Just like the chypre family, the FOUGÈRE family has undergone numerous transformations since their concepts were first created, popularized, and known for a term that persist to this day. Initially aiming to replicate elements of nature, particularly ferns – hence its name derived from French –fougères were largely confined to a fixed basic structure for a century, with minor variations. This structure typically featured a top of lavender, a heart of geranium, and a base of tonka bean (coumarin) and oakmoss. However, novel and distinct styles emerged in the 1990s and 2010s, aligning with the tastes of generations Y (aka millennials) and Z, respectively.
See also: Fougères, A Brief History | Part 1: The Classics
Perfumers Michel Almairac and Pierre Bourdon, who had already created the groundbreaking and controversial Yves Saint Laurent’s Kouros (1981), distinctly animalic, and Davidoff’s Cool Water (1988), with a 20% overdose of Dihydromyrcenol, teamed up to create Joop Homme (1989). With this fragrance, Almairac and Bourdon enhanced the classic fougère accord with notes of orange blossom, jasmine, heliotrope, cinnamon, and vanilla, resulting in a potent composition that is sweet, spicy, powdery, and soapy – still polarizing to this day. While Joop Homme came in the form of a bold pink juice, quite daring for a men’s “cologne” at the time, Givenchy’s Xeryus Rouge (1995), composed by Annick Ménardo, another perfumer known for her boldness, was released in an intensely red bottle with a striking and contrasting accord of cactus, pimento, geranium, and salty vanilla, with an overall fougère feel. This style in both fragrances was crowned with Le Mâle (1995) by Francis Kurkdjian, who incorporated mint, cinnamon, and vanilla into the fougère accord. The latter ended up becoming a best-seller and a modern classic, fully embraced by millennials, generating dozens of flankers.
While sweet fougères rode the gourmand wave of the 1990s, some brands took an extra step by introducing floral fougères. Besides Joop Homme, also quite floral, Givenchy’s Insensé (1993) and Jean Paul Gaultier’s Fleur du Mâle (2007) are good examples – both ahead of their time, they had brief shelf lives. On the other hand, Prada Amber Pour Homme (2006), an amber fougère with a distinct soapy floral twist, and Amouage’s Reflection Man (2007), highlighting a white floral accord, are still in production. Although in mainstream women’s perfumery the combination of lavender and vanilla gained popularity with Mon Guerlain (2017) and was further reinforced by Yves Saint Laurent’s Libre (2019) and Burberry’s Goddess (2023), these fragrances don’t quite qualify as true fougères. It seems fougères remain firmly in the territory of masculine scents.
In the 2010s, a novel fougère style emerged, mainly characterized by a higher dosage of Ambrox and Amberwood synthetics. Led by Bleu de Chanel (2010) and reinforced by Dior’s Sauvage (2015), this trend took the world by storm with its high-performance, crowd-pleasing fragrances. This style, nicknamed “blue”, has minimal representation in the niche market, where Roja Parfum’s Elysium pour Homme (2017) is perhaps the most notable example. For more details, check the article Blue Scents: Versatile, Efficient, and Mass-Appealing.
Relatively rare in niche perfumery, which saw its rise in the early 2000s, fougères in this segment tend to be more complex, multifaceted, with premium ingredients. Many of these fragrances introduce unusual and innovative accords, exploring artistic and sometimes controversial themes, while deliberately avoiding the elements that mainstream brands generally use to appeal to the masses in order to achieve greater commercial success.
EXAMPLES OF NICHE FOUGÈRES
Here are a few examples of fougères and respective “extra” notes that enhance their shared classic fougère accord.
Jo Malone’s Amber & Lavender, 1995 (mint, cloves, cinnamon, patchouli, myrrh, amber)
Histoires de Parfums’ 1725, 2001 (licorice, sandalwood, almond, amber, vanilla)
MDCI Parfums’ Invasion Barbare, 2005 (violet leaves, cardamom, ginger, vanilla)
Parfum d’Empire’s Fougère Bengale, 2007 (green notes, fresh spices, hay, tobacco)
Penhaligon’s’ Sartorial, 2010 (metallic notes, honey, fresh & warm spices, woods)
Houbigant’s Fougère Royale (new), 2010 (green notes, chamomile, cloves, cinnamon)
Xerjoff’s XJ 1861 Naxos, 2015 (honey, cinnamon, vanilla, tobacco)
Amouage’s Bracken Man, 2016 (cloves, nutmeg, cypress, patchouli, woods)
Creed’s Viking, 2017 (pink pepper, mint, rose, cloves, woods)
Masque Milano’s Sleight of Fern, 2022 (red thyme, mastic, fig, birch, patchouli)
See also: Fougères, A Brief History | Part 1: The Classics
(text by Daniel Barros)
