Kenzo Jungle le Tigre

Today one of my students asked me to sign a petition about legal protection of animals in my country and I did it willingly. In my country there are no tigers :) still, what a disgrace it was eliminating this charming predator from the shop shelves! Somebody should write a petition. I must admit this is for me, so far, one of the most painful fragrance discontinuations ever. I am somehow emotionnaly attached to Tiger.. First of all, even if, arguably, not a masterpiece, it was a really one of a kind perfume - never ever I managed to find anything even slightly comparable, with all the massive production going on all this time - a woody-spicy-oriental, light but not weak, combining spices and citrus in an edgy and extraordinary way. It is 0% sticky, still sweet and pronounced. Also, maybe because it was somehow totally not-european (pure Africa for me!), there was something evermodern about it, I can't imagine it going outdated. It could easily be relaunched now as a hipster frag! Second, the whole Jungle line - Elephant, Zebra and Tiger - was extremely recognizable, eye- and heartcatching and very memorable. Lovely and cute, too, the colours, the animal "totems" and all. It also fitted the Kenzo brand perfectly (colourful, freespirited, exotic, ethnic) and it should be kept as their flaship fragrance line. Third, I just love the idea of a "tiger" scent, and this was a very good one (even if it, in fact, represented a cute and fluffy baby tiger, like some said before, or, more precisely, a tiger, and everything else, from Henri Rousseau's paintings!) and the colourful mini package and beautiful tigre-capped bottle are so enjoyable - they are like toys that I use to treat myself from time to time:) Elephant and Tiger are like two sides of the moon, or like twin brothers. You just don't break homes like this!

I managed to score a mini of this on ebay, and I'm almost sorry I did. It's one of those discontinued perfumes that is so perfect for me, it might be best if I'd never tried it. Is it better to have loved and lost? The jury's still out. It's like spending a perfect weekend with the man of your dreams knowing all along that it cannot be, and when Monday morning comes he'll be gone. The time together is beautiful, but terribly bittersweet because you see the end coming and there is no help for it. Would it be better to never even meet him, to miss out on the pleasure but spare yourself the pain? I'm sad every time I put this on because I love it so much. Like an enraptured lover I revel in the perfect combination of cinnamon and citrus. I wrap myself in the heady embrace of spices and fruit, knowing that much too soon it will be for the last time. This scent is rare in that it manages to combine cinnamon and orange notes without coming off the least bit like Christmas, air freshener, or baked goods. The cinnamon is warm and spicy; the citruses are bright and fresh, not candied or cloying. The result is a mesmerizing scent that just like a tiger is stunningly beautiful and mysterious, but even when approachable is still not entirely tame. It's not a scent for everyone. This is not gourmand, not an olfactory dessert, this is *perfume*. I am in utter mourning that it has to end, and I can't stop it. Le Tigre being discontinued seems heartbreakingly appropriate, reflective of the plight of real-life tigers on the brink of extinction. Soon they'll be gone too, forever, taken for granted by mankind. I donate and try to do my part, always in fear that we won't be able to hold onto them. I want desperately to see these majestic cats saved, and this scent reintroduced to celebrate their comeback.

Many people have commented on their disappointment that Tigre is discontinued and the extortionate prices it commands on sites like eBay, so I started wondering if I had any other perfumes in my collection which might - possibly - be a replacement. My starting point was to consider which of my perfumes had a dominant cinnamon note and two immediately came to mind - L de Lolita Lempicka and Meharees. Given that L de LL is as rare as hen's teeth (and ascertaining that L is far sweeter than Tigre), it didn't seem worthwhile pursuing that route, so I've tested Meharees against Tigre instead. Both Tigre and Meharees are oriental spicy fragrances and have a similar structure and notes in common - although these are only orange, cinnamon and amber - on my skin and to my nose the similarities far outweigh the differences. I have Tigre sprayed on the back of my hand and Meharees on my forearm. I've allowed them to dry down properly before starting to write this. Both perfumes open with a punchy orangey citrus, which Tigre retains for far longer; I suspect its fruitiness is probably buoyed by the kumquat and osmanthus. Unsurprisingly, Meharees smells woodier (it has sandalwood, guaiac and cedar) and I pick up on a slightly "medicinal" tone, which I think may be coming from patchouli, which I sometimes interpret as being a bit mentholated. In summary, I think that people who love Tigre will at least like Meharees - and that it may be a reasonable substitute. Meharees is easily available in Europe and the US and is not expensive. I'm happy to send small decants to anyone in the UK who'd like to test it against Tigre, before committing to buy a bottle - send me a PM. Bee x

I love big cats, I also love cinnamon, so I seized the chance to get my hands on this rare baby. Well, this is an interesting, unusual scent! If I were to give a color to a scent, I'd say Le Tigre is orange, just like the majestic creature it depicts. It's as surprising as its brother L'Elephant, but in a much more pleasant way, for Le Tigre is more wearable, subtler and more seductive. Pretty much like a tiger chuffing, showing friendliness. But tigers are as unpredictable as they are beautiful, and so is this scent. The osmanthus amps up the fruity vibe in Le Tigre, and the ylang-ylang gives it a narcotic floral touch. Also, the cinnamon and amber wraps the composition in a lovely powdery accord, making it pleasantly nostalgic. The mélange of fresh-warm spicy-sweet-resinous notes in Le Tigre sets it apart from everything that's marketed these days in the mainstream area and I can't help but wonder why Kenzo discontinued this beauty. Lack of sales? Well, due to its contrasting notes (blended masterfully nonetheless), I'll admit Le Tigre is not a crowd pleaser, nor a safe blind buy. It is indeed an acquired taste, but there are so many other perfumes that fall in this category, and they're still in production. Probably the IFRA restrictions are also responsible for this being discontinued... The same thing happened with the 80s Panthere de Cartier and many other good fragrances, esp from the Guerlain house. Too bad.

Tigre is such a special and truly highly sophisticated fragrance. After initial application you get a powerful burst of citruses, with kumquat being the leader :-) But it is not tarty or tangy but juicy sweet and mouthwatering. Then, come spices and osmanthus; the fragrance changes dramatically, it feels like the highest quality lemon pepper. Unlike most of you, I do not get any cinnamon, which is a shame as I was so looking forward to 'taste' it. In my opinion, Tigre is far different from Elephant in terms of overall feel; Elephant was heavy, Tigre is of just the right strength. Very prominent cloves in Elephant made me a bit dizzy, there is no such feel in Tigre; there is no dominance of particualr notes. To me, all notes in Tigre do a great 'team work'. Overall, I highly recommend Tigre to those who are deeply in love with spicy and powerful fragrances. You will not get unnoticed wearing Tigre. It is not as overwhelming as its brother - Elephant, so can easily be worn to office, on casual Saturday or a special evening for two :-) P.S. Why it has been discontinued is completely beyond me, as it is far better than Elephant. Tigre prices are ridiculously high, some of them cost as much as $200-$400.00 which in my opinion, is a cleverly thought over marketing catch. Get it before it becomes impossible to find. (Finding it nowadays is already a mission impossible)