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Houbigant Fougère Royale: A first sniff from a tester - Page 2

post #61 of 103
10/22/10 at 1:38pm
Thanks Jaime! I get on to read as often as I can, but only pop in to post occasionally!
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post #62 of 103
10/22/10 at 3:19pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by arlecchino View Post

So Jaime, you wouldn't happen to have the scoop on when the rest of the country is going to get a whiff of all this fougere-goodness?

So, here's the skinny from the rep:

You can call him at (415) 362-3900. Ask for the Men's Fragrance counter and then ask for Michal (MEE-hahl). He can let you know about immediate availability through him.

Other places around the U. S. will have Fougère Royale in stock about a month after San Francisco, which should be before Christmas.
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post #63 of 103
10/22/10 at 10:07pm
Jaime, it's been a complete and exhaustive education; did you have an end time for the longevity?
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post #64 of 103
10/22/10 at 10:20pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by dacha View Post

Jaime, it's been a complete and exhaustive education; did you have an end time for the longevity?

I would say a good seven or eight hours for the EdP, although traces are still detectable the following morning. I haven't seen the Perfume Edition, and doubt anyone will until the official launch.
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post #65 of 103
10/25/10 at 2:01pm
Wow, just tested this in EDP strength, and the quality is really really high!!

It's an extremely natural scent, very dense and rich, very green and moderately sweet, and yet, so very classy and masculine at the same time....without any overt flaws. It's not done in a style I would personally wear, but for those who love these older styled sweet/rich fougeres, this should be immediate grail status. Excellent job by a house I've never tested a drop of, but certainly will test as many of their scents as I can.

A must test for lovers of any of these scents:
Vetiver 48
Moss Breeches
Balenciaga pour homme
Feuille Verte
Black Orchid
Canali men
Himalaya
Bogart City Tower
The drydown of older batches of Green Valley


If Fougere Royale is any indication, this house is qualitatively right on the same level as Maitre Parfumeuer Et Gantier, Lorenzo Villoresi, Creed, and Guerlain's boutique/vintage fragrances. A+ for Houbigant.
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post #66 of 103
10/25/10 at 2:10pm
Did you try this in Chicago? Neimans?



Quote:
Originally Posted by DULLAH View Post

Wow, just tested this in EDP strength, and the quality is really really high!!

It's an extremely natural scent, very dense and rich, very green and moderately sweet, and yet, so very classy and masculine at the same time....without any overt flaws. It's not done in a style I would personally wear, but for those who love these older styled fougeres, this should be immediate grail status. Excellent job by a house I've never tested a drop of, but certainly will test as many of their scents as I can.

A must test for lovers of any of these scents:
Vetiver 48
Moss Breeches
Balenciaga pour homme
Feuille Verte
Black Orchid
Canali men
Himalaya
Bogart City Tower
If Fougere Royale is any indication, this house is qualitatively right on the same level as Maitre Parfumeuer Et Gantier, Lorenzo Villoresi, Creed, and Guerlain's boutique/vintage fragrances. A+ for Houbigant.
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post #67 of 103
10/25/10 at 2:17pm
Yes. Nieman Marcus. From the "woven glass" bottle. A wonderfully impressive scent, so very great in quality and composition. Truly a masterpiece. Right up there with vintage Santal Noble and vintage Tabarome, as the cream of the crop for "old school" scents. Just not my particular style.
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post #68 of 103
10/25/10 at 3:48pm
is it bitter? the original is only slightly sweet, and rather bitter.
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post #69 of 103
10/25/10 at 4:48pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by gido View Post

is it bitter? the original is only slightly sweet, and rather bitter.

Perhaps the topnotes are mildly bitter....but the drydown is ridiculously smooth, like a much richer, more mossy Clive-Christian-version of Vetiver 48's drydown with plenty of florals and tonka.
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post #70 of 103
10/25/10 at 5:05pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by DULLAH View Post

everything JaimeB has said, combined with everything DULLAH just said...

Woo hoo!!!

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post #71 of 103
10/26/10 at 10:42am
I just rcvd the following email from LOFT in Monaco (owner of the Houbigant brand and producer of Fougere Royale):

Dear Chris,

Thank you for the interest you show toward Houbigant.

Fougère Royale will be available exclusively in Neiman Marcus stores and on Neiman Marcus online store, starting next week.

If we can be of further help, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Best regards,

Elisabeth Perris

So for those of you outside San Francisco it should be accessible at NM online and other NM stores the week of Nov 1.

Chris
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post #72 of 103
10/26/10 at 10:53am
Quote:
Originally Posted by DULLAH View Post

Perhaps the topnotes are mildly bitter....but the drydown is ridiculously smooth, like a much richer, more mossy Clive-Christian-version of Vetiver 48's drydown with plenty of florals and tonka.

I am looking forward to trying this one! (Already was, but this description excites me).
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post #73 of 103
10/26/10 at 12:44pm
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This is a GREAT news for those of us in Canada. NM ships fragrance ground to Canada. Costs an extra 10$, but what the heck!

Quote:
Originally Posted by fishercb View Post

I just rcvd the following email from LOFT in Monaco (owner of the Houbigant brand and producer of Fougere Royale):

Dear Chris,

Thank you for the interest you show toward Houbigant.

Fougère Royale will be available exclusively in Neiman Marcus stores and on Neiman Marcus online store, starting next week.

If we can be of further help, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Best regards,

Elisabeth Perris

So for those of you outside San Francisco it should be accessible at NM online and other NM stores the week of Nov 1.

Chris
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post #74 of 103
10/26/10 at 1:33pm
A little off topic, but does anybody have a clue which Neiman Marcus in New York is most likely to have this one soon? I tried their store locater but it didn´t work for me.

I ask since a friend of mine is going to NY this weekend and I am really thinking of sending him in to blind buy a bottle for me - but where do I send him? I guess the most "down town" shop would be easiest to access and if you have any contact info so I can check availability it would be great too.

Thanks a lot in advance,
Pelle
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post #75 of 103
10/26/10 at 1:53pm
^^^
Pelle, there is no Neiman Marcus in NYC, but there is one out in Paramus, NJ that is not far, and I think one elsewhere maybe in Westchester. But definitely none in the city.
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post #76 of 103
10/26/10 at 3:24pm
After re-applying to get the topnotes again(yes the drydown lasts well many days on fabric), this is also strongly for the lovers of Trumper's Wild Fern and Penhaligon's English Fern
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post #77 of 103
10/26/10 at 4:27pm
NM in Newport Beach doesn't have it, and they never heard of it being released either.
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post #78 of 103
10/26/10 at 5:14pm
Re: New York. Bergdorf Goodman is actually owned by Neiman Marcus and gets the NM exclusives.

Now if we can just get this thread to 10 pages and beat that Bleu de Chanel thread!

(It's actually quite funny watching the old folks hang out in here while the rest of the mens board worries about what turns women on...)
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post #79 of 103
10/26/10 at 5:30pm
Thread Starter 
I bet we end up smelling better than they do, and also probably end up turning more women's heads on the perfume score alone. The worst tactic is trying too hard!
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post #80 of 103
10/26/10 at 5:44pm
Hopefully it's decent.
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post #81 of 103
10/26/10 at 6:59pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by rogalal View Post

Re: New York. Bergdorf Goodman is actually owned by Neiman Marcus and gets the NM exclusives.

Ah, well that's good news, so hopefully BG will get it when it rolls out to the rest of the NM stores, I'll be on the lookout.
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post #82 of 103
10/27/10 at 3:54pm
Thread Starter 
Further update:

I spoke today with the Houbigant rep. The shipment has cleared customs and is expected in San Francisco early next week. The San Francisco store may begin to be able to begin charging customer accounts by Saturday for later pickup.

Other Neimans stores will not be able to accept advance orders until November 14. Delivery at those stores will be about one month after the release in San Francisco.
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post #83 of 103
10/27/10 at 3:58pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by JaimeB View Post

Further update:

I spoke today with the Houbigant rep. The shipment has cleared customs and is expected in San Francisco early next week. The San Francisco store may begin to be able to begin charging customer accounts by Saturday for later pickup.

Other Neimans stores will not be able to accept advance orders until November 14. Delivery at those stores will be about one month after the release in San Francisco.

Another update:

The 100ml perfume will not cost $600, it will be housed in some over-the-top Lalique presentation, and will cost $1,600. The 100ml EDP will be in the heavy woven glass spray, for around $170.
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post #84 of 103
10/27/10 at 6:02pm
Thread Starter 
I have seen the publicity materials, which were forwarded to me directly from the company. The price for the Perfume Edition is $600. It comes in a lacquered box. No mention of Lalique crystal.

Attachment 7918

As you can see, the bottle looks the same; it is the box and the juice which make the difference in this presentation.
LL
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post #85 of 103
10/28/10 at 5:01am
In case my other non North American based brethren were wondering:

Thank you for contacting Neiman Marcus Online.

At this time, we are unable to send cosmetics
and fragrances to international locations. We
do apologize for any inconvenience this may
have caused.

We will gladly assist with placing your
order if you have an address within the
United States where the merchandise can be
delivered.
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post #86 of 103
10/28/10 at 5:30am
Jaime, Thanks for the wonderful review on the scent and the bottle!
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post #87 of 103
10/28/10 at 8:57am
Quote:
Originally Posted by DULLAH View Post

Another update:

The 100ml perfume will not cost $600, it will be housed in some over-the-top Lalique presentation, and will cost $1,600. The 100ml EDP will be in the heavy woven glass spray, for around $170.

Oh jeez...
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post #88 of 103
10/28/10 at 3:18pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by DULLAH View Post

Another update:

The 100ml perfume will not cost $600, it will be housed in some over-the-top Lalique presentation, and will cost $1,600. The 100ml EDP will be in the heavy woven glass spray, for around $170.

Quote:
Originally Posted by mikeperez23 View Post

Oh jeez...

Quote:
Originally Posted by JaimeB View Post

I have seen the publicity materials, which were forwarded to me directly from the company. The price for the Perfume Edition is $600. It comes in a lacquered box. No mention of Lalique crystal.

As you can see, the bottle looks the same; it is the box and the juice which make the difference in this presentation.

Attachment 7921

Don't panic! I don't know where the $1600 figure came from, but Houbigant's own publicity calls it $600 for the Perfume Edition.
LL
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post #89 of 103
10/28/10 at 3:44pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by JaimeB View Post

Attachment 7921

Don't panic! I don't know where the $1600 figure came from, but Houbigant's own publicity calls it $600 for the Perfume Edition.

It was from some Russian broad at Nieman Marcus, she seemed to be reading str8 from the issued list, which designated the Lalique presentation. Perhaps there is a 3rd option, for the eccentrics?
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post #90 of 103
10/28/10 at 4:22pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by DULLAH View Post

It was from some Russian broad at Nieman Marcus, she seemed to be reading str8 from the issued list, which designated the Lalique presentation. Perhaps there is a 3rd option, for the eccentrics?

Perhaps it was just that she misread the number... especially if English was not her first language. I would think that Houbigant's presentation packet would have mentioned a super-deluxe version.
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post #91 of 103
11/3/10 at 12:14pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by gido View Post

count me as skeptical. the name was sold several times. houbigant became a cheap name. what company exactly is really behind all this?

it would be interesting to compare, though. i have a bottle from the 1940-1950's. at that point, houbigant was still houbigant, and making quality stuff.

the original smells fresh, with very much coumarin, and dirty at the same time, with natural civet. it's clearly intended as a masculine. and not very floral, not at all.. i don't know what all these floral notes are about.

Sampled the new one today and yes, it is very different from the original. I wouldnt call it a flowery scent, though. Its more like a generic sporty fougere a little today, a little 80s. Someone here on the forum called it a mix between Cool Water and Versace Blue Jeans, and Im afraid he had a point there. One wonders why they choose to use the FR trademark to launch a new fragrance theres already hundreds of out there.

Personally I dont believe in the idea that time has made a decent reorchestration impossible. Of course its possible for a skilled perfumer to come very close to the original, even considered some of the materials are or might be unavailable today. Trumpers Wild Fern is one example. Whether it was disbelief in the beauty of the original, disbelief in the consumers or just focus groups that made it end up like this I dont know. Maybe they were just afraid that it would smell old or dirty and came up with the brilliant idea to make a Sport Royale.
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post #92 of 103
11/4/10 at 7:49pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by headspace View Post

Sampled the new one today and yes, it is very different from the original. I wouldnt call it a flowery scent, though. Its more like a generic sporty fougere a little today, a little 80s. Someone here on the forum called it a mix between Cool Water and Versace Blue Jeans, and Im afraid he had a point there. One wonders why they choose to use the FR trademark to launch a new fragrance theres already hundreds of out there.
.

Interesting how perceptions can be so different...I get neither Cool Water nor Blue Jeans in FR.

Quote:
Originally Posted by headspace View Post

One wonders why they choose to use the FR trademark to launch a new fragrance theres already hundreds of out there.
.

Hundreds of what? I have never seen any Fougere Royales around here, and to my nose, it is FAR from generic and common.
I also think it is a fantastic idea to try to recreate something that is now only a legend, provided that the attempt is in earnest. I also wonder about the validity of smelling some 60 year old vintage juice next to a reformulation, and dismissing the new formulation as a failure because of some dissimilarities. I am not a chemist, but I would bet that 60 year old juice is only a shadow of its original self (most 60 year old objects are). I have had many fragrances take a turn for the worst in less than a decade. I think Le Labo's expiration date is a little excessive and unnecessary, but they do have a point.

I, for one, cannot wait for my bottle. Near, far, weak, strong, similar or dissimilar to "vintage" Fougere Royale, the new 'formulation' can stand on its own.
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post #93 of 103
11/12/10 at 2:29pm
Well, I don't exactly get any Cool Water or Blue Jeans in FR either – but the reformulation is closer to them than to my old sample of FR. Of course my sample might have changed over the years, but the sample smells absolutely beautiful and like a complete different fragrance in every way. I mean really different. The old sample is in many ways identical to Trumper’s Wild fern (1870’s), and that’s why I think it hasn’t changed that much or gone bad over time. I think the reformulation might fit today’s average consumer better though and they might have made a wise decision economically.

When I said hundreds, I mean generic male fragrances that come and go in the department stores. One starts to wonder what’s actually in my bottle… Did we even get the same juice? Strange.
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post #94 of 103
11/12/10 at 7:23pm
Interesting. I should get mine next week...(I had to mail them a check, wait for it to clear, then they will send it arrrgggggggghhhhh...checks are so 1995...)
I will investigate further once it arrives. I certainly did not get the impression that it was a cheap fragrance branded by a FR bottle. I remember it being much more rich and textured than that. I will update this soon...hopefully by next week.
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post #95 of 103
11/14/10 at 11:16pm
I finally have my hands on a bottle (a special thanks to a very kind Basenoter who helped facilitate the process).

From the start, expecting to be underwhelmed, I was actually quite amazed.
Fougere Royale is like the “primordial soup” of today’s fragrances. This is my first time trying FR and yet my mind is flooded with familiarity –I’m grasping the fact that FR has really been with me almost every step of the way of my perfume hobby. It is the backbone of at least 50% of my wardrobe.

Coumarin and citrus isolates seem to be the key players that propel the fragrance and make the green herbal and bergamot topnotes sing, while the rest of the chems seem to suggest supporting the light –almost nondescript- floral heart (mainly lily of the valley, carnation and rose). The ingredient list reads:

Alcohol, Parfum, Water, Limonene, Benzyl Benzoate, Benzyl Salicylate, Cinnamal, Citral, Citronellol, Coumarin, Eugenol, Geraniol, Hydroxycitronellol, Hydroxyisohexyl 3-Cyclohexene Carboxaldehyde, Isoeugenol, Linalool, Alpha Isomethyl Ionone

FR rests upon a cool, mossy base (and a touch of patchouli softened with a mere suggestion of vanilla and cinnamon). Notice there is no oakmoss listed; so either a synthetic was used or an absolute which, I assume, would allow the oakmoss to reside in the ‘parfum’ portion of the ingredient list.

I find it safe to say at the moment that any reformulating was likely done only to comply with IFRA restrictions, and for the sake of consistency and preservation of the originally intended impression of the fragrance. Fougere Royale is indeed a very modern scent –ahead of its time during first release and still valid 128 years later.

I have a vintage bottle in transit, so I look forward to a side by side comparison in the next few days.
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post #96 of 103
1/27/11 at 11:23am
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OK, so the holidays are over: Who got it for Christmas? Reviews? Rants?

I'm thinking more and more of pulling the trigger on this one. Has anybody seen FR appear on the decant sites somewhere?
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post #97 of 103
1/27/11 at 11:29am
I purchased FR about 2 weeks ago here at Neiman Marcus. A solid wardrobe addition. It's a rich and complex fragrance that appeals to me. The sillage and longevity are more than acceptable. If a vendor has it in stock near you, you could always drop by and spritz to check it out. That's what I did.

Martin



Quote:
Originally Posted by MHV View Post

OK, so the holidays are over: Who got it for Christmas? Reviews? Rants?

I'm thinking more and more of pulling the trigger on this one. Has anybody seen FR appear on the decant sites somewhere?
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post #98 of 103
1/27/11 at 12:29pm
One of my best purchases of 2010.
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post #99 of 103
1/28/11 at 12:29pm
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So far it seems that nobody is distributing Houbigant in Canada anymore (at least not in dept. stores), so I was wondering if you can get samples vials of FR? I could arrange with someone in the US to get one.
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post #100 of 103
1/31/11 at 6:44am
Quote:
Originally Posted by JaimeB View Post

I said in my original post that it is at least as good as Patou pour Homme Privé, and as a green fougère, I think it does compare very favorably with pH Privé.

Just stumbled upon this thread.. Patou Prive is my holy grail fougere.. if the above is indeed true I sure am going to be broke in the next few weeks. Off to Roja Dove...
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post #101 of 103
1/31/11 at 8:18am
Quote:
Originally Posted by phibess View Post

Just stumbled upon this thread.. Patou Prive is my holy grail fougere.. if the above is indeed true I sure am going to be broke in the next few weeks. Off to Roja Dove...

It's as good as PH Prive IMO, but it is a different scent. PH Prive is more of a true lavender scent, this one is more aromatic fougere....
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post #102 of 103
3/23/11 at 5:41am
Does anybody tried parfume version for 600 USD?
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post #103 of 103
3/23/11 at 12:19pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by EDJA View Post

Does anybody tried parfume version for 600 USD?

I have a bottle of it and wear it every so often, it's nice but I dunno if it's worth the extra over the EdP. I bought it on a whim and it's a great display piece so I enjoy having it.
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