The fougère family in perfumery
Coralie Frébourg
First surprise: fern has no smell. None, or almost none. The fougère family is actually an imaginary accord, invented at the end of the 19th century, that evokes the forest, freshness and cleanliness. Let's decode it.
What is the fougère family?
Fougère is one of the six original olfactory families defined by the French Society of Perfumers (SFP), alongside floral, citrus, woody, oriental and chypre.
Arriving after the Colognes, fougères offer an equally bracing freshness, but with more pronounced aromatic and woody notes. They bring the same feeling of cleanliness: invigorating, refreshing, bracing fragrances.
An invented accord: lavender + coumarin
The smell of fern doesn't exist in nature. It's a reconstruction built around two essential notes:
- Lavender (natural), aromatic and fresh;
- Coumarin (synthetic), which smells of cut hay, almond and tonka bean.
Other aromatic notes are added (rosemary, thyme, bay leaf…), a floral touch (geranium, rose) and base notes (vetiver, oakmoss, musks, leather…).
It all started in 1882 with Fougère Royale by Houbigant, composed by Paul Parquet: one of the first perfumes to use a synthetic molecule, coumarin. It gave its name to the whole family.
And today?
Fougère has been modernized and intensified. There are many ambery fougères, very popular for their fresh top and round, warm base. Long confined to the “men's” aisle, it's just as beautiful on any skin. Stop the clichés!
Key raw materials
- Lavender: aromatic, floral, fresh
- Coumarin: hay, almond, tonka
- Geranium: rosy, minty, green
- Oakmoss: undergrowth, damp, earthy
- Vetiver: woody, earthy, smoky
- Rosemary, thyme, bay leaf: aromatic, herbal
Iconic perfumes
- Fougère Royale, Houbigant (1882), Paul Parquet: aromatic fougère
- Pour un Homme, Caron (1934), Ernest Daltroff: aromatic
- Brut, Fabergé (1968), Karl Mann: spicy aromatic
- Drakkar Noir, Guy Laroche (1982), Pierre Wargnye: aromatic fougère
- Cool Water, Davidoff (1988), Pierre Bourdon: aquatic aromatic
- Le Mâle, Jean Paul Gaultier (1995), Francis Kurkdjian: ambery fougère
- 1 Million, Paco Rabanne (2008), Christophe Raynaud, Olivier Pescheux, Michel Girard and Christian Dussoulier: spicy woody
- Sauvage, Dior (2015), François Demachy: aromatic fougère
This list is not exhaustive: there are many beautiful launches, some iconic, others more commercial.
Where to find these notes at Versatile?
No “fougère” in our range: we don't put our perfumes in boxes. But the family's ingredients are there. Tonka bean (rich in coumarin) warms up Croissant Café. The aromatic, green side shows up in the pesto of Rital Date and the sage of La Foncedalle. To smell them all, head to our Discovery Boxes.
FAQ
Does fern have a smell?
Very little. The “fougère” scent is an imaginary accord, built around lavender and coumarin, evoking the freshness of the undergrowth.
What's the difference between fougère and aromatic?
Fougères are a family in their own right, built on the lavender-coumarin accord. Aromatic notes (rosemary, sage, basil…) are a facet found in fougères, but also in many other families.
Are fougères perfumes for men?
They were long marketed that way, but a perfume has no gender. If you like the smell, wear it!
