Wild Fig & Cassis 
Jo Malone London (2002)

Clearly based on Philosykos, this uses the same construction of tarragon and coconut to simulate cooked figs. But Jo adds cassis, with its simultaneous red fruitiness and bitter greens, to amplify the fig. Meanwhile, there's mint for brightness and pine for depth.

As such, in comparison to Philosykos, which has a beachy windswept character, WF&C is both more fruity, brighter, darker, and more green. Personally, I'm not a huge fan of fig scents, but there's no arguing that this is well put together, if not the most original. Thumbs up.

Recently, I had eaten my first raw fig. It was a nice, albeit messy, experience that helped me to appreciate dried figs even more, which is my personal favorite.

With Wild Fig & Cassis, I get to partially relive this experience in scent form. Jo Malone managed to recreate the juicy sensation, paired with sharp black currant liquer.

Top = cassis, cherry, grass, fig;
Middle = hyacinth, cyclamen, jasmine, pine tree;
Base = patchouli, cedar, amber, musk.

This is a green, fruity and woody scent that is fairly unique in the fragrance arena. WF&C has a prominent grassy herbal note above all, along with the cassis and fig. I had to literally slow down, close my eyes, and really examine what was entering into my olfactory "field of view" with WF&C. Strangely simple, yet not completely so, esp. if you can identify some of the other notes that delicately waft in the deep background as shy supporters of the whole.

There is some similarity to Philosykos by Diptyque, though Jo Malone's WF&C smells more subtle and natural. In the end, this is a wearable, interesting change of pace from the norm that men and women can explore.

Synthetics provide
Edgy naturalism
And simple is good.

First off, let me just say that this is the first Jo Malone fragrance that I've owned and let me tell you that to me...it smells absolutely beautiful in its simplicity. Sometimes I like a strong, complicated, punch-in-the-face EDT (e.g., anything by Tom Ford), but there's something about "Wild Fig & Cassis" that just made me close my eyes when I first caught a whiff of it, and immediately transported me outdoors.

Now obviously, as with every other fragrance out there, this will smell slightly different on everyone (which is ENTIRELY the point). I also agree with the other reviewers that mentioned that it smells like you've just been mowing your lawn...it is VERY green, but it is so deceptively simple, and that's the beauty of it. PLEASE give this a try!!!

Fizzy green figPerfume-baby-nose here: I've tried Diptyque and Heeley fig offerings, and both turned my stomach with this heavy fruit. One day I might be able to swing it but not yet. Until then there's Wild Fig & Cassis - a lighter, fizzier, greener fig. Kinda dig it.