FREDERICK ROBIN
N° 8
PERFUMER
Frederick Robin
Peppermint
Pear
Blue Accord
Vanilla
At the time of release Frederick was only 17 years old. He’s been using his musical talent as an inspiration to create fragrances since he was 14. He sent me 3 of his creations to try out and based on a first impression N° 8 was definitely my favorite, here are my thoughts.
The inspiration behind N° 8 was a pears a la mode dessert and this fragrance definitely captures that imagery. In the opening there’s a healthy dose of peppermint, which feels more spicy than bubblegummy and overall I get a bit of a ‘holiday’ spice vibe from the fragrance.
The stars of the show are the pear accord and the vanilla however, with the pear being prominent at first. For the first 2 hours approximately, it’s a rather unique pear and mint combination, which is quite bright. The closest thing that it reminds me of is the Gallivant Bukhara opening (though very different still and not dry). It transitions heavily after those initial hours, with the mint suddenly fading and the pear being overtaken by a smooth layer of vanilla. As it dries down, this feels like pear flanker of Casamorati’s Lira. You have to be a gourmand lover to like this one as much as I do. Frederick speaks of a blue accord, but this definitely does not go into any aquatic direction to my nose. It’s described as giving it a watery touch, so I can imagine the accord adding onto the juiciness of the pear, but it’s not something that stands out for me. Overall, it’s a spiced vanilla and pear dessert all the way for me, with a straight up vanilla drydown (that lasts for a good while), which I can get behind any day of the week.
What’s most impressive about this for me is the pricing; you can pick up a 100ml for 50$ (and a 30ml for 30$). That’s for an extrait de parfum, with really solid performance, in a simple, but good looking bottle. As far as getting your bang for buck, this has to be one of the best deals on the market in my opinion. With his young age, Frederick undoubtedly has a bright future ahead of him.