Crown Fougère (1880)
by Crown Perfumery

Compared to many light and water "fern" or "fougere" fragrances today, Crown Fougere makes an impressive statement with excellent strength and longevity for being just another green fern. I would certainly describe Crown Fougere as green--but also earthy. It is one of the last three surviving Victorian fougeres (not including Fougere Royale as that is French) and in my opinion, the best. Crown opens with a brief and sharp, but staid citric blast that gives way to the traditional fern accord (abstract mind you--not an actual fern) interaction between lavender, geranium, and tonka bean. Crown also features sandalwood, oakmoss, and patchouli for spice and richness. Crown Fougere, like the other Crown fragrances, reeks of quality, tradition, and craftsmanship.

15th November, 2011.

Lemon, lavender, and something that smells a lot like caraway leap out when I apply Crown Fougère. After this comes a semi-sweet anise note, which in conjunction with caraway makes an accord both earthy and medicinal. At this point Crown Fougère brings to mind an ancient monastic liqueur: perhaps Chartreuse or Benedictine. It's extremely "old world" and sophisticated, but with an earthy aspect that prevents it from becoming too stodgy.

By the time it's been on my skin for an hour Crown Fougère begins to smell remarkably like Olivia Giacobetti's recent Fou d'Absinthe for L'Artisan Parfumeur. So much so that I'd recommend reviewers who lament Crown Fougère's demise try Fou d'Absinthe before succumbing to absolute grief. The newer scent is a bit sweeter and more boozy, but once its top notes dissipate it walks very much the same aromatic fougere path. So much so, in fact, that I could not justify owning bottles of both at once.

23rd December, 2009.

It's like a walk through an herb garden while peeling a fresh lemon on a cool misty day. You stray off the path and your feet crush the leaves of lavender, Baron thyme (caraway thyme), monarda and tarragon. The scent of the surrounding cedar and trees add their rich woodiness of the experience.

Crown Fougere is a clean, earthy and fresh scent. But it also has its dark and mysterious side.

24th June, 2008.

Pavane pour une parfum défunt (with apologies to Maurice Ravel): a song to a deceased scent. Crown Fougere is an amazing, lovely green-fern fougere. It is a tragedy that this is out of production. I’d place CF on a continuum. At the greenest end is the lovely Wild Fern by Trumper. At the sophisticated warm spicy wood end is the superb English Fern by Penhaligon. And CF sits comfortably in the middle, combining each of those aspects. The wood tones are really noteworthy (sandalwood, cedar). In addition, this has incredible longevity. Lovers of fern scents would enjoy this one. The world would be a better place with more scents like this!

6th June, 2007.

Very fresh and soapy, the lavender and fern make for a very appealing combination. Great as a dress-up scent. If you have sampled this but cannot find it (because Clive Christian has discontinued the whole line), try Trumper's Wild Fern of Penhaligon's English Fern, as they are nearly indistinguishable.

28th September, 2005.

Man, I don’t know what to think. A part of my really likes this earthy blend, but there is also something very unpleasant lurking around in a medicinal sort of way. It’s slightly green with dry earthy accords. It’s just got this weird toothpaste like note that kind of throws me off.

18th September, 2005.