low quality.)  However, more recently I have begun to really appreciate its presence in shaving and cosmetic products.

Patchouli (from the Tamil pachai, pachilai, or pacculi, meaning 'green leaf;' or Hindi pacholi, 'to scent') is a species of the aromatic family Lamiaceae, commonly called the mint or deadnettle family.  It grows as a perennial bushy shrub, with strong upright stems reaching a height of around 3 feet and bearing soft, hairy leaves and small, pale, pink-purple to white flowers.  It grows well in warm to tropical climates, thriving in hot weather but not direct sunlight.  The flowers produce seeds, but the plants are commonly propagated from cuttings.  The seed-producing flowers are quite fragrant and blossom in late fall.
 

It grows wild in Sumatra and Java at higher elevations (3,000-6,000 feet).  Pogostemon cablin and other pogostemons are all cultivated for their essential oil.  Patchouli is generally considered a Bengali Indian herb, but it also is native to Malaysia and possibly the Phillippines.  Today about 90% of patchouli oil comes from Indonesia, with significant amounts also coming from China, India, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, and West Africa. Smaller crops are grown in the Philippines, Taiwan, Japan, Thailand, Cambodia, Myanmar, Madagascar, and Pakistan, and in areas of South America and the Caribbean.


As with many plants, traditional uses of patchouli date back thousands of years.  Egypt's King Tutankhamun is reputed to have had 10 gallons of patchouli oil buried with him in his tomb, and the Romans used it as an appetite stimulant.  It is recorded as being grown in China by the 5th century BCE, although this may have been different but similar plant.  It was introduced to commercial Indian growth in 1834, and it eventually arrived in the Middle East along the silk trading routes, and then subsequently in Europe and England.  During the Victorian era the leaves were folded into cashmere shawls and packed along with spices, silks, carpets, and other treasures shipped from British-colonized India and Malaysia, in order for its insect-repellant properties to protect the items from moths and other pests.  The scent of patchouli permeated the fabrics during transport, adding a layer of exotic allure.  Eventually the scent became a sign of 'Oriental' authenticity, and customers sometimes refused to buy unscented shawls; unscrupulous producers of unauthentic shawls layered them with patchouli leaves, allowing them to be passed off as genuine.  Empress Eugenie, the wife of Napoleon III, was among the first in 19th century Europe to favor shawls for their protection against chills without the beauty of her gowns.  Soon patchouli-scented shawls became fashionable in France, paralleling the rise of patchouli as a Western fragrance ingredient.  Its use in perfumery has increased since that time, although recently it has fallen out of favor somewhat.

The leaves of the patchouli plant produce the essential oil in hair-like glanduar trichomes.  The leaves are harvested by hand two or three times per year, with the best oil derived from leaves harvested in the wet season.  A few sources have claimed that the highest quality patchouli oil is produced from fresh, undried leaves distilled immediately and close to where they are harvested, like the leaves of other aromatic plants such as mint or eucalyptus.  But traditionally, patchouli leaves have been fermented/dried first.  They are bundled or baled and allowed to dry partially and ferment for a few days in the shade to soften the cell walls before being dried further.  The topmost mature leaves are then placed on bamboo mats in direct sunlight, with the leaves not touching one another.  They are frequently checked, turned over, and moved slightly to prevent molding or drying too quickly and becoming crumbly.  Once they are determined by observation to be ready, they are placed in a still for steam distillation, with a volume yield of about 3.5%.  When first extracted, the essential oil is slightly viscous and has an orange hue.  The oil often is aged, with the color and viscosity deepening and the olfactory profile changing so that the earthier, darker notes emerge.  Patchouli oil also is now becoming available as a CO2 extract in limited quantities.


The two main natural chemical components of patcholi oil are patchoulol (25-35%), a sesquiterpene alcohol, and norpatchoulenol, a tricyclic terpenoid.  Despite the ease and low cost of its production, agricultural methods result in unreliable, inconsistent, or unsustainable quality and supply, and there are synthetic patchoulis now being developed and produced.  The synthetic biology pioneer Amyris and Firmenich, the largest flavor and fragrance company, have developed a novel bioprocess for making large volumes of quality patchouli oil from yeast.  The synthetically altered microorganisms produce patchoulol, patchouli's key component, at a facility in Brotas, Brazil.  The agricultural approach takes 6 months from planting to harvest, not including drying and extraction, while the manufacturing process results in high-quality oil in about 2 weeks.  Supply chain problems are mitigated, but small farmers in the agricultural countries inevitably will be affected.

Patchouli is sweet and spicy, with an intense, musty, woody aroma that is reminiscent of wet soil.  It contains the same dark, rich, earthy tone element that is present in vetiver.  Its structure consists of sweet herbaceous top notes, a rich winey heart, and a balsamic woody base.  Because of its association with dirt and drug use, and the contemporary preference for 'fresh,' simpler compounds, modern patchouli often is altered molecularly to remove the less desirable musty components.  The oil still is very popular in perfume blends, especially the contemporary woody floral musks.  It is especially complementary to vanilla and other sweet scents, and it mixes well with other essential oils, including vetiver, sandalwood, frankincense, bergamot, cedarwood, jasmine, rose, and citrus oils.  Patchouli often is used as a base note in chypre, oriental, and powdery fragrances, pairing with the sweetness of bergamot, lavender, and rose and the smoothness of sandalwood.  It is present in nearly all blends bearing a reference of any kind to India.  It is sometimes thought to be too overwhelmingly earthy and heavy for haute perfumerie, but it actually is a basic building block of many of the genres.  It also is valuable as a fixative, slowing the evaporation of other more volatile oils and thus extending the fragrance life of other perfume ingredients.

In addition to its use in perfumery, patchouli is widely added as an ingredient in modern scented industrial products, including paper towels, laundry detergents, and air fresheners.  More traditionally, patchouli has been used in East Indian incense, in insect repellants, and as a medicinal ingredient to treat skin disease (inflammation, eczema, acne, chapping, dandruff, and scars), headaches, colic, muscle spasms, infections, insect and snake bites, and anxiety and depression.  The leaves have been used to make herbal tea, and in some cultures they are eaten as a vegetable or used as a seasoning.  The Chinese, Japanese, and Arabs have believed it to possess aphrodisiac properties. 

In aromatherapy, patchouli is considered a grounding and balancing element, soothing and relaxing yet stimulating, and particularly relevant for conditions of weak immunity or other weakened states.  It is said to bring the three principal forces within the body - Creative at the navel, the Heart center, and transcendental Wisdom at the crown - into harmony.  The aroma of the oil is thought to relieve the strain of those with excessive mental activity, who feel 'out of touch' with their body, and is reputed to be helpful for impotence, frigidity, and lack of sensuality.

And in probably its least traditional use, Mattel employed patchouli oil in 1985 in the plastic used to produce the action figure Stinkor in the Masters of the Universe line of toys.

Well know fragrances dominated by patchouli:
Byblos Patchouly
Caswell-Massey Aura of Patchouli
Etro Patchouly
Gobin Daudé Jardins Ottomans
Jalaine Patchouli
L'Artisan Voleur de Roses
Lorenzo Villoresi Novella Patchouli
Lush Karma
Mazzolari Patchouly
Molinard Patchouli
Montale Patchouli Leaves
Santa Maria Novella Patchouli
Serge Lutens Borneo 1834

Fragrances with a patchouli component:
Arquiste Misfit
Azzaro pour Homme
Balenciaga Homme
Bath House Patchouli & Black Pepper
Bond No. 9 Bleecker Street
Byredo Velvet Haze
Christian Dior Patchouli Impérial
Crabtree & Evelyn Patchouli
D.S. & Durga Amber Kiso
Diptyque Tempo
Fragonard Zizanie
Frederic M Une Vie en Or pour Homme
Givenchy Gentleman
Givenchy Patchouli de Minuit
Guerlain L'Instant pour Homme
Henry Rose Dark is Night
Hugo Boss Cashmere & Patchouli
Lalique Eau de Lalique
Miller Harris Terre de Bois
Paul Sebastian Kinetic Male
Rochas Lui
Roger & Gallet L'Homme Patchouli
Saint Charles Shave Patchouli
Serge Lutens Fumerie Turque
Serge Lutens Un Bois Sepia
Thierry Mugler A*Men
Tom Ford Patchouli Absolu
Yves St. Laurent Rive Gauche pour Homme
Yves St. Laurent Kouros