ATELIER MATERI
CEDRE FIGALIA
2024
PERFUMER
Celine Perdriel
BERGAMOT
BASIL
SPICY NOTES
FIG TREE
SPINACH
MATE
CEDARWOOD
‘A vegetal composition designed as an ode to nature, revealing the vibrant and refreshing notes of the fig leaf, elevated by the strength of cedarwood. In CÈDRE FIGALIA, perfumer Céline Perdriel selects three varieties of cedar from the southern forests of the United States, each bringing nuance and character to the fragrance. Cedar Virginia, with its subtle and elegant notes, Cedar Alaska, for its invigorating freshness, and Cedar Atlas, for its warm and enveloping aura. Masterpiece of balance and elegance, the combination of those three varieties blends harmoniously with the fig, meticulously crafted here in its entirety to capture the refreshing essence of its foliage as well as the delightful milky sweetness of its fruit. The fragrance opens with uplifting notes of bergamot and basil, sparked by the spicy and woody facets of Jamaica pepper. In the middle, the vegetal notes of spinach and maté blend perfectly with the crisp and milky accords of the fig. All majestically carried by a sturdy, yet delicate base of cedar essence, bringing earthy depth and woody warmth to that sparkling vegetal blend.’ – Jovoy
Cedre Figalia is an early 2024 entry from Atelier Materi. One of the higher quality houses on the market in my opinion. Cedre Figalia was made by Celine Perdriel, who also did their previous Cuir Nilam and I think this has a similar, slightly heftier and darker tone than most of their older releases, while keeping the same class and sophistication.
Cedre Figalia is aptly named, with a strong woody core and spicy fig. To my nose, this feels almost like a different fragrance in the air versus smelling it up close.
In the air, this gives me the overall same vibe as BDK Gris Charnel. Not as sweet, but still relatively sweet, spicy, milky. Nutmeg seems to be prominent to my nose. Kind of like mixing Gris Charnel with BDK’s spicy Nuit de Sable.
However, when smelling Cedre Figalia up close, it’s a lot greener. And the more I wore it, the greener it felt. Almost bitter, galbanum-esque, tree sap green facets make for a much more natural and forest-like scent profile. A more lifelike green woodiness, that really captures the quality of Atelier Materi well.
I think this perfectly fills the brief of a woody fig, with more focus on the greener woods than you often get in fig fragrances.