Jovoy
A unique visual signature based on accords, character, and seasonality
The assault is immediately verdant—green notes surge forth with citrus riding their coattails, all sharp chlorophyll and lemon rind with something almost herbal, slightly mineral-edged. Within moments, a green fig leaf character emerges, neither sweet nor particularly juicy, suggesting unripe fruit and crushed vegetation rather than jam.
The fig settles into the composition's core, its character now distinctly woody and slightly leathery from the emerging patchouli. The citrus recedes gracefully rather than dissipating, allowing the interplay between the fig's green flesh and the woody base notes to become the fragrance's true narrative—almost skin-like in its intimacy, neither sharp nor cloying.
Patchouli and sandalwood emerge as the dominant forces, yet the fig stubbornly refuses to disappear entirely, lending these woods an unusual freshness and a subtle fruity memory. What remains is a quiet, earthy whisper, closer to lichen and tree bark than to conventional base note richness, fading with restraint rather than longevity.
L'Arbre de la Connaissance inhabits that rare territory where botanical austerity meets sensual depth—a fragrance that refuses easy categorisation. The composition reads as a portrait of fig in its most intellectually curious form: not the candied, jammy fig of mainstream perfumery, but rather the green, almost herbal interpretation of fruit still clinging to its tree. Those opening green notes don't simply provide freshness; they establish philosophical intent, positioning this as a scent for contemplation rather than projection.
The fragrance's central tension emerges from how Marc Fanton d'Andon orchestrates the fig's duality. In the heart, the fig becomes almost woody—a quality that anticipates the patchouli and sandalwood base rather than contrasting it. This isn't a fruit note playing dress-up in floral or gourmand territory; it's a structural component of something altogether more austere. The citrus fruits add brightness without sweetness, cutting through with green bergamot-like precision rather than surrendering to zesty joviality.
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Lorenzo Pazzaglia
4.0/5 (74)