Femme Fougere

The name sets an expectation that the fragrance deliberately does not meet. A fougere is normally lavender, coumarin and oakmoss; Femme Fougere keeps only the coumarin idea, in the form of tonka bean, and rebuilds everything else as a fruity floral. Chris Maurice opens it on pear and litchi, both juicy rather than tart, with orange blossom adding a soft white floral lift. It is an immediately likeable start and considerably sweeter than anything else in the range. The heart brings tuberose, which supplies the creamy weight, alongside amber and patchouli that give it a warm resinous underside and stop the fruit reading as a young, simple composition. The base is where the tonka arrives, joined by vanilla, sandalwood and musk, and this is the closest the fragrance gets to its stated genre: a smooth, powdery, faintly gourmand finish that is more comfortable than sophisticated. At extrait concentration it has plenty of presence and lasts well into an evening. Comporta calls it exceedingly classy, and it is certainly the most polished thing they make, though it trades the house's usual coastal restraint for something warmer and more familiar. Wear it in autumn and winter, at night, and treat it as a comfort fragrance rather than a challenging one.