Her

FCUK Her was one of the two fragrances French Connection launched in 2004 to start its scent and toiletry line, alongside FCUK Him. The names did the marketing, and the resulting controversy did the selling. The juice itself is far tamer than the branding implies, and it was composed by Geza Schoen, a perfumer better known for the far more experimental Escentric Molecules. It opens fresh and aquatic. Bergamot gives a clean citrus lift, muguet supplies a dewy green floralcy, and water iris adds the cool, slightly ozonic transparency that dates the fragrance squarely to the mid-2000s. It is bright without being sharp. The heart is the more interesting section. Barringtonia flower from Madagascar is the unusual inclusion, intense and sensual, and it sits with peony, jasmine and violet in a full but soft floral bouquet. The violet in particular pushes the middle towards powdery rather than fruity, which keeps it from feeling like every other 2004 launch. The base is comfortable and undemanding: golden amber and vanilla lay on a gentle sweetness, while sandalwood, cedarwood and musk give a smooth, clean woody finish that lasts well past the florals. Wear time sits around five to seven hours with modest projection, which makes it easy for daytime, work and casual use. Reviews are split between those who find it a pleasant, gentle floral and those who find it forgettable. At its price it is a low-stakes proposition either way.