Fraîche Badiane (1994)
by Maître Parfumeur et Gantier

There's a blurry line between negative and neutral, and there's a blurry line between neutral and positive, but there is a thin line between positive and negative, and this sprints towards that line, trips, and breaks it's ass. Fraîche Badiane has, at its core, a really rough, masculine. herbal smell that could very well be patchouli but I'm not that sure to be honest. This is some outdoorsy stuff that will throw hadukens at everyone in the room if you overspray. It's just as overbearing as any mother-in-law. There's also some nice citrus and anise on top, but they do not conceal the beast at all.

The truth is, it is a pretty good smell, and it's never irritating or unnatural-smelling, but damn if it just doesn't work when worn.

17th September, 2011.

Atelier Cologne may have invented "high powered Eau de Cologne" as a branding concept, but MPG has long been creating "extended version" Eau de Colognes such as the neroli-based Eau pour le jeune homme or the beauty at hand. Fraiche Badiane is an aromatic citrus in the style of Detaille's vintage scent Aeroplane or Goutal's Eau du Sud, but it gives these trads a twist by adding the star anise note to the citrus-basil combination. It's top notch quality, very natural-smelling, refreshing but sufficiently substantial, interesting if not shockingly innovative and a sheer pleasure to wear. MPG has lacked buzz recently, they certainly would deserve some for scents like this.

13rd July, 2011.

Notes (from OsMoz.com): lemon, mandarin, anise, spices, patchouli.

Fraîche Badiane is a crisp hesperidic scent distinguished by a beautiful sweet mandarin top note and generous doses of basil and anise. The interplay of anise and citrus hearkens back to classical spicy fougères of decades past, particularly Azzaro pour Homme and Tuscany, but Fraîche Badiane is a much more effervescent and transparent fragrance. In fact, it wears like a bi-generic hybrid between a spicy fougère and a traditional eau de Cologne. Fraîche Badiane is a comfortable, well-balanced and refreshing alternative to the conventional eau de Cologne formula, with a fetching spice, musk, and clean patchouli drydown that persists for several hours as a quiet skin scent. While it’s hardly ground-breaking, Fraîche Badiane should appeal to anyone who enjoys spicy fougères but wants a less weighty, and perhaps more “modern-smelling” fragrance.

20th July, 2010.

For those concerned, the comparison has been made with YSL pour homme (original, red packaging), not the newer L'homme YSL, which is indeed very different.

There's some Annick Goutal flavor in this scent, to my nose.
Excellent!

17th December, 2008.

it's a very unique take on fresher scent..no, its not an Aquatic kind...it's more of "citrusy fresh green" with an MPG touch. its doesnt smell anything like Urine as some proclaim...i mean, tht's very very misleading.

opens with a very controlled and blunt blast of fresh herbs and citrus..if i have to give a relative reference then, think of lemonade with just a touch of sugar and lil bit giner and coriander leaves and thyme...this scent in half an hour develops into a very unique accord, i think it has to do with the MPG touch...the middle accord of this scent is one of the most satisfying set of accords i have felt. i only have a sample and could only imagine how this must feel with 3-5 sprays...simply divine i must say...if you are lookin for something which is not run of the mill and will set you apart in a crowd wearing the so called fresh scents, then my freind, you have something special going on here which is worth checking out.

a quick note..this smells nothing like YSL Lhomme (i have a fullbottle of same).

21st September, 2008.

Fresh yet smooth citrus with anise and other green notes. Very quality and one of the few MPG's I enjoy.

19th September, 2008.