Faunus

Currently my go-to scent for daytime. A light, almost creamy wood scent primarily, with something gently animalic and leathery glimpsed through the trees. The hay is there–it's freshly baled and still green, with that nice round moist grass scent, just a tiny bit of fresh earthy funk. "Galloping stag" is cheekily listed on the notes from the house, and although musk isn't on the Fragrantica notes, there is something animalic here for sure that really blooms on my skin, almost a whisper of fenugreek or immortelle combined with musk. I don't smell this note when I spray on clothes, though. I also think I get some iso-E in this, though I'm not 100% sure. It has that same pheromonal cedar smell, though IES is definitely not the only thing doing the heavy lifting in the cedar department.

The woodiness is immediately present, but it’s not a smoky firewood, it’s evergreen, something young and crackly. The bergamot blooms as it dries down. It is like begamot-oiled wood furniture, very warm and very dry in a sunlit window. The hay reads more as dust to me, as there isn’t anything animalic present. It is almost reminiscent of the rabbit hutch I had as a child, just freshly cleaned and with no rabbits... the ghost of that hutch, I guess. The leather is there if your nose is pressed against the skin. You might expect something sexier for a satyr’s perfume, but on its own, Faunus is dry and distant. If you love bergamot but want a deeper, warmer, woodier stage for it, this is perfect- though it only stays that way for a good 5-6 hours. It’s really stunning.

A real surprise. I was reluctant to sample this as I am so hit or miss with cedar. Cedar can easily be too strong, too sharp, like a Christmas candle. It is the clever cedar that is not super over-powering but is so well blended with oud, leather, citrus and incense that makes this special. It just works together skillfully. I keep thinking of the smell of Sprite, not that this smells anything like Sprite but it is a really nice composition that you keep coming back to. This is a very interesting indie house. I also really like Incendo which will be reviewed later. Scent: 9 Longevity: 8 Composition: 9 Value: $95 for 50ml so a 9 Wearable: Anywhere 10

La Curie really excels at capturing the scent of the outdoors, and Faunus is no exception. The name certainly fits this sylvan-god dream of a scent. It's all woods and hay with a touch of citrus, but it also has the quality of crisp, fresh air. Woody scents can so often veer dense and claustrophobic, but here, there's sunshine shooting through the foliage. I really don't know how they manage to make their scents replicate not just the fragrances, but the feeling of being outside. A few reviewers sense animalic facets here, but I can't say I pick up on any.

A pronounced cedar and bergamot scent, leaning on the dry and masculine side while fully immersed in nature. I don’t pick out the Oud note. I do get a bit of turpentine throughout, but that oil is harvested from trees so it makes sense. Faunus reminds a bit of an artists studio in an old barn. This is also linear but that’s never bothered me about scents I like. Faunus is a scent for when your nose needs a break; no ambroxan or iso e added to extend the base, thank goodness. Thanks to Airborne Armadillo for turning me onto this house.

Dry, woody, Oud, and leather. As airy as the desert the perfumer hails from. Despite the bold notes it remains incredibly wearable and mass appealing. Completely linear, akin to oils or attars, which might be due to the "naturals" purportedly used in the recipe. Simultaneously clean and earthy. Austere but not boring. Simply beautiful and one of my most worn perfumes. Full-bottle worthy.

Many years ago, I was able to ourchase a small vial of pure Cambodian oud, worth considerably more than its weight in gold. It is unlike any other oud I have smelled: animalic, woody, and with a pronounced hay note. Faunus is a nearly perfect reproduction of that natural Cambodian oud. Quite an accomplishment from this offbeat little house if La Curie. Highly recommended. 5 stars.

This is the second time in a row I've come to write a review on my SOTD and found the words I've wanted to say already written. See SmellOrHighWater's review directly below. It is accurate. Deep love for this stunning creation!

Dry wood and hay, with a very restrained bergamot. It's like a piece of cedar, baked in the sun and left in a barn full of straw where a horse used to be kept. It's intoxicating, wearable, and unique.

Ozonic, watery, green oud. How can this be possible? Magical.

I love my bottle of Incendo (best campfire fragrance on the block) so I was eager to try the other samples I had received from La Curie, including Faunus. Cedar, woods, aromatic fresh spices and some herbal tones are what I mainly get from this fragrance, which I find to be a quite a nice woody aromatic scent. It's a quality fragrance that is well formulated. On the flip-side, it is not unique and not an exciting fragrance. Faunnus performs well in that it lasts 7+ hours and projects moderately on my skin. Overall, I feel this fine fragrance leans masculine and is most appropriate for the office or professional settings, but it is versatile and could easily be worn in other situations. This fragrance is a solid like for me...and could easily be a love if I didn't already have so many favorite woody aromatics fragrances in my Scent Armory. Definitely worth checking out!!!

I wasn't expecting to like this so much. I purchased the sample pack directly from La Curie's website (highly recommended...you're sure to find something you like), and while I like Larrea, Ossuary, and Incendo, this one ended up being my unexpected favorite. I have a soft spot for nice non-spiced cedar scents. My go-to was Cedro di Taormina by Acqua di Parma, but this has just taken its spot. Its a nice, natural cedar scent that doesn't rely on iso-E, and has nice citrus and a light oud to support it...along with some green. Super relaxing and easy to like. Performance and sillage are decent. This isn't a bomb, but it doesn't whimper either. Not every fragrance has to be groundbreaking. Sometimes its nice to enjoy a refined classic...like a great piece of chocolate. This is a refined and pleasant scent. Will get a FB.

It's difficult not to like La Curie Faunus. An agreeable mix of cedar, oud, bergamot, and what must be just a pinch of hay, it's a nice year-round semi-masculine blend that reminds me significantly of Banana Republic Black Walnut, but a better performer. I barely get any hay, so mostly this is cedar and bergamot with hints of oud, and it does very much remind me of the tobacco/citrus pairing of Black Walnut. Faunus is similarly easy to wear, a slightly masculine fragrance that can be donned year-round in a variety of situations. Very nice and easy, but probably not one I need to add to my collection. I'm certainly not as moved by this as Incendo overall but quite like it and would wear it plenty if I owned it, but feel I have something similar already in Black Walnut. 7 out of 10

What I like the most in Faunus is still the end note: warm, woody, a little bit dry-herbal, natural and not smoky. The beginning of the perfume is wood covered by bitter green (not fresh green). There is something that is not so pleasant but I cannot tell. I’ve tried Elephant from Zoologist, and that one also shows bitter green. But the green in Elephant is far more strong and impressive than the green in Faunus, and I do enjoy Elephant. The start of Faunus just gives me a sense of not-so-beautiful nature. Woods there are not alive, but cut and piled with hay. But after the first hour, scents go smoothly and gently. I can imagine wear it in cold.

This is like the evil version of Greylocke by Phlur. Kinda sour and bitter like sweat and BO but in a forest. I really like it! Fades really quickly on me though.

I've tried this perfume twice, even though I hated it the first time. All I can smell is petrol/gasoline, dust, Comet cleanser and a little bit of rubber tires burning in a fire. Not the worst I've ever smelled, but I do not wish to smell like these things. I get no great woodsy smell, no cedar, which I was really hoping for, and none of the pleasant things the others are getting. A scrubber for me.

This is my last test of my sample set from indie perfumery La Curie and as with all of Miss Peterson's scents, I love it. This smells outdoorsy, a bit smokey, though less than so Incendio or Larrea. Wonderful, rich cedar. Wasn't even sure if I really liked oud, but this is great. Though all of her scents smell similar, except Odyssey, there is something unique in each one. Still, my fav is Larrea with it's amazing creosote smell! I would own all of the La Curie line if my budget could afford it.

Fragrant woods inspired by a forest god! With a touch of oud and a preponderance of sylvan wood! The oud provides a dash of exotic in the cedar and wood accord, and overall it smells like a scent made to cleanse negative atmospheres and create sacred spaces! Clean, unisex, soft sillage, great longevity.

Smoked cedar with herbal quality. I don't pick up on any oud.. at least not any real oud to my nose. Not something I'd wear but there's a niche for this type of fragrance. IG: eatandsmellgood

An excellent fragrance release from a new indie house. Watch my review on YouTube. Search Looking, Feeling, Smelling Great!

woody, oud, unwashed body, cumin, animalic leather - like an even nichier version of some of those stinky montale aouds