Key facts
- 1820Coumarin is isolated from the tonka bean, the Osmothèque says.
- 1880Perfumer Paul Parquet becomes joint owner of Houbigant.
- 1882Parquet creates Fougère Royale, by Houbigant's date; the Osmothèque gives 1884.
- More than 80 percentThe share of coumarin in the tonka bean, according to the Osmothèque.
- 1994Perfumer and Flavorist reports that Fougère Royale was initially developed for soap.
- Le MaleJean Paul Gaultier calls it a lavender cologne that references shaving soap.
What is a fougère fragrance?
Fougère is French for fern, but there is no fern in the formula. The Osmothèque, the perfume conservatory in Versailles, describes Fougère Royale as a bergamot, lavender, geranium, coumarin and oak moss accord, and says it was long considered a reference in men's perfumery because of its lavender notes. Houbigant calls the family fougère, or fern-like.
Was Fougère Royale really made for soap?
Yes, according to a 1994 article by D. P. Anonis in Perfumer and Flavorist. Usually a new perfume reaches the market as a fine fragrance and is only later modified for soap. Fougère Royale was the exception: it was initially developed for soap, then adapted to fine fragrance, toilet water and cologne, and later still used as a men's fragrance.
Where does coumarin come from?
The tonka bean. The Osmothèque says coumarin was isolated from tonka bean in 1820, that the bean is more than 80 percent coumarin, and that Paul Parquet was the first to use it, in Fougère Royale, giving birth to the fougère family. Houbigant also credits Parquet with using coumarin isolated from tonka bean.
Is Le Male a fougère?
Not by its maker's label. Jean Paul Gaultier files Le Male under amber aromatic and calls it a lavender cologne for men that references the familiar smell of shaving soap, enhanced with vanilla. The Osmothèque describes it as a floriental with a fougère facet. Both point to lavender, the note the Osmothèque ties to Fougère Royale's place in men's perfumery.
Sources
Primary sources only. Every statement on this page restates one of them, read by the Fragnatique team.
