One of the strongest debuts of 2011 was the arrival of the first six fragrances from Phaedon. Pierre Guillaume has also been involved with the line on some compositions. Phaedon has added two new creations to the original group; Coton Egyptien and Verveine Figuier. The timing of both of these couldn’t be better as both of them will be ideal summer fragrances.

Coton Egyptien is translated to Egyptian cotton and when I think of Egyptian cotton I think of high-thread count linens that are so soft and luxurious that it feels like a less slippery version of silk sheets. When I saw the name I expected this to perhaps be a more sophisticated version of the classic linen inspired fragrances of the past. Sometimes you get what you expect but slightly different as Coton Egyptien does indeed have that linen accord at its heart but these sheets are being dried on an outdoor clothesline downwind from a flower garden.

Coton Egyptien opens on a light application of galabanum which conjures up walking across the backyard to the clothes line and the billowing sheets there. The cotton accord is composed of a number of floral notes and starting with orange blossom, jasmine and lily of the valley they begin to pick up iris and regular lily and all of a sudden the linen accord is complete.  There is a clean spring like heat to this fragrance which delivers on its title. The base stays similarly clean with cedar and white musk. I applaud the fact that the white musk is kept to a minimum just enough to feel like clean skin but not so much to be distracting. If you like clean fragrances or just want to wear something on a hot day that won’t cloy; then slide between the sheets of Coton Egyptien.

Verveine Figuier takes a note, fig, which I think of as a spring staple and transforms it into something more appropriate to hot summer nights. Pierre Guillaume is the perfumer for Verveine Figuier and this feels like very similar territory to his 2010 release Bois Naufrauge for his Parfumerie Generale line. As with that fragrance Verveine Figuier paints a fragrant picture full of subtlety with notes which should not be as complicated. Verveine Figuier comes off as a sensual fig-based fragrance and it is something I am going to wear often this summer.

M. Guillaume uses verbena as the top note to begin things. Verbena is one of those perfume notes which has somehow been appropriated by less ambitious fragrances as the “poor man’s” citrus. In M. Guillaume’s hands both sides of verbena’s nature are on display as first the sharp citrus quality predominates before the greener quality of the leaves take over. Then like a magic trick the quality of the leaves transform from citrus tinged greenery to fig tinted greenery. Then the fig quality is emphasized as the lush pulpy quality comes to the foreground.  The woody quality of the fig tree is also present and I really like the slightly creamy quality fig wood imparts to Verveine Figuier. The base note is the sun-warmed skin accord of musk and fig wood. If you have enjoyed other fig fragrances this is going to be another winner for your wardrobe.

Both Coton Egyptien and Verveine Figuier have average longevity and below average sillage.

When it comes to fragrances I can wear on the most blistering of days there are only a few that I turn to. Thanks to Phaedon I think I have couple more options for this summer.

Disclosure: This review was based on samples purchased from Luckyscent.

–Mark Behnke, Managing Editor