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| Source: www.pixabay.com |
Good morning, folks! I hope everyone is having a great start to their day. Last week I asked in the Musings of the Fragheads Facebook group about what topic to cover this week. This one was the winner that was selected. If you want to get in on voting for topics for me to cover, then be sure to join the group and vote next time. I will also be doing some exclusive stuff on that group, and perhaps a giveaway or two at some point in there. So, be sure to join up and see what happens! The link will be down below.
The topic is about barbershop fragrances, which are in the fougere family of fragrances typically, but not always. I am going to try to cover as much as I can in this article, but this is mostly opinion based. A barbershop fragrance can vary depending on what fragrance reminds you of a barbershop. I will stop blabbing now and get on with it!
Fougeres
The term Fougere first came into play in 1882 when Paul Parquet created Fougère Royale for Houbigant. The word fougere means "fern-like" in French. The fragrance was not intended to smell like a fern, but rather what Parquet wanted a fern to smell like.
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| The re-released version of Houbigant Fougere Royal from 2010. Source: www.fragrantica.com |
After Fougere Royale, Penhaligons released English Fern as their take on a fougere. After that, many releases came out for men. Even though fougeres were originally meant to be marketed as a woman's fragrance.
The reason the history of fougeres is important is that they became what is commonly referred to as classic barbershop fragrances. Although, I do not believe that barbershop fragrances actually started there, just what we typically associate with a barbershop fragrance did.
Bay Rum
I don't think anyone knows when and where bay rum actually came about, but it is assumed that it was around the early 1800s. It contains rum, bay leaves, and spices typically. It is said that pirates used bay rum to cover their stench while at sea for long periods of time. I am pretty sure they still stunk though. Regardless, bay rum is a common fragrance that is used in barbershops, so this would date the creation of barbershop style fragrances to an even earlier time period than fougeres.
What is a Barbershop Fragrance?
Well, honestly, it has no real definition. It's whatever fragrances barbershops use/used after a fresh shave typically. It could be a fougere, oriental spicy, or a number of different things. Most of the time they will contain at least coumarin and lavender. Even though some modern iterations contain neither. Some more modern ones try to take the original idea of barbershop fragrance and give them a modern edge. More about that in a bit.
So, there is no real definition of it, but the typical consensus is that most aromatic fougeres fit in this category. That doesn't go for all of them of course. So, it's a really confusing term to use. There really isn't a right or wrong answer, unless you are speaking about a woman's fragrance...Since these are marketed towards men.
Modern Barbershop Fragrances
Modern barbershops have strayed far from the roots of fougeres and bay rum style fragrances. They reinvented themselves for the modern generation to include notes like sandalwood, geranium, rose, ambroxan, orange blossom, white musk, and many other notes. They are typically soapy or herbal. Many also contain citruses such as bergamot and lemon. The whole idea is to give a freshly shaved vibe that is pleasing to those around you. Vetiver is also a commonly used note in both classic and modern barbershops.
Examples of Barbershop Fragrances
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| Azzaro Pour Homme, an example of a classic barbershop fragrance. |
Classic Picks
Houbigant Fougere Royale
Old Spice
Penhaligon's English Fern
YSL Rive Gauche
Azzaro Pour Homme
Paco Rabanne Pour Homme
Drakkar Noir
Avon Wild Country
Brut
Modern Picks
Penhaligon's Sartorial
MDCI Invasion Barbare
Calvin Klein Eternity
Maison Margiela At the Barber's
Alexandria/Happyland Studio's Barbershop
Conclusion
Barbershop fragrances are a classic and I think every fragrance aficionado should own at least one or two. I personally have around 6 of them. They include classics and more modern ones. Yeah, if you wear a classic one you might get told you smell like a grandpa, but grandpas are typically awesome, so I take that as a compliment. You may not get attention from all of the ladies under 30, but you can hold your head high and still be proud of the piece of fragrance history projecting from your body. To me, that is awesome in itself. I am a firm believer that we need to appreciate the past in order to enjoy the future. As far as fragrances go, at least.
*I cannot attest that all of this information is 100% accurate. These are just things that I have learned over the years or found through research*
I used a little bit of information from this page to make this article: https://www.dapperconfidential.com/what-is-fougere-meet-the-fragrance-families/
Want insider news as to what I am working on? What I am testing? Any giveaways I might hold? Want to decide what topics for me to cover on my blog? Then join the Musings of the Fragheads Facebook group here!
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This was a great read and I myself have voted for this topic in the FB Group. I agree every man should have at least one barbershop fragrance in their artillery.
ReplyDeleteIndeed, they should. I hope I did okay with the article. I tried to give another outlook by bringing in the bay rum topic. There is very obscure and vague information online about this topic, so I mostly went off personal knowledge.
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