Heya Posse, Fougère Bengale by Parfum d`Empire is a rarely sung about treasure. Recently I was tempted to go FB but I thought it would be more sensible to buy a decant, see if I go through it and THEN go for a bottle. So off to Surrender To Chance I trotted and grabbed myself a healthy decant.
Fougère Bengale by Parfum d`Empire 2007
Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Lavender, tea, ginger, mint
Heart: Hay, tobacco, pepper
Base: Oakmoss, patchouli, vanilla, tonka bean
Well the decant arrived a short while ago and I have been wanting to spend some quality time marinating in its gorgeousness. Already I have gone through a couple of samples and a small decant, it’s beautiful and I love it but I’m worried that once I get it Fougère Bengale may sit idly by and watch me using all the others (Yes it happens)
From Parfum d’Empire: Edwardian dandies scented themselves with fougère, a classic fragrance family based on lavender, tonka bean and oak moss. Fougère Bengale revisits the genre with a powerful, honeyed blond tobacco accord, and carries us off to India…
Peppermint tea, smoke and hay burst off my skin and tobacco hovers around the periphery of my senses, it’s urinously honeyed facets making me cough a little. BIG, Fougère Bengale opens with a huge roar that takes about 10-15 minutes to calm. The main notes now take a balmy turn, everything smooths out and the honeyed sweetness that often catches in the back of my throat becomes a softer, suppler and more comfortable beast all together. There is still sweet, herbaceous hay but I think the pepper has come through and dried the fragrance out a lot. Warm, burnished, golden and beautiful, like a Bengali sunset.
Through the heart patchouli, hay, tobacco and later in the drydown a creamy resinous vanilla moves in and and Fougère Bengale becomes warm, soft, comfortable and cozy. The patchouli even give me chocolate hallucinations of scent. I love Fougère Bengal.
Every wearing of Fougère Bengale has given me new and different facets to enjoy. I think it’s very susceptible to temp, diet, moods and energy levels. This wear I hit the patchouli that I’ve never noticed before and the dry down was much more languid and elegant, sometimes it can be a little funky and sexy, not today. Interesting isn’t it? Sillage is excellent for the first 2-3 hours and longevity is really good, I will still smell softly tomorrow morning.
Further reading: Scented Hound and Non Blonde
Parfum d’Empire has €120/100ml
Surrender To Chance has samples starting at $3.50/ml
If you have enjoyed this then please pop over to Australian Perfume Junkies and continue the scented conversation. We love visitors, say HI while you’re there.
Fougère Bengale is super fine, have you tried it?
Portia xx
Howdy, Portia! Am just seeing this as I was out of town for most of last week. This scent sounds wonderful and I have been tempted to try it. Now I definitely will! Thanks for bringing so many great unsung gems to our attention.
I’m not sure that Bengali sunsets are all “warm, burnished, golden and beautiful,” being Bengali [American] myself and having witnessed many Bengali sunsets, but you’ve certainly made this perfume sound absolutely gorgeous and deliciously enveloping, despite the colonial overtones.
Hey there Koyel,
You’re right but in my dreams of Bengal I imagine every night to be an almost tropical island ending. I’ve also been on Pacific ocean island night that have been anything but the perceived glamour event.
Portia xx
Darn Portia, I just went over to Surrender to Chance. It is on my wish list now.
Wish list is good Ellen M,
Next time you have a windfall, you’ll know what to try.
Portia xx
Just when I had sworn off buying more decants….[groan]…this sounds like my kind of thing.
Hiya Queen Cupcake,
Don’t buy it, add it to the wish List like Ellen M has. There will be a non guilt time too buy it.
Portia xx
Darling, you had me at, “tobacco.” Does it stick around? I fell head over heels with tobacco when I tried Odori, and they quit making it…so I hoard my precious bottles…and have been “In search of…” Since. I thought Tom Ford’s Tobacco Vanille could be a goo replacement, but I just hate it. Too sticky and sweet. L’air du Desert Marocain came closer to that beautiful, dry tobacco scent I love. I think I need a sample of this!
Definitely sample it Ladona,
I’m not sure it’s going to exactly what you’re after. It is freaking gorgeous though and I hope you enjoy it.
Portia xx
I meant phi Un rose de Kandahar. Good lord. Though I do adore laddm….