Artisan fougeres

Discussion in 'Preshave and Aftershave' started by ghostlife, Jun 15, 2019.

  1. ghostlife

    ghostlife Well-Known Member

    Editing this thread to give it more usefulness to future readers.

    The artisan fougeres & related scents that I've tried

    True Fougere (contains lavender/coumarin/oakmoss accord)
    Black Ship Grooming Philip's Fougere - If ever there were such a thing as a clean, fresh, modern fougere, this is it. This is to fougeres what Mickey Lee Reunion is to vetivers. Simple, classic, inoffensive, very nice.
    Barrister & Mann Reserve Fern - IFRA-compliant copy of Diparco H Pour Hommes, a 1960s remake of the 1930s reformulation of the grand-daddy of all fougeres, Houbligant Fougere Royale (1882). Beautiful scent, but weak with poor longevity. Note that it is far more complicated than the 3 notes listed on most websites, I am not sure why B&M has advertised it like that. Full list of notes: bergamot, lavender, clary sage, geranium, heliotrope, rose, orchid, carnation, musk, vanilla, tonka bean, oakmoss
    Stirling Varen - Potent fougere that is very geranium-forward, so I'd try a sample first if you aren't sure that you like geranium (sort of a lemony/soapy green herb smell)
    Chatillon Lux TSM Fougere - this is it, this is the one. My favourite scent in wetshaving. Complex but balanced, lush and green smelling, very long lasting. Unfortunately it's discontinued permanently. Has been replaced with Weinstrasse which I haven't tried yet.
    Catie's Bubbles Florentine Fern - (true fougere if cedarmoss counts as oakmoss) I would class it as somewhere between Reserve Fern and TSM Fougere. A traditional fougere without being powdery, stuffy, or old fashioned. I like it a lot but it's also a limited release.

    Fougere-adjacent (missing one part of the accord, but same school of scents)
    Mickey Lee Cape Verde - (no Coumarin) Fresh tangerines on top supported by an earthy lavender and oakmoss base, simply gorgeous. Discontinued as the artisan has closed their doors.
    Purely Skinful Fougere Mysterieuse - lists "fern" on the notes so it's hard to say exactly whether it contains the fougere accord but my guess is not. Another very green scent with a hint of sweetness. It mainly reminds me of Drakkar Noir, I don't know if it's an intentional copy. Balm only, no splash. It has been replaced with one called Fougere Luxe which sounds like a darker scent (most of the purely skinful scents don't seem to be permanent offerings and/or they are constantly evolving).
    Stirling Noir - copy of Drakkar Noir, minus the eye-watering potency. Smooth & sexy, in an old fashioned way

    Similar or Related (fans of fougeres might enjoy these scents as well)
    Chatillon Lux La Foret de Liguest - at it's core a dark, resinous, woody scent, but with just a hint of sweetness. Seems to last forever, with the benzoin and vanilla base notes dominating the drydown. Also discontinued, but has returned for limited releases in the past.
    Maol Grooming Heliopteris - Surprisingly doesn't actually contain any of the fougere accord elements. From this one I get a sunny jungle kind of feel. Greenness from geranium balances nicely with earthy patchouli and sweet spices. The nutmeg is quite noticeable. I think of this one as a summer scent.
    Mickey Lee Reunion - Dark green, wet, slightly peppery vetiver fragrance. Not really mossy or earthy, it's actually a very clean and fresh scent. I'm in love with it. Discontinued as the artisan has closed their doors.
    Les Industries Groom - Juniper, vetiver, patchouli and a touch of lime. This aftershave splash has a sort of nose-prickling pine needle aspect at first, but it mellows out quickly. Not the same scent scent as their other products.
     
    Last edited: Nov 29, 2019
  2. Herm2502

    Herm2502 off to elf practice

    I've only tried the B&M. I didn't like the lavender scent.

    Herm
     
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  3. Paul Turner

    Paul Turner outside the quote(s) now

    @Gnomeo0228 did a video on here for Stoylin Varen. I'd contact him about that one. He appeared to really like it.
     
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  4. ghostlife

    ghostlife Well-Known Member

    I'm planning on getting a sample size of it as soon as it shows up on Top of the Chain's website

    I also already ordered a bottle of Chatillon Lux La Foret De Liguest as I see it's discontinued & I love his products
     
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  5. Gnomeo0228

    Gnomeo0228 Well-Known Member

    If you like "green" scents, you'll like Varen. I really liked this scent. Rod ad Mandy hit it out of the park with this one. But, as they all say, scent is so YMMV lol! Please keep us posted on what you think of Varen
     
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  6. brit

    brit in a box

    i like wholly kaw fern concerto..
     
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  7. Primotenore

    Primotenore missed opera tunity

    Article Team
    For me, vintage Brut is the epitome of Fougère scents.
     
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  8. Paul Turner

    Paul Turner outside the quote(s) now

    Might have been the first deodorant I ever connected with the term "fougere"
     
  9. ghostlife

    ghostlife Well-Known Member

    My bottle of Foret de Liguest arrived today - like all CL aftershaves it smells intriguing out of the bottle but I will need to give it a test drive tomorrow before I can properly report back
     
  10. Sparrow

    Sparrow Well-Known Member

    I’m not a big Fougère guy, but I really like WK Fougère Bouquet. I use the balm, but love the scent.
     
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  11. ghostlife

    ghostlife Well-Known Member

    Thanks for bumping, I forgot to follow up:

    Foret de Liguest has a very woody and resinous smell that I hesitate to really label a fougere; I like it a lot, but it hasn't fully covered the gap in my software I was looking to fill.

    I also picked up Maol Grooming Heliopteris, but haven't used it yet; from the bottle it seems fairly bright, floral, with a bit of spice to it. Should be an interesting one.

    Lastly I have samples of Black Ship Phillips Fougere and Mickey Lee Cape Verde soaps on the way, to at least evaluate the scents before getting a full bottle of aftershave. I decided that Cape Verde would be more suitable than Reunion, though I'm still interested in the latter.
     
  12. ghostlife

    ghostlife Well-Known Member

    I've updated the OP with my fougere findings, for reference for future readers
     
  13. Paul Turner

    Paul Turner outside the quote(s) now

    the "ep-uh-tome" huh? (You can't make that up, and I didn't).
     
  14. Paul Turner

    Paul Turner outside the quote(s) now

    I didn't care much for Top Of Chain at first glance.
     
  15. Jesseix

    Jesseix Active Member

    TSM Fougere really is so awesome... good reminder that I should bring that out tomorrow!
     
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  16. jtspartan

    jtspartan appropriately stimulated, via Netflix

    You would if you were in Canada, Paul.
     
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  17. brit

    brit in a box

    fantastic place to shop..:)
     
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  18. ghostlife

    ghostlife Well-Known Member

    updated OP to add Catie's Bubbles Florentine Fern and Stirling Noir

    I also ended up buying a full size of Philip's Fougere, which is Black Ship's priciest product but worth it to me. As it currently stands, my favourite fougere that is still available as a permanent release
     
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  19. PLANofMAN

    PLANofMAN Eccentric Razor Collector Staff Member

    Moderator Article Team
    Saponifico Verisino Felce Aromatica is a wonderful fougre scent, and easily in my top 10 soaps. I'm not 100% sure I would call them 'artisan,' though. Traditional? Certainly.

    Edit: output, 2,500 tonnes of soap per year. Not artisan.
     
    Last edited: Nov 29, 2019
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  20. PLANofMAN

    PLANofMAN Eccentric Razor Collector Staff Member

    Moderator Article Team
    FYI, Brut Special Reserve is supposed to be identical to original strength formulation Brut.
     
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