Darren Alan Perfumes Foin Coupé courtesy of the perfumer
Ach, wie so bald verhallet der Reigen,
Wandelt sich Frühling in Winterzeit!
Ach, wie so bald in trauendes Schweigen
Wandelt sich alle die Fröhlichkeit!
Bald sind die letzten Klänge verflogen!
Bald sind die letzten Sänger gezogen!
Bald ist das letzte Grün dahin! ~ Herbstlied (Autumn Song) excerpt, poet Karl Klingemann
Oh, how soon does the rondelay (a traditional slow, circular dance) fade, as Spring changes to Winter!
Oh, how swiftly, in mournful silence is all the joy transformed!
Soon the last tones will have flown! Soon the last singer will have departed!
Soon the last green retreats! (my translation)
Darren Alan courtesy of the perfumer
As the veil between late summer and early autumn gradually lifts, we find ourselves on the cusp of a threshhold. All agricultural societies have traditionally viewed this time of the year as one of beginnings as well as endings: the harvest signals the culmination of another year’s labor come full circle to fruition. Artisanal perfumer Darren Alan has chosen the poignant aroma of new-mown hay, Foin Coupé, as his September offering – as befits this contemplative season.
Jean-François Millet’s The Gleaners (18570 via wiki )
Darren’s Foin Coupé is an olfactive neo-vintage homage which is splendid on its own terms: it summons the bittersweet pathos of fond memory. I smell it and envision Jean-François Millet’s The Gleaners (1857), and Claude Monet’s 1890-91 end of summer wheat stacks. I am a girl again, in my early teens – happily transported from an urban setting to a bucolic one. That girl/fledgling woman walks miles barefoot along the dirt roads dressed in faded overalls and waist length hair. It is coming on dusk, and a shy young man carries her across the drier, newly-cut hay fields for fear that she might step into a cow patty or injure herself. It is a scene tender and true. He lays her gingerly alongside a haystack hidden from prying eyes and kisses her with all the awkward ardor of which an inexperienced youth is capable. They do not speak of it until many years have passed, yet they carry this memory with them: the sweet, coumarinic aroma of dried grasses, clover, the random errant herb which grew side by side. One cannot erase such moments.
Foin Coupé is also a reminder of my first pets as a young mother, and timothy hay. One of the first little creatures we welcomed into our family was a guinea pig named Siegfried, cunning and gormless. It was a rare indulgence to buy him timothy hay from a local farm, which was sweetly fragrant and more expensive than the usual fare available. At that time, I had discovered Santa Maria Novella’s Fieno – to which I referred as Eau de Cavy Tummy. Even today, when I spray Darren’s Foin Coupé my memory is flooded with the scented warmth of a funny furry little one pressed up against my cheek. Such is the innocence of Darren Alan’s latest fougère – a timeless serenity redolent of halcyon days and a more mannerly era – which is so welcome today in our chaotic world.
Darren Alan Perfumes Foin Coupé courtesy of the perfumer
In his portrayal of Foin Coupé, Darren cites his inspiration as Oriza L. Legrand’s Foin Fraîchement Coupé, composed in 1886. When you experience each, you can follow the fragrant lineage between them: similar enough to recognize, but possessed of their own minutiae sufficiently to acknowledge their distinctions. It is interesting to note that the Farmacia di Santa Maria Novella Fieno launched its own hay-themed eau de cologne in the same year. I’ve not been able to uncover which scent took precedence from the available literature. As I own each of the three perfumes, I am perfectly happy to enjoy them all; how could I possibly have too many beautiful fougères? Foin Coupé opens with a bright, bracing dash of bergamot garnished with clary sage : of course, there’s a fine lavender in tow. The hawthorn which our perfumer employs displays the anisic facets which are present in the older inspirational fragrances; these meld beautifully with hay absolute (which, by the way – often resembles tobacco when undiluted). All great fougéres include a fulsome floral/herbal geranium, and geranium Bourbon is among my favorites. The de rigueur coumarin glows softly, partnered with exquisite ambergris, sandalwood, and the perfumer’s proprietary vintage musk accord. Foin Coupé fairly hums with gentle conviviality, a soothing elixir for troubled times. In the words of Stephen Foster, it assures us that ‘better times are coming’. I continue to be in awe of Darren’s mastery, diligence, and the attention to detail which differentiates him from the burgeoning herd of newer perfumers.
Notes: bergamot, French lavender, hawthorn, clary sage, hay absolute, geranium Bourbon, coumarin, oakmoss, ambergris, sandalwood, vintage musk accord (vegan)
Foin Coupé was purchased through Darren Alan Subscription Perfume of The Month club. My nose is my own…
~ Ida Meister, Deputy and Natural Perfumery Editor
Darren Alan Perfumes Foin Coupé courtesy of the perfumer
Thanks to the generosity of Darren Alan Perfumes, we have a 10 ml bottle of Foin Coupé for one registered reader in the USA. You must register for your entry to be counted. To be eligible, please comment on what sparks your interest based upon Ida’s review, and that you live in the USA. Draw closes 9/16/2026
All images courtesy of the perfumer unless noted.
Read more reviews of Vintage Novel, Dust and Clay, CaFleureBon X Darren Alan Lipstick Queen, Hekate, Big Island, Vrai Violette, ÇaFleureBon X Darren Alan Scarab Queen, Trèfle
Darren Alan is also a contributor to our in-depth essays on Perfume Notes and Ingredients: Read Narcissus in Perfumery Benzoin in Perfumery Cinnamon in Perfumery
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