You can’t go wrong with fig fragrances in my opinion. Whether it’s fresh or nutty, crispy, crunchy, floral leafs, or smooth milky to creamy texture, to more citrussy fruits or darker, riper fruits; fig rarely fails. One of the more versatile notes, without smelling too basic or boring.
ESSENTIAL PARFUMS FIG INFUSION
Starting with, what arguably is my favorite fig and one of my most worn fragrances overall. This is a very clean, straight-forward, fresh fig that makes for a perfect office wear or Sunny day pick, but works year-round. On the fruity side, but quite neutral.
HOUBIGANT FIGUIER NOIR
An underrated fig gem. I’d say this is one of the more traditionally masculine-leaning fig fragrances. This one has a lot of woodiness, providing a full fig tree experience, but it grows sweeter in the base.
Snif VOW FACTOR
One of the nicer surprises for me. At the time of writing I’ve only smelled Vow Factor & it’s companion Honey Suit from Snif, and Vow Factor was the one I ended up liking a lot more. It opens sharp and crisp, but dries down rather creamy and semi-sweet.
Goldfield & Banks Silky Woods Elixir
This was a surprising take on a flanker. Whereas most brands opt for mass-appeal and safe bets, I feel that Silky Woods Elixir took a risk by adding a green fig (leaf) to a popular vanilla DNA, making it more mature. Very respectable.
Mugler Womanity
Womanity remains a divisive release to this day, but in my personal opinion, it may be the best Mugler has to offer. I don’t get any of the eccentric, ‘raunchy’ takes on this scent; it merely has a hint of ‘seabreeze skin’ (not even as potentially off-puting as Amouage Guidance). I’m a fan.
Dior Balade Sauvage
Probably the most slept-on release in the Maison Christian Dior (f.k.a. Privée) collection. Going from citrussy to fruity and woody, with a lotion-like texture and airy freshness to it. I think this one deserves more love within this Dior line.
HELLENIST A L’OMBRE D’ARTEMIS
One of the newest additions makes the list. I have yet to write a review for this, but from memory, it’s a nice berried-green fig that goes more so woody as it dries. I’ll have to revisit and review it.
Amouroud Silver Birch
I would describe Silver Birch as an unripe-but-very-fruity fig mixed with clean vetiver. One of the best performers on the list as a bonus. This and Lunar Vetiver make for quite the green-fresh duo from this house.
Jijide Dentro
Without a doubt, this is the most unique, eccentric fragrance on the list to my nose. Dentro combines green, crispy & sharp fig, with coffee. It merges into a green fruity fig-osmanthus leather. Impossible to describe. Hard to get passed the opening minutes if I’m being honest, but a ride that’s absolutely worth taking.
Veronique Gabai Delices Des Bois
The opening of this fragrances is quite screechy and sharp, but it adds a lovely (sandal)woody base. A bit sweeter, a bit spicy, but still an aromatic woody scent throughout. Not what I expected before trying it, but well-done.
Beso Beach Beso Pasion
I’m always surprised that this fragrance isn’t more popular. Made by Jordi Fernandez, it follows the DNA him and Quentin Bisch has been utilizing with a lot of success. I’d say Beso Pasion smells like a mix of Essential Parfums’ Bois Imperial & Fig Infusion.
MEO FUSCIUNI #3 NOTA DI VIAGGIO (2019)
Along with Little Song, this was my favorite upon first impression of the Meo Fusciuni collection when I sampled it. I smelled the 2019 version, not the 2011. A radiant, almost tropical, fruity fig opening, that grows oily, sweet and bordering on smoky as it dries down. One of the safest Meo Fusciuni, but still with his artistic flair.
Hermes Un Jardin En Mediterranee
Admittedly, I have a nostalgic connection to this scent, as it used to be one of the few fragrances that my mother always wore (for this reason, I bought her Essential Parfums Fig Infusion). A sea breezy, fresh, oily DNA. Current batches in store seem to lack to magic of the older ones, but in general, Hermes Un Jardin collection is top-notch.
Isabelle Larignon Milky Dragon
A gem of a fragrance here, albeit not the most fig-forward one on the list. This smells like green tea and creamy butter, somehow working together. Sweet and green at the same time, with tiny hints of fruit. Lovely.
Atelier Materi Cedre Figalia
Atelier Materi is never shy on quality and Cedre Figalia is no exception. This does lean more green-woody than I often like. A spicier and slightly lactonic opening akin to BDK Gris Charnel, but growing a lot more green, tree, leafy. You get the whole forest here.
Acqua di Parma Fico Di Amalfi
A bonus 16th (15 figs sounded better): What list of fig fragrances is complete with Fico Di Amalfi (I know what some of you are thinking, how about Diptyque Philosykos? Too grassy for me, but I’ll have to re-try it, it’s been a while). Back to Fico Di Amalfi; one of the hallmarks of fig perfumes and it’s not hard to see why. A citrussy take with transparent woods, that to me paints a well-rounded, outdoorsy picture.