The fougère family
A perfume has an architecture, it is built around an assembly of 5 to 10 components.
This is called "a chord", just like in music. The main chord gives the theme of a perfume. In a way it is its soul. The olfactory families make it possible to classify the perfumes according to the French Committee of the Perfume (CFP). Each main theme, such as woody, floral or citrus, for example, can be dressed in one or more facets.
The fragrances of the fougère family, also known as the fern family, do not have the scent of the plant called "fern”.
A bit of history
After the trend of heavy and animal fragrances, Napoleon I started the tendency for Eaux de Cologne. A little later, part of the same direction, the fern family revolutionized masculine perfumery: the name fougère was given to the perfume Fougère royale created in 1882 by the Perfumer Paul Parquet, who gave a new style of perfumes for men.
The fragrance Fougère Royale was very popular with Guy de Maupassant.
The era of clean and ferns was dominant until the Sixties. The fern family started trending again in the beginning of the 2010s.
Composition of the fougère accord
The fern chord is primarily composed of bergamot, lavender, rose, geranium, vetiver, moss, tonka bean and/or coumarin.
This fern chord will be dressed with different notes.
In top notes, you can find aromatic notes such as lavender, lavandin, rosemary, thyme, clary sage, mugwort, aniseed, chamomile, laurel, mint (cf. The aromatic facet) and citrus notes (cf. The citrus facet).
In heart notes, you can find pellargonium rose, geranium rose, carnation, orange notes that gives a more modern tone (Methyl anthranylate) and sometimes benzyl salicylate notes (cf. The solar facet).
In base notes, there are tonka bean or its main molecule coumarin, vetiver, tree moss, sometimes vanilla, amber or leather notes, musku notes (cf. The leather facet, The amber or oriental, The musky facet).
Is the fougère family a masculine accord ?
The fougère accord is very popular among men because it’s reminiscent of beard soap and hygiene.
As the family evolved over time, it became powdery, leathery, citrus and even oriental. It has been modernized over time, either because of legislation (oak moss) or to target a younger clientele.
In order to make it more modern, the perfumer can dress it with a new freshness facet (cf. New freshness facet). Today, the fougère accord gives an olfactory impression of a man getting out of his shower.
The amber or oriental facet added to the fern accord in Brut de Fabergé gives a new direction to this family.
This family is seen as very virile, invigorating and dynamic. It can be orchestrated with a fruity facet, amber or woody notes, vibrant and powerful notes such as Z11 or Karanal, Ambrocénide, Limbanol or notes in similar style.
Some perfumes for women containing the fougère accord
The perfume Dana de Canoe from 1936 contains a classic fougère accord.
More recent, Dior’s perfume for women Hypnotic Poison takes up the fougère theme and dresses it with gourmand notes of vanilla and tonka bean (cf. The gourmand facet).
Evolution of the fern family
The perfumes of the fern family are appreciated for their diffusion, their power and their presence. In the past, they were marked by their clean and hygienic characteristics.
But today, thanks to the presence of woods, rounder and warmer notes such as amber or leather, they are more nuanced and perhaps less targeted for men.
Fragrances from the fougère family
- Invictus Paco Rabanne
- One million Paco Rabanne
- Fuel for life Diesel
- R Paco Rabanne
- Brut Fabergé
- Sauvage Dior
- Bleu Chanel
- Géranium Frédéric Malle
- L’orpheline Serge Lutens
- Guerlain Homme
- Drakkar Noir Guy Laroche
- Pour un Homme de Caron Caron
- Kouros Yves Saint Laurent
- Gucci by Gucci Gucci
- Fleur de mâle de Gaultier JP Gaultier
- Chrome Légend Azzaro
- Jicky Guerlain
- Mouchoir de Monsieur Guerlain
- Cerruti for men Cerruti
- Eternity for Men Calvin Klein
- Egoiste platinum Chanel
- English Lavender Yardley
- Azzaro pour Homme
- Cool Water Davidoff
- Dolce Gabbana pour Homme
- Eau de Minthé Diptyque
Sylvaine Delacourte fragrances
Discover Sylvaine Delacourte's brand with her Orange Blossom, Musk and Vanilla Collections. You can try them thanks to the Discovery Boxes (5 Eaux de Parfum x 2 ml) and rediscover these raw materials as you have never smelled them before.
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The citrus family
The citrus family or citrus perfumes is one of the 6 olfactory families, that are used to classify perfumes, according to the classification of the Comité Français du Parfum (CFP). Here are the 6 olfactory families that exist : The citrus family The floral family The amber or oriental family The chypre family The woodland family The fougère family
The floral family
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The woody family
The woody family is one of the six olfactory families used to classify perfumes into categories according to the classification of the Comité Français du Parfum (CFP). Here are the six olfactory families that exist : Citrus family Floral family Amber or oriental family Chypre family Woody family Ferns family Each fragrance is composed of an architecture of 5 to 10 components that fit together. As in music, this is called an "accord". The main theme of a perfume will be given by this main accord, which in a way represents the soul of the fragrance. Each main theme (such as woody, floral, or citrus) can be dressed in one or more facets by the perfumer-creator, in order to make the architecture of his fragrance more complex (the more faceted a fragrance is, the more complex it will be).
The oriental family
Before defining the oriental family, it is important to understand the orchestration of a fragrance. All fragrances consist of an architecture of 5 to 10 components, which together form an "accord". The main accord will give the fragrance its full personality. This precise orchestration has made it possible to distribute fragrances according to a rigorous classification (defined by the Comité Français du Parfum - CFP), distinguishing them into olfactory families. There are 6 different olfactory families: The citrus family The floral family The amber or oriental family The chypre family The woody family The fougère (or ferns) family Each family can then be complexified and dressed with several olfactory facets.
The chypre family
The classic Chypre note is a mix of bergamot, jasmine, rose, patchouli, tree moss, labdanum and some animal notes. This olfactive family can be associated with different facets, but a chypre fragrance is by definition always woody.