Reviews of Fraîche Badiane (1994)
by Maître Parfumeur et Gantier

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!

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).

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

Great opening. Quite an interesting combination – citrus and anise. I can definitely smell the basil in there, too, and the three of them make a luscious, aromatically fresh and tangy citrus accord. It isn’t thin and sharp as a pure citrus note would probably be and it is sweet and tasty but not overly sweet. It strikes me as masculine and clean and fresh. The star anise provides the spicy-sweet, clean aspect to the accord. Apparently I am missing something in Fraîche Badiane judging from some of the other reviews: I’m a bit exasperated because I always seem miss out on the sweaty, stinky, urine elements that others seem to regularly find in some of these fragrances. I just don’t find those err … unique notes in Fraîche Badiane, but, let’s just say that I’m super pleased with the notes and accords I DO smell. I agree with the inestimable Naed_Nitram that it is quite similar to YSL Homme – especially in the opening. The green in this one – basil – is lighter and cleaner than the tarragon in YSL, so Fraîche Badiane ends up coming off as brighter and a little more aromatic. Fraîche Badiane is clean and fresh; it is discreet and lasts acceptably. I quite like it: It certainly is bottle worthy.

Reminds me of Loewe Pour Homme, only not quite as dark (read: sweaty, stinky). I like the comment about Aqua di Parma mixed with Kouros...you do get just a hint of something a little musty or acidic here - like BO or urine - but I mean just a hint. I got way more of this effect from Loewe Pour Homme. I'd say it's actually quite fresh, the lemon with the slight herbal edge works very well, and something warm and rich adds a layer of depth to it. Longevity is decent for a citrus scent and sillage is pretty good. Finally, more than any other house, MPG's scents always smell so natural and raw.

Fresh, fine citrus which, as so often with MPG fragrances, sets a standard of quality for scents of this type. I thought it quite reminiscent of the splendid YSL Pour Homme, both in its opening and its development.

Lemon and Anise. It should work, but it doesn't. It got weird on me and ended up having an odd drydown that reminded me of the dehydrated urine you produce after a night of heavy consumption of hard liquor. Interesting, but didn't do anything for me. Very odd scent.

I actually just got this one. Throughout the entire life of the fragrance, Lemon plays a very large role. I must say, this is NOT what I expected. The anise never really shows itself, and it smells a lot like Aqua de Parma mixed with Kouros. Not my cup of tea, but a very elegant and understated citrus fragrance.

Oh, first reviewer! I shall have to describe the smell then, in addition to ranting, raving. and sharing anecdotes. Fraiche Badiane reminds me of Guerlain's vetiver, or most vetivers for that matter. It begins with TART citrus, green grass, and anise. I love the anise, and it remains throughout. The finish is earthy, green, and a bit musty. It smells like my grandfather's armoire-- in a good way-- like the smell of European sachets on a bespoke, monagrammed jacket. I attempted to make Fraiche Badiane my signature scent but fate saw otherwise. My bottle was brutally slammed in a drawer in my SO's fit of petty rage, losing the spray part. I replaced the mechanism with a Jo Malone top-- however Fraiche Badiane's spritz was left more a akin to a sorry squirt, like a urinating cupid fountain. Later the bottle was broken by a drunken party-goer looking for bath oil. Red glass all over! Shame I am to fickle to re-purchase. I have moved on.