Angelos Creations Olfactives Fougeriste courtesy of Angelos Balamis
Fougeres are having a moment. In the last year or so, I have been introduced to several iterations that riff on the classic fougere formula of lavender, bergamot and patchouli with some spectacular results. These include Rogue Perfumery’s exceptionally elegant Bon Monsieur, Parfum D’Empire Fougere Bengale, which naughties things up with tuberose, Hiram Green’s jungly Arcadia (which I just reviewed last week), and now, a beautiful, bucolic interpretation from talented Greek perfumer Angelos Balamis, Fougeriste. The result is an olfactory rendering of a Constable landscape, equal parts dandified sophistication and milkmaid charm.
Angelos Balamis, photo Angelos Balamis
I’ve made clear my admiration for Angelos Balamis’ line, and for Balamis himself, who is one of the nicest guys in perfumery. With a background in electrical engineering, Balamis understands structure and molecular synergies as few self-taught perfumers do. His fragrances are inventive, stylish and incredibly lovely. Like all of Angelos Creations Olfactives, Fougeriste is made with a high concentration of absolutes (25% here), including a hefty helping of hay-like, nutty coumarin courtesy of tonka bean. The combination of lavender, tonka and bergamot in the heart of Fougeriste works so harmoniously that I am left wondering why someone hadn’t thought of this before.
Detail from The Hay Wain by John Constable, 1821
But Fougeriste is more than a classic fougere making hay in the English countryside: it is full of unexpected delights. Balamis studs his creation with glints of sunny citrus and basil in the top before bringing Fougeriste into the hayloft for a bit of friskiness with creamy jasmine and indolic notes. The opening is delightful: an initial spray brings a soapy rush of lavender that signals barbershop immediately. It is joined by a sunny trio of lemon, lush orange blossom and lathery neroli, embracing the bergamot like the three Graces. Add a touch of jasmine and dark green basil, and Fougeriste transports me to a Regency countryside in spring.
Lavender and hay bales, image via freepik
In the heart, things get drowsy and sexy. I’m not sure if part of the indolic accord Balamis lists is labdanum, but its sensual, sweaty sweetness makes its way into Fougeriste. Alongside an increasingly lush jasmine and velveteen violet leaf, the touch of animalic introduces a feminine, sensual aspect I would not normally associate with fougere. But, man, does it work. The ferny, herbal aspects of classic fougere remain at the forefront, but these floral and indolic notes adds soft sensuality. Wearing Angelos Creations Olfactives Fougeriste right now, I feel that I should be propped up against a hay bale in a hazy Suffolk field reading Blake and Keats.
Illustration from The Compleat Angler, Arthur Hughes (1832-1915)
A watery note washes through the fragrance from time to time like wavelets, as sea fennel brings a surprising touch of seaside, and my hayfield now has a nearby shoreline. In the base, cedar and sandalwood add shadow and depth but also a smooth, woody coolness like clouds, contrasting with the inherent warmth of lavender and tonka. If I’m waxing poetical, it is because that is the sort of fragrance Fougeriste is: classic but with Balamis’ trademark imaginative twist, at once a classical masculine and modern feminine, dreamily romantic and sophisticated. While Byron would likely have chosen something dramatically floral and musky, and Jane Austen a delicately ironic lemon rose, Fougeriste is the fragrance for Mary Shelley, the passionate, imaginative author of Frankenstein and lover of nature. It’s wonderful.
Notes: Lemon, bergamot, neroli oil Tunisia, dewberry, lavender oil Bulgaria, violet leaves, basil, fleur d’ oranger, sea fennel Greece, rosewood Brazil, jasmine grandiflorum Abs. Egypt, cedarwood Atlas & Virginia, sandalwood W. Australia, moss accord, tonka bean abs., indolic accord, patchouli fraction, musk.
Disclaimer: Sample of by Angelos Creations Olfactives Fougeriste kindly provided by Angelos Creations Olfactives. My opinions, as always, are my own.
Lauryn Beer, Senior Editor
Angelos Creations Olfactives Fougeriste
Thanks to the generosity of Angelos Balamis, we have a 30 ml bottle of Angelos Creations Olfactives Fougeriste for one registered reader in Europe, the UK or the USA. To be eligible, please leave a comment saying what strikes you about Fougeriste and where you live. Draw closes 7/9/2022.
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