Toujours Fidele

Joli verger. Sur l'étiquette de mon "Toujours fidèle", il n'y pas de cyclamen, mais il y a du jasmin frais... / On the tag of my "Toujours fidèle", there's no cyclamen, but there is fresh jasmine ! Senteur 8/10 Grasse n'est pourtant pas en Normandie, mais c'est bien là-bas que Fragonard nous emmène par ce parfum vert aux senteurs de pommes. Imaginez que vous êtes en mars - avril, par un frais matin, en train de vous promener dans la campagne normande... La rosée du matin, les brumes, les pommiers, l'herbe verte, les vaches au loin et la mer proche... voilà ce qu'évoque ce parfum très peu urbain dont je vois bien une utilisation avant tout campagnarde ! Drôle de jasmin donc, qui bien que présent, ne réhausse ici les notes vertes. Un parfum à porter par moins de 20 degrés et qui aime aussi la pluie. Sillage 2/2 C'est un sillage équilibré, réel, sans être envahissant. Conviendrait bien sûr à un usage en ville, mais y serait peut-être un peu incongru ? Ceci étant, de tous les "parfums de bureau", bien qu'étant c'est peut-être celui avec le plus de personnalité. Longévité 2/2 Je l'ai appliqué il y a 16 heures et je le sens encore sur ma peau, un exploit pour un parfum peu envahissant ! Masculinité 1/2 Comme le note un intervenant, ce parfum pourrait effectivement être porté par des femmes, cependant il garde, notamment en note de coeur quelque chose de vraiment masculin, une force légèrement viril sans exubérance. Pas vraiment un parfum pour séduire, plutôt un parfum de jour, pour vivre. Evolution 3/4 La pomme, manifeste au début, laisse place à une note de coeur où celle-ci est quelque peu voilée par le thym, le romarin, le cèdre et les notes fleuries... Cette note de coeur dure... Puis, surprise, on retrouve la pomme en fin de parcours, une pomme de jasmin enrobé de cèdre. Intéressant ! TOTAL 16/20

This scent is... well, to quote the label "bewitching." When I originally read the notes online and read "Green apple and vanilla..." I'm going to smell like a pastry! It's not quite wrong, but not quite right either. Right after being sprayed you're hit with this incredibly fresh, resplendent green apple with a deep, sweet vanilla covered with a small smoky tone, and a little hint of musk and spice (kind of like Noir from bath and body works) and a touch of a floral note (I believe it's jasmine). On the dry down it devolves into a very green-smelling vanilla that's incredibly inoffensive, if not a little too sweet. It's a very interesting combination, one that is fairly unique in the fragrance world at least as I've smelled it. After a few hours on the skin you are left with spicy vanilla that reminds me of a warm cinnamon bun, with a lingering hint of that freshness from the green apple. It's wonderful! It definitely leans more towards the masculine side for me, although I could see a woman wearing it if they wanted. I think you'd have a hard time finding a person who couldn't find something they like about this scent, and for the prices you pay, it's probably worth picking up a bottle for your arsenal. I imagine, especially after a drawdown, it would be a good pick for something like a job interview or a first date. After all, who doesn't like vanilla?

After all those years, still one of my favourite and one of the BEST fragrances I own. Now that it's discontinued, I cherish my full bottle even more. I miss the shower gel, though. That would give me a complete experience. I absolutely love this stuff. Get this fragrance if you see it.

One of my all time favourite summer scents. It's bright, vivid, zesty, fresh, sweet, somewhat balmy. When I was wearing it the other day a friend of mine told me I smelled like a freshly ironed shirt. And that may be a spot on description of this scent. Fantastic!

A relative recently came back from a vacation from France and brought me a discovery sample set from Fragonard (a fragrance house that I confess I've never heard of before). The first fragrance I tried out was this one, Toujours Fidele, mainly because the name is somewhat poetic, but also because this was the first atomizer to slip out of the box (haha). To my surprise, I actually really enjoy it. It's almost exactly like the scent being wafted through the Four Seasons in DC - fresh, green, garden-like, reminiscent of a sunny spring day at a wooded park. It's got luxurious accords minty rosemary, tangy neroli, and bright, juicy green apple, grounded with aftershave-esque cedar. It's a beautiful composition, especially for the price (that I casually searched up about six seconds ago). I believe, though, that this is harder to find in the United States. I can't think of any alternatives off the top of my head, especially within the price range, but for a similar vibe with somewhat corresponding notes, Greenley from Parfums de Marly bears the most resemblance (but at retail price, you could probably just find a good flight deal to Paris instead and just get the fragrance there, plus you get to play tourist). Or, you could try your luck over at eBay, as sometimes they've got good deals on foreign-made items that are rare here in America. If you do find it, though, I think you'll conclude it was worth the effort looking for it. Toujours Fideles a pleasant, well-rounded freshie with hidden odes to classic French perfumery, and a welcome introduction to the Fragonard collection.