Fougère, the French term for "fern," is a classification of fragrances. It was coined by Paul Parquet, the chief perfumer for Houbigant in 1882 when he blended oakmoss and lavender. While it doesn't smell anything like ferns (ferns typically exhibit no odor whatsoever), it reminded the perfumer of the woods, so the name stuck.
In the fragrance wheel created by perfumer Michael Edwards to categorize modern scents, fougère is placed at the center, as it contains essences and elements from the woody, floral, oriental, and fresh groups.
The Original:
The blend included top notes of Lavender, Bergamot, Clary Sage, middle notes of Geranium, Heliotrope, Rose, Orchid, Carnation, and a base of Oakmoss, Tonka, Musk, Vanilla. Parquet also used synthetic coumarin in his creation, making Fougère Royale not only the original Fougère, but also one of the first fragrances to use synthetic ingredients.
The Iconic:
The oldest Fougère still in production is Jicky by Guerlain.
The Modern:
Modern examples of this family include Wild Fern by Geo. F. Trumper, English Fern by Penhaligon's, Truefitt and Hill's Grafton, Creed Feuille Verte, and Hermes Equipage.
In the fragrance wheel created by perfumer Michael Edwards to categorize modern scents, fougère is placed at the center, as it contains essences and elements from the woody, floral, oriental, and fresh groups.
The Original:
The blend included top notes of Lavender, Bergamot, Clary Sage, middle notes of Geranium, Heliotrope, Rose, Orchid, Carnation, and a base of Oakmoss, Tonka, Musk, Vanilla. Parquet also used synthetic coumarin in his creation, making Fougère Royale not only the original Fougère, but also one of the first fragrances to use synthetic ingredients.
The Iconic:
The oldest Fougère still in production is Jicky by Guerlain.
The Modern:
Modern examples of this family include Wild Fern by Geo. F. Trumper, English Fern by Penhaligon's, Truefitt and Hill's Grafton, Creed Feuille Verte, and Hermes Equipage.
