Fougère Royale, launched in 1884 by French perfume house Houbigant, heralded a revolution in perfumery. The first fragrance to incorporate a synthetic ingredient, it was also the first to strive above and beyond the mere recreation of natural scents and create something that had never been smelled before: the scent of ferns. The plants have no natural scent of their own, so Fougère Royale was built around the combination of oakmoss, lavender, and the smell of freshly cut grass, chiefly characteristic of the chemical coumarin. Originally refined from turpentine, coumarin is also found in clover, hay, and tonka beans (from which it is now mass-produced), which makes it possible to produce all-natural fougères.

To that end, we at Barrister & Mann took on the challenge to build just such a scent: an all-natural fougère made with oakmoss, tonka bean, and hay absolute, a smell akin to liquid sunshine. We combined these rich compounds with the finest French lavender (and a dash of lavender absolute), then rounded out the base with fruity, earthy patchouli and musty, dirty mushroom absolute. From there, we continued to refined our work, eventually producing two distinctly different soaps.

Fougère Aromatique is, as its name suggests, the aromatic version. We blended the fragrance with touches of lime, cardamom, and thyme as an homage to Invasion Barbare, Stephanie Bakouche's remarkable aromatic masterpiece. The rest of the skeleton is constructed around geranium, clary sage absolute, violet leaf, and various other natural oils to produce a full-power, teeth-out scent completely divested of any resemblance to the prim little English fripperies that followed the original. Rich, gleamingly spicy, and utterly without pretense, Fougère Aromatique is a reminder of what it means to carry yourself with style.

Fougère Imperiale is the more traditional of our creations. We built the scent on an accord of oakmoss, French lavender, tonka bean, and hay absolute, a smell akin to liquid sunshine. We then added West Indian Sandalwood (actually a plant called Amyris) and Siberian Fir for a woody, mineral effect similar to that of the drier fougères that characterized the 1950s and 60s. The rest of the skeleton is constructed around geranium, clary sage absolute, violet leaf, and various other natural oils to produce a fresh, clean, elegant scent reminiscent of the smell of a father's shaving set. Bright, understated, and charmingly smooth, Fougère Imperiale is the ultimate progression of natural perfumery.

Each soap is available in both our tallow and Tre Citta Vegan bases. Only 160 units were made (40 of each) and this soap will never be made again. Get yours now, before it's gone!

Also, did I mention that there's a new Tre Citta?