freewheelingvagabond's Review of Fougère Bengale by Parfum d'Empire

Fougère Bengale is more of a spicy aromatic scent than a bonafide fougere, with a focus on the spicy-herbal elements. At the beginning there is noticeable ginger, with hints of tarragon, cumin, an ethereal touch of mint, and a large dose of hay. There develops a faint sweetness after about thirty minutes, and there's a note of immortelle, but rather restrained. The overall effect is smooth rather than sharp, light rather than rich. I do not get any note of tea, but there is a smokiness in the initial phase which is akin to tea perfumes. The hay-immortelle-spices develop over a few hours into a very soft base of woods, vanilla and tonka, with minimal sweetness. Sillage is restrained and duration is a few hours on skin based on a moderate application.

Fougère Bengale is an interesting work that I personally find to be somewhat underwhelming. It seems to be lacking in personality, and could do with more oomph and dynamism; particularly, the base is rather faint and insubstantial. Anyone after a fougere or a spicy fougere is likely to be disappointed, as it does not really smell like a fougere in the first place, when benchmarked against references (traditional or modern). In fact, I'm reminded of dry, herbal perfumes like Yatagan. Fougère Bengale isn't particularly sweet, especially considering the notes. There is a rugged, rustic appeal to the composition which often shows up in others in the Parfum d'Empire range.


3/5

See all reviews of Fougère Bengale by Parfum d'Empire...