Houbigant Fougere Royale EDP Review – Do You Need It?
Fougere Royale EDP.
A quality gentleman’s fragrances.
Houbignant Fougere Royale EDP was released in 2010. It is based on aromatics, fresh spices, and light florals. It lasts six hours on the skin with gentlemanly projection. In this review, I will describe its smell and performance and if it’s worth it.
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Table of Contents
What Does Houbigant Fougere Royale Smell Like?
The opening starts clean and zingy. The most prominent note is lavender with green tinges in the background. The lavender has the traditional barbershop, slightly old-school smell. It won’t be present the entire wear, but it starts the barbershop theme in the fragrance right from the get-go.
The green tinges are just that, nothing special about them. They are slightly fresh, mostly from the bergamot in the top notes. However, I do not smell a specific bergamot note the entire fragrance.
As Fougere Royale develops, more and more scent development happens. A noticeable degree of sweetness, subtle citrus, and spices linger in the background. All are faint, and difficult to tell which note is specifically projecting which.
The greenness from the opening develops into a more prominent oak moss. Supported by the three aforementioned accents, with the spices being the most prominent.
The dry-down is the best part. It has a very fougere nature. If you are unfamiliar, this means it’s green and “outdoorsy” with sweet and woody nuances. I don’t smell any woody notes. Yet, I smell a heavy dose of greenness with the sweet nuances that have carried over.
The official Houbigant Fougere Royale notes:
TOP NOTES
- Lavender
- Green Notes
- Chamomile
- Bergamot
MID NOTES
- Geranium
- Carnation
- Cinnamon
- Lilac
- Rose
BASE NOTES
- Oak Moss
- Clary Sage
- Tonka Bean
- Patchouli
- Amber
Performance
The performance is nothing to write home about. It lasts six hours on the skin with gentlemanly projection. The opening isn’t explosive, then dies down. Instead, it’s a constant ambiance of one to two feet around you.
This projection significantly helps out its versatility. The projection is never overwhelming, no matter the occasion. Hence, the all-occasion wearability. Fougere Royale also works well for formal occasions, as the aroma is sophisticated and intriguing.
The seasonality doesn’t fair as well. This can be worn in the spring, summer, or fall but struggles too much to be worn in the winter. Usually, I would tell you to apply more. But eventually, you’ll be wasting expensive cologne and not getting anything in return.
You’ll get nine to ten months of wear out of this if you live in a four-season climate. The warmer your climate, the more versatile Fougere Royale becomes.
Let’s talk about the more subjective performance factors. This is a unique fragrance but nothing that’s set a new standard, as barbershop colognes are somewhat popular.
The mass appeal and likability are fantastic. There’s nothing about this fragrance that’s decisive. And likability is just as good. It’s hard not to enjoy a masculine aromatic fragrance.
Houbigant Fougere Royale Clones
The most similar fragrance to Fougere Royale is Andres Croxatto Man. I don’t have experience with this dupe, but it is highly rated on fragrantica as a similar fragrance. Based on the note breakdown, Andres Croxatto Man heavily emphasizes citruses and lacks prevalent florals.
Final Words
On the official Houbigant website, Fougere Royale costs $210 for a 100mL bottle. For a quality, niche fragrance, this is very reasonably priced.
The final burning question is, is Houbigant Fougere Royale worth it? Yes, this is great for nearly all seasons and occasions. The one thing I love about it is its degree of maturity. I am a younger guy in his 20s, and there have been a few old-school fragrances I’ve tried and thought were too old.
But not here. It’s the perfect blend of old-school, masculine, and mature without being age-decisive. If you’re middle-aged and older, I am confident about this. It’ll be a great clean fragrance for you.
After you try Fougere Royale EDP, I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments.