Figuier Ardent Cologne Absolue Pure Perfume Spray by Atelier Cologne

Disclaimer:  I purchased this.

Top notes:
bergamot from Calabria, anise from Turkey, cardamom from Guatemala

Heart notes:
fig leaf from Provence, salty fig, black pepper from Madagascar

Base notes:
cedarwood from Virginia, iris from Tuscany, tonka bean from Brazil

Of all the scents I've tried in the last few years, two brands have captured both my imagination and loyalty the most:  Atelier Cologne and Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab.  Both do a great job with fragrance storytelling, creating both olfactory and imagery experiences to capture the feeling around the fragrance.  Today I'll be talking about Atelier Cologne's new Figuier Ardent, a fragrance built around salty figs dusted with pepper.

The opening notes are decidedly tart, dry and unisex in tone, yet seem about right for a summertime scent that is not going  to hit you over the head in the heat.   The tartness starts to soften almost immediately, and I can begin to detect both salty and peppery notes surrounding what I can only assume are the figs and fig leaf.

I say assume because I'm not really sure what a fig is supposed to smell like.   I can remember the fig preserves that my grandmother canned every year, and I can remember eating fresh figs right off the trees in her yard, but their smell?  That hasn't survived over the years.  Sweet it is not, nor would you assume it to be based on the notes listed.   If anything, I think the postcard image above convey Figuier Ardent quite well with it's figs, dry and weathered wood, and green glimpses of fern, moss, and evergeen sprigs.  

I can definitely see this working well on a guy and yet in no way do I think it's masculine to the point that women wouldn't want to reach for it as well.  Honestly my first impression was rather ambivalant, but Figuier Ardent is growing on me, much the way that Vanille Insensée did (review here).  The fragrance becomes more of a skin scent within an hour, yet it lingers for about 6 as it fades to a powdery softness.  I wouldn't say it's as long lasting as some of the other Atelier Cologne scents I've tried, which is disappointing, as I'm not one to reapply during the day.  I purchased the spray sized version from Sephora for $25.