Fougère Bengale (2007)
by Parfum d'Empire

After a cursory first contact with this perfume I felt a very strong attraction although I could not figure out what I liked exactly. What stayed in my memory was a very warm, herbal aroma.
Later I had the opportunity to try it with a generous spray in a perfume shop. Initially, what surprised me is a touch of vinegar, that others might describe as chutney. Coriander can often create such a sour topnote or basil. What dominates the heart of the perfume is a very faithful reproduction of the scent of tobacco leaf. Immortelle? Although not mentioned in the note pyramid I can clearly understand the affinity (notes from http://www.parfyym.pri.ee/. : Topnotes: lavender, Heartnotes: tonka beans, tobacco, spices, laurel, Basenotes: mint, moss, ginger, patchouli, gingerbread)
But what was revealed in the drydown of the scent was really a surprise. It is the most faithful reproduction of a natural scent that I associate with summer holidays: the smell of wet straw, whether it is in a straw mat stretched on the sand on a beach, or in a straw hat or a wicker chair that was left exposed to the humid night air. It is a very characteristic odor, herbal and totally unique. If this tells you smell something, try FB. Well worth it.

I love Fougère Bengale. It's my favorite immortelle fragrance, and I've tried quite a few.

Yes, it smells like curry, but it doesn't just smell like curry - it's green, it's spicy, it's herbal, and its fougère touch gives it a classic men's fragrance feel.

The top notes are lavender and coriander with immortelle peaking through in the background. The coriander note is like coriander leaves to me - greenly spicy rather than a spice cupboard effect. Think of the chopped cilantro used in Indian and Mexican food. The lavender is herbal, its floral qualities hidden. It's all very fresh and transparent initially, though it is - thankfully, given my tastes - free of citrus and aquatic notes.

In the heart the immortelle dominates, but slowly it mellows and the oakmoss makes itself at home, green and slightly bitter, with tobacco and a touch of a vanillic base. All very pleasant, gentle and unobtrusive.

I find the sillage good but the longevity a little wanting - I could do with more than the six to eight hours it gives me. That being said, its charm, lightness, and easy wearability paired with an unusual spicy-gourmand-meets-green-fougère accord make it a real winner in my book.

There’s way too much déjà vu going on here for me to even consider buying a bottle!

It starts off smelling very similar to Dior's Eau Noir but not so sharp and pungent (also minus the lavender). There's also an agreeable burnt note in the opening. However, during the drydown, it develops into something very similar to Serge Lutens’ Arabie.

While it’s far more pleasant to wear than Eau Noir, it lacks the strength and uniqueness of Arabie to even warrant further consideration.

I’ve still yet to come across a truly unique (and long-lasting) fragrance from this house.

[Original submission date: 25 May 2008]

Coffee? I guess. …Chocolate? Maybe … but mainly I get a potent spicy opening that reminds me of a curry. The spices dominate from the start, and the background holds a rather quiet bitter note – coffee and/or chocolate. The backdrop keeps the curry and the whole accord from getting too out of control. To my nose the spices are conglomerate and I have a difficult time separating out any individual notes: It best for me to defer to Jenson on what the particular notes are. On my part, suffice it to say the fragrance presents a complex accord that has layers of spice and herbal notes. Until the drydown I find it quite linear. Fougère Bengale does not send a lot of sillage off my skin, but as light as the sillage is, the accord is deep, dark, and dry – foreboding, even. After quite a while the spices open up a bit to reveal drydown of tobacco. Unlike several other reviewers, I get no sweet through the entire long run of the fragrance. Ordinarily I enjoy deep, dark, dry fragrances, but this one comes across on my skin as pure, dark spice. If I could smell the patchouli and geranium and / or some of the sweet notes, I would appreciate it more than I do. I agree with Trebor about Fougère Bengale’s similarily to Dior’s Eau Noir, which is a fragrance I can’t tolerate. This one I can tolerate, but it takes a bit of resolve. Fougère Bengal is a complex, interesting fragrance, but it is not for me.

I actually like this perfume house, but don't love the scent. It is definitely interesting. It hits me with fresh, tropical grass, cardamom, and coriander then gets really sweet. Almost like honey was poured over the above ingredients and the pile was left to bake in hot, humid air.

i dont get any chocolate or coffee at all..all i get in the opening is - green chutney note(minus the chilli) with coriander paste and hint of turmeric. as it progresses it moves into a damp note of patchouli done in the same style as BOIS 1920 Patchouli or a Profumum Thundra not as earthy as the latter two though..soon one cud smell dried tobbaco leaves emnating givin this a very classic old style approach. the combination of patchouli and tobbaco is very well blended...settling finally into a very earthy base...

nothing to really wow about...i cant think of any ocassion to wear it as well, except for a Safari or treks. this is not my type of scent, however, i have seen that many people like these type of green scents. i would trust the majority and give it a thumbs up. personally, neutral, worth a decant, not a bottle.