Champ d'Influence

I had a sample of this which I quickly ran through and it left such a strong impression that I kept remembering this and revisiting nearly empty vial time and time again. Aster a year of holding back, finally pulled the trigger. No regrets! It literally makes me happy everytime I wear it. It's dry, bright, clean and exquisitely well balanced fougere that smells modern and wears like a true classic. I find it similar to Invasion Barbare but it has its own unique artistic touch. Performs perfectly for an office environment: endures for 9 to 10h, projects moderately and won't choke anyone that sits in your vecinity for extended periods of time, but will dominate a small office when doors are closed if you need to lay down the law, leaves a trail that fizzles for 1 to 2m behind you when you move around and fits any office appropriate attire. This is my go to for crisp sunny days. Recommend you try a sample.

Update a year in: I haven t worn it as much during the Fall and Winter but recently took it out again. What a beautiful beast! Lasts forever and makes you happy all day. Beast in terms of longevity. Update after a few months: it is now in my heavy rotation. The more i wear it and the more i realize how unique it is. A very special lavender fougere that keeps blasting all day long. For instance, today, i am 8 hours in the day and it is still going strong. Amazing and unique! This is one of my most recent favorites that i cannot stop spraying. Geranium and oakmoss carry the lavender and the vetiver at an incredible level and you can smell the musk and amber around the edges.

I am not a huge Fougere fan but this one speaks to me. It smells clean but also interesting. It has the typical lavender and oakmoss but that patchouli and amber round this in a way that becomes clean and comforting. I am so happy to wear this, does not simply smell like perfumes that are used as a scent for various products (my sense of Fougere's in general) but indeed a perfume I can love and wrap myself in. L'Air du Desert Marocain... this gives similar vibes but are different scents to be sure but just to give a general ballpark of direction of this scent if you add a shaving cream essence

The opening will make you think of 70s/80s powerhouse fragrances, but then it softens into a fougere that nuances a lot like Penhaligons Sartorial (without the honey). Dapper, masculine scent profile. Gold

On the first notes, quite difficult on my side, while I admit that I have a historical problem with fougères. But, coming back to it and thinking about it, I admit that it's quite a tricky composition. The geranium seems to modernize a fragrance that is often far too harsh and overpowering. The foam is clear and soft, and it's a very lively fragrance. It then complexifies into layers, sweetens and floralizes in surges, and the generally robust oud, patchouli and amber notes are perfectly well-regulated, so that they hide at the back of the picture and become a pleasure rather than something nauseating. There's also a little powder, somewhere, which further accentuates the unisex aspect as much as the sweetness of the composition as a whole. In short, a classic revisited and reworked with care and meaning, interesting, and likely to appeal to fans of this type of reference. Not a revelation on my side, but a pleasant surprise if you give it a little time.