FRAGRANCE | Fougère L'Aube EDT by Rogue Perfumery: An amalgamation of vintage beauty and contemporary appeal

halfwhiteboy - Fougere L'Aube by Rogue Perfumery 01

From the moment I got hold of some samples, I knew Rogue Perfumery was a house I was bound to really like. Its ethos of creating vintage-inspired fragrances, not to mention flouting IFRA regulations, definitely appeal to me. After a couple of other bottles, I got Fougère L'Aube.

Consistent with its luminous green juice, Fougère L'Aube is an unapologetically green fragrance through and through, to the point that it's bitter—and I'm loving it! Although it's not as straight up bitter as Sisley's Eau de Campagne because there are other elements at play, if I were to isolate the bitterness, it's right up there in that league.

There's a heavy dose of citruses in the opening that immediately perk everything up, lifting the greenness from what could have been a dreary trap to something bright and uplifting. With fougère plastered across the bottle, I was predictably looking for the lavender, a key ingredient of this fragrance family. However, it's been rendered almost unrecognizable, perhaps due to the assault of greens and citruses. Nevertheless, the scent carries that freshness characteristic of fougères, herein supported by some spiciness, nondescript florals, and a camphorous accord.

halfwhiteboy - Fougere L'Aube by Rogue Perfumery 02

A soft rose is detectable after several minutes but it's more of a subtle accent than anything. About 10 to 15 minutes in, the citruses start to relax but without losing any of the fragrance's freshness, greenness, and camphor coolness. The florals become all the more indistinct, though. By the half-hour mark, a faint muskiness enters the picture, slowly but steadily growing, while the bitterness, florals, and camphor behave in reverse proportion, softening in the process.

Fougère L'Aube starts out strong but unfortunately isn't able to sustain that power for much long. For all its complexity, it's sadly reduced to a green, musky, near skin scent rather quickly by the end of the 2nd hour, give or take. Temperature change can give it an occasional push even after several hours but overall, its performance has a lot left to be desired. 

In spite of all this, Fougère L'Aube remains a beautiful scent. The ode to vintage fragrances is palpable in its composition—specifically the green, mossy base—albeit updated with a citrus overload and what-have-you to appeal to a more contemporary audience. I don't know if I can still call it a fougère, though, but hey, what's in a name? And while fougères are often perceived as masculine fragrances, this one isn't particularly so. It's unisex to my nose. As to whether it's worth copping, if you can live with respraying as often as needed, then it is. Still, it's always wise to try it first.

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