Fougere Royale (2010) Houbigant for men

Anybody who may be interested in experiencing a sketch of the original "Fougere Royal" by Houbigant should most definitely avoid buying the recent re-issue of this by Houbigant: It is so far removed from the original in every aspect that it defies logic that they would dare to slap this legendary name on a very expensive bottle, beautifully packaged, that contains a perfume so common, that, barring Serge Lutens "Muscs Kublai-Kahn, which made me vomit in the loo at Barney's, it is the only perfume I have ever had on my skin that, not only caused me embarrassment during the day I tried it, but eventually made me quite ill, and would not come off of me: I have a very high tolerance of fragrance, and have tested thousands of perfumes: Very seldom do I find myself trying everything imaginable to get one off: This was the case with the re-issue: Nothing would kill it, including, after soaping, scrubbing, alcohol rubbing, blasting with the strongest scents I own. It is so vile that it truly reaches "joke" territory, so common that I would sooner dump a plastic bottle of Brut "cologne" all over me in a drugstore than allow a single drop of this onto my dermis. I found a 500ml bottle of the original Fougere Royale perfectly preserved in it's box in the Clignancourt Flea Market in Paris in the late Eighties, and used it to the last molecule: Even setting the bottle upside down once empty then swabbing the screw-on cap with a Q-tip. Penhaligon's "English Fern" was a near perfect copy of this in the days prior to re-formulation. Today, it still is the closest I can suggest. The second closest would have to be Geo Trumper's "Wild Fern." Interestingly, if you can get hold of an original bottle of Dana's Canoe, which may only be "Made Bottled and Sealed in France," especially in its long ago disappeared "Extra Rich" formulation, while this has much more carnation in it than Fougere Royale did, somehow, I am reminded very specifically of this flea market bottle i picked up for a song that I so voraciously wore, that, when it was done, I found myself in a panic. For years I looked for another, and never found one. The fragrance "H Pour Homme," which regularly is passed off as "Fougere Royale" in ebay searches, is not the original, as I very sadly found out after buying an entire stock of it (18 bottles!). I can only marvel at the house of Houbigant, and, under my breath whisper "Shame!" that they could ever begin to think this re-launch could so much as suggest the original, which, buyers beware, it most definitely does not. Fougere Royale, R.I.P.

I'm coming back again....
It is indeed an amazing fragrance...green, herbal, perfect!!! Quality and prestige!!

I've been using this for the last 2-3 days and tried to study the perfume. I have to say that finally, the perfume lasts....although the first 1-2 days from the date i bought it, I had the impression that it doesnt last...but it last quite a lot and the sillage is also very good...it is a well blended perfume as I said, of very quality..... and green, green with bergamot. The scent represents 100% the name and the name the scent. Recommended for those who like classic masculine perfumes, not so commercial or not so common. herbal, citrus, spices and flowers all in a bottle.

I'm fan of Houbigant perfumes (especially of Duc de Vervins) and story and I was looking forward to order this one soon. Finally the order has been placed and the perfume is here. I bought it for £105 plus postages from UK, pricey I would say. The first sniff from the bottled was something green with citrus. This was actually the idea of fougere. The parfumeur who first did fougere royale back in 1882, took a citrus aromatic perfume and put in sinthetic coumarin. Actually there is no one in life today who smelled the original Fougere Royale but what I would say is that the new version repsresents the old indeed. Some ingredients have been changed since then or can't be used in our days but the new Fougere Royale is a true descentant of the old.
From the first sniff on the skip the perfume smells like strong natural bergamot with lavender but after an hour max, the bergamon fades away somehow but is always there together with the lavender. It reminds me of Bois du Portugal from Creed at the top notes. After the first 30-60 minutes the perfume calms down and you can smell some spicy notes (the cinnammon is not strong like in Egoiste), geranium and sage. All these blend together with the bergamon and lavender and you can't easily pick one ingredient out of the smell. They are finely blended and all the notes are walking hand to hand like a good team. The longevity of the perfume is about 3-4 hours but after the first 1-2 hours, it stays very close to the skin. I'm a bit disappointed by the longevity and sillage! This is not actually a perfume for winter/fall but a perfume for spring and summer. I would prefered something stronger in order to represent 100% the old times but it doenst. The smell in nice, nothing outstanding for me, is it a good nice male perfume which smells and reminds others. The quality of the ingredients is great but with so poor longevity and sillage, someone has to think before buying. I dont know how this will be in the summer or if it is created for the summer.
If you like this one, try Boid du Portugal. Personally, I prefer this from BDP but the other is stronger and last longer. The first minutes are very the same but after some time, BDP goes in a different direction being more sweet and creamy at the time where FR is still whispering its green noteswith bergamon without being sweet or woody.

I can smell the green, bergamont and lavender at first and then a kalaedoscope of cinamon, rose, sage and as mentioned by rasputin I too could detect a hint of Vetiver (my favourite ingredient). I've ordered my bottle and cant wait for it to arrive!

Fougere Royale (2010) is a classic, spicy-aromatic fougere. No doubts! I honestly don't know how it compares to the original formula but my personal virdict on this iteration is not so positive. It smells good and collects all the chrisms of this kind of compositions but in the end it's neither so distinctive nor particularly oustanding.

Now, we shouldn't forget that FR was the first fragrance to open the doors to all other fougeres but this current version it's not the original. It's just a pricey reformulation that sounds a lot like a marketing product. Let's put it simpler: it's like seeing a Beatles reunion right know...do you know what I mean?

Overall, FR (2010) smells good but nothing to justify the price tag. I give you three reasons why this is not worth owning:

1) this is not Fougere Royale (that's for sure considering IFRA's restrictions and different quality/source of the ingredients).

2) You can have plenty of classic fougeres doing exactly the same thing starting at 1/5 the price.

3) When you buy this, you don't get a piece of history. It's like buyng a Mona Lisa's poster in a fancy frame.

Rating: 6.5/10

I'd be very interested to hear from those who've tried both the vintage and the new iteration. How do they compare? I think I've let expectation get the best of me. I tried the reissued FR and was underwhelmed. While the drydown had a pleasant soapy quality, FR mostly seemed like a mild lavender fragrance, not the trombones-blasting, coumarinic feast I imagined. Again, my expectation, my problem. Still, in trying to consider FR on its own, it just didn't capture me. Had I not known this was the remake of a classic and had simply smelled it 'cold' I probably would have said, "Nice, soapy lavender. Nothing to write home about except that it shows a bit of complexity over time." Probably.

I think of fougères and chypres as being defined not only by their constituent notes but by their demonstration of classic evolution: top, heart, base. FR doesn't really get that. It doesn't really smell like a fougère at all, just a lavender cologne. This is the grand-daddy of them all?!

I love this. It smells very cola-like at first, which I like (like fizzy cola bottle sweets to be precise). The oddness I find to it in comparison with other fragrances is there is very clearly a large number of ingredients, which you might think would not sit too comfortably in the one fragrance. All these facets pop up their heads one by one- the herby sage, the eugenolic cinnamon, the floral, the citrus and the lavender, in quite a distinct way, and yet it retains its cohesiveness. It sits in a landscape between Azzaro pour Homme, Egoiste, Youth Dew and the straightforward fougeres, in my mind, and I would thoroughly recommend. Seems more like a revisit of the original in the light of all that it followed than a copy of the original, but hindsight is wonderful thing!- as is this fragrance.

Thisd is a wonderful remake of a trad classic. Those looking for a traditional fougere will NOT be disappointed; it really is still the model of what a perfect fougere should be.

Foresty (but not green as such), a lemon/bergamot "tonic" head, a subtly spicy/floral heart, and a base of smooth dry santal, patchouli, cedar, oakmoss and vetiver. A touch of powdery, hay-like coumarin and clary finish off the scent.

This is a tremendously handsome, urbane, clean, refined, dignified scent which bespeaks good breeding, good grooming and success in life. Men of all ages will love it, and women will love it on them. Suitable for day and night wear. Quite traditionally masculine, but updated so as not to be too "barbershop-py". Some women might like to wear it for novelty's sake, but it really is masculine in mood.

To answer Jeune's questions. The fragrance was reconstructed to fit our time frame. Some of oils used in the original formula are either too pricey to obtain or are not deemed safe use in our age.

Lastly the company is like all companies looking to make a profit on the sale of this fragrance. Markets are now global then in 1882 so a fragrance needs to be constructed so that it appeals to a wider audience to generate sales.

Can anybody explain me, please : 1) What are the main differences with the original 1882 scent ? 2) Why did'nt they re-make the original composition without any change ? If you re-launch a product, the logical would be to give people the possibility to understand what it is, what it really was in the past, no ? When will perfume houses' approach be similar to those of the barocco musical ensembles from the 70's until now, which play on original 17th and 18th century instruments, and study the treaties about the art of interpretation of these times ? We want the true thing ! (nevertheless I'd like to discover Mr Flores-Roux's composition in itself).

:-) i like it and use it and use it and use it -

papi its the one in 20 million apart from the other 19999999 ones.

but seriously - its pretty schoen und gut balanced - some old standard.

sorry for noot PM ing you
s

This fragrance opened with a surprisingly clear lavender, which was then overtaken by some interesting combinations of greenery and a light, clean spice. After a while, there was a focused lime scent. It was also a fairly long-lasting, delicate scent. It was nice, unassuming, and just a bit too masculine for me to invest in a bottle.

rkhexcl. thanks for pm'ing me.

Hmm...

I will try again next time I am in the shop. It might be that "perfume" in million that I might not like it anyway.

We shall see.

As the vendor rep for Houbigant at Bergdorf Goodman, I don't pretend to be impartial. But, one thing I must say I admire about the new Fougere Royale as reimagined by Rodrigo Flores-Roux: it's so complex and evenly blended that, while the various notes are evident to a good nose, the leading aromatics delicately highlight rather than dominate. Many are surprised to discover a number of the particular ingredients are included, from lavender to rose, to cinnamon. One client called the fragrance "intoxicating".

The perfume is even more exquisite.

Both women and men are wearing it.