What is a fougère? The fougère accord made its grand entrance into perfumery in 1882. With his fragrance Fougère Royale for the house of Houbigant, Paul Parquet revolutionized the perfumery of old and laid the foundations for the field as we know it today. Fougère Royale was more than a perfume; it was an olfactory accord that has since become one of the most popular in men’s fragrances. Composed of aromatic lavender, geranium and coumarin and woody notes like oakmoss and vetiver, it established an all-new family of fragrances. Fresh, deep and slightly retro, the typical fougère accord smells like a traditional barbershop or a herbalist’s boutique. It unleashes somewhat potent, almost virile notes and gives an impression of cleanliness similar to the aroma of an aftershave.

What is incense? Incense is actually a resin, collected by cutting into the trunk of Boswellia sacra (a tree that grows in the hot soils of Africa and on the Arabian Peninsula). It is also known as “oliban”. Incense has a strong and unique odor that recalls camphoric, waxy, mineral, spicy and even peppery aromas. Deep and tinged with spirituality, we love the mystical and enigmatic facet that it lends to fragrances.

What about lavender? Lavender has been used since antiquity, when the Romans scented their baths and household linen with it. In the Renaissance, the tanneries of Grasse used it for scenting leather. It has been grown in the Mediterranean since the 19th century and is now a symbol of the South of France, where it is always cultivated at altitudes of over 1000 m! It releases floral, herbaceous, camphoric and medicinal notes. Its ultrafresh scent is sometimes compared to bergamot for its almost zesty floral top notes.