Fresh and classic are the two buzzwords for this pack, and Fougere L’Aube (Rogue Perfumery) fulfils both of these labels. Its glorious vintage feeling is undeniable, working with a comfortable, potent, and familiar accord of lavender-rose-sandalwood. The scent is crisp and powerfully herbal and green, shifting from fern to aquatic in its development. It shines and radiates beautifully, and yet it is equally grounded and pure. O/E from Bogue dials everything up by a remarkable factor, offering a fresh woody fragrance of the highest energy. Sharp citrus fruits phase into spicy pepper and clove notes, which dance on the surface of woody notes turned into crystal. The combinations in O/E are exquisite and memorable, which buzzes and hums excitedly.
Cologne Officinale (Heeley) dreams of the azure blue Mediterranean, and employs emblematic notes of lavender and aromatic herbs to stir this fantasy. The completed work is clean, soapy, smooth and crunchy all at once – with a quiet opulence which results from its many layers, which endures with a long musky freshness. It is soft yet present, a veil of scent that coats and treats - its oakmoss heart warming the scent from the inside, pleasantly retro and green with a fine galbanum inflection.
For something rounded and spicier, try 1899 by Histoires de Parfums, as cinnamon hums its distinctly mellow tone, mixed with creamy smooth vanilla, sizzling black pepper, and refreshing juniper berry. 1899 is quiet intelligence, reserved but essential, and is an elegant medley of perfect proportions. The Orchid Man by Frapin heightens this general theme, and has an outwards confidence. A modern classic, a winning accord of zesty bergamot mingles with patchouli and leather, to make a beguilingly sweet and sour blend of notes that attract like a magnet. Finally, Parle Moi de Parfum’s Woody Perfecto reminds us that elegance can take on darker tones, relying on a wood and leather tones driven by vetiver, roasted coffee, and black pepper. Darkness is here rendered beautifully, with a certain happiness that is characteristic of the brand, made matte and approachable. The resulting scent exudes a confidence, a certain signature that can move seamlessly between the office and outside the 9-to-5.
