Salvatore Ferragamo pour Homme 
Salvatore Ferragamo (1999)

Maybe Diptyque caused a small ripple in the 90's and early 2000's with their Fig-dominant Philosykos (1996), but one thing is clear: anything that followed in it's footsteps was an inferior creation for fig lovers, or superior scent for those who don't like an isolated fig "soliflore", as is the case with myself. Dior beat everyone else to that punch with Dune Pour Homme (1997), but it's equally strange that an Italian house like Salvatore Ferragamo would ask for a fig-forward scent as their masculine debut into fragrance instead of something sunnier, then even weirder that they would pull strings with their connection to Wertheimer thanks to Chanel holding the license to Ungaro fragrances (and Ferragamo Group owns Ungaro), so that they could involve Jacques Polge in it's creation. Jean-Pierre Mary also assisted Polge here, and his credentials included working with Boucheron and Dolce & Gabbana throughout the 90's, but honestly this scent feels more Polge than anything. Salvatore Ferragamo Pour Homme (1999) would blend fig leaf down into a bed of vetiver, woods, oakmoss, and musk, reigning in the musty "decayed peach" smell of full-force fig and making something of a figgy vetiver sandalwood parfait of it all. This is definitely a little left-of-center for Jacques Polge, and maybe Jean-Pierre Mary is responsible for that bit of quirk, but Salvatore Ferragamo Pour Homme is certainly well within Polge's stylistic wheelhouse, especially in view of his later Les Exclusifs creations or reworkings for Chanel.

Salvatore Ferragamo Pour Homme obviously opens with fig, but it's a fresh fig carried by dry grapefruit and neroli. Cyclamen and geranium add a green floral briskness to the stuff, but the fig just pushes through everything like that note tends to do when made to play along with other components. A clove note also appears a few minutes into the opening, and re-asserts the green theme of the top, with a rosewood/orris tandem that also presses for elbow room against the common jasmine/rose hedionic floral duo found in lighter hesperidic fragrances like this. Make no mistake however, as Salvatore Ferragamo Pour Homme is no Eau Sauvage (1966) or 1881 Pour Homme (1990), as this bright period in the middle is brief and transitory while that fig still screams overhead for another 15 to 20 minutes until the base brings in the bulk of the scent's true personality for the majority of it's semi-linear wear. Cardamom, cedar, and a gentle leather finally calm down the fig and rest with it on a cushy pillow of sandalwood, oakmoss, vetiver, and musk. This final dry-down phase is what will last the wearer of Salvatore Ferragamo Pour Homme the longest, and acts like a prototype Chanel Sycomore EDT (2008), just with an obvious fig twist and clove connective tissue. I rather like Salvatore Ferragamo Pour Homme, and although the fig opening still gives me nightmares of being drowned in Philosykos, it plays rather well in the end with what's otherwise a woody floral musk scent of quality craftsmanship. Of particular interest to me is the way the vetiver plays with fig here, almost like a vanilla to fig's chocolate, a yin to it's yang. The two green notes chase each other's tails endlessly around the sandalwood and clove, keeping me catching whiffs of both throughout the wear. It's admittedly the only really obvious note separation in the scent, so I'll take it.

I can really see where Polge likely took "his" part of the structure here and retooled it into the modern reboot of Sycomore, and anyone of any gender who appreciates the latter should just ignore the "pour homme" on the bottle of this Salvatore Ferragamo and give it a whirl, as it's rather unisex and has just the right amount of fig in the drydown to make it feel like an anachronistic flanker to Sycomore. I don't think the "fig craze" had a chance after mall shops like Bath and Body Works got ahold of it, plus the note also ends up alongside clove in a great many Christmas-themed air fresheners, so there is a chance that you might get that seasonal association with Salvatore Ferragamo Pour Homme too, and if you do, then at least you can wear it one or two months out of the year. As for me? I think Salvatore Ferragamo Pour Homme stands strong as a black sheep entry in the Polge canon, and best for fall through spring office and casual use. This scent doesn't have monstrous sillage but it does last a while, being stronger than the rounder Dune Pour Homme before it and selling for a fraction of what that Dior and even other Chanel-labelled Polge creations do, making it also a good entry point to the perfumer for folks who don't want to spend in the triple digits to see what all the fuss is about. Vera Wang for Men (2004) would take a stab at fig with tobacco, but I feel it's presented best here, with the vetiver and sandalwood being good "handcuffs" for this otherwise out-of-control note in a very nice, aromatic, and safe environment. Thumbs up!

Fressh, herbal, green and unique. I like it

Nice! I like its tangy, fig leaf vibe and its long-lasting, non-cloying quality. Enjoy the bits of spice in the heart notes that accent this great scent. Excellent for most any occasions.