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Black Fig, Oak Bark, & Brown Sugar

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I wish I could say I loved this, but sadly, I'm ambivalent at best.

 

This is a dark, cool fragrance.

 

The fig is deep, earthy, and chewy, with a kind of syrupy quality. This is the big hitter at first, which blends with the oak bark. I think it is more of the oakmoss-type of oak note, as the blend is a little sharper and astringent, like with fougere-family perfumes.

I don't really get any of the brown sugar at all; there's no warmth, nothing like molasses, or other sweet notes, it's all the fig, with a slight cologne-y quality.

 

I was hoping for a much warmer fragrance, maybe with a warm-spicy-wood note (like sniffing fresh-cut hardwood), but that's not quite what it is. XD

It's still very nice, of course, just not quite what I was expecting. :)

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This starts out as very strong fig and brown sugar -- extremely sweet and a little caramelized. The oak bark is nowhere to be found so far. As the scent wears, the intense sweetness tapers off, but it's still very figgy. The oak bark does start to make its way out a bit, adding a cool, grounding earthiness to the scent. Still, overall impression is that this is primarily a very sweet fig scent -- I think I was hoping for more oak bark. Still, if you love fig, this is one to try.

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I've let this sit a month or two to see how it would fill out, as it initially smelled fig-like but rather hollow.

 

In that time, the brown sugar has been the main note to fill out and take the lead. 

 

Lots of sweet brown sugar, some fig (which smells more brown than black to me because... brown sugar), and a scarce hint of dark oak. And then more brown sugar.

 

For an oak fix, I'd sooner recommend Cocoa and Oak Bark, which had lots of the lovely note.

But if you seek a simple sweet brown sugar and fig, this could be the one.

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I'm crazy for fig and I'm getting a full size. It's mostly fig, then the brown sugar to amp it up while it's backed by a smidge of oak. Not a woodsy scent, more fruity. 

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I'm testing this today, so it's had a bit to settle into itself.

 

In the bottle: FIG!

 

Wet: Intense, rich fig. Make no mistake, this is a menage. So. Fig, you shall have. Glorious fig in all its abundance.

 

Dry down: The Brown Sugar is mostly just serving to enhance the fig. Not molasses heavy, just crystallized, light brown smelling. The combination of the VERY tame oak bark and brown sugar remind me of the vanilla husk in So Weit. A beautiful, sweet, dry, mild wood.

 

Dry: Gorgeous. Deep jammy fig with a dry, husk sugary finish.

 

Needles to say, I love this blend. If you've found it difficult to pick out fig in blends before, get you some of this! It's a gorgeous FIG blend.

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