Fig samples: what is on record

We list 16 samples whose recorded notes include fig. Here are 8 of them, each with the data that is on record for it. We do not rank them, because the same perfume wears differently on every skin.

The selection

Essential Parfums Fig Infusion

Essential Parfums Fig Infusion is filed as an Eau de Parfum from Essential Parfums; the note list on record reads Fig, Mandarin, Clementine, Freesia, Orange blossom, Sri Lankan black tea and others. The scent families on record: fruity, fresh, woody and floral. Season on record: spring, summer and autumn. What reads as sweet on one person can read as dry on another.

Le Labo Thé Noir 29

Le Labo Thé Noir 29, an Eau de Parfum from Le Labo, has Bergamot, Fig, Bay leaves, Cedarwood, Vetiver, Musk and Black tea leaves on record. The scent families on record: woody, aromatic and fresh. Season on record: spring and autumn. Notice how close it stays to the skin and how much of it others pick up.

Pernoire Naki

Pernoire Naki is an Extrait de Parfum by Pernoire. The notes on record are Aldehyde, Peach, Almond Blossom, Passionfruit, Fig Leaves, Sandalwood and others. Its family tags read fruity, floral and musky. The listing names spring and summer as its season. Smell it right after applying and again later in the day, because the first minutes rarely tell the whole story.

Le Bonheur The Story Sport

From Le Bonheur comes Le Bonheur The Story Sport, a Parfum. On paper it lists Grapefruit, Lemon, Bergamot, Fig, Pink Pepper, Jasmine and others. Its family tags read citrus and woody. It is listed for spring and summer. The opening is the loudest part and the shortest, so let it pass before deciding.

Lorenzo Pazzaglia Sex-Sea

Lorenzo Pazzaglia Sex-Sea, an Extrait de Parfum from Lorenzo Pazzaglia, has Absinthe, Mint, Yuzu, Cedar, Bergamot, Mixed Citrus and others on record. By family it is filed as citrus, aquatic and fresh. The listing names spring and summer as its season. Warm skin and cool skin can bring out different sides, so try both if you can.

Matière Première Parisian Musc

From Matière Première comes Matière Première Parisian Musc, an Eau de Parfum. On paper it lists Ambrette seed (Peru), Cedar oil (Virginia), Ambrettolide, Ambroxan and Fig leaf. By family it is filed as musky, woody and fresh. The listing names spring, summer and autumn as its season. A paper strip shows the outline, skin shows the detail.

BORNTOSTANDOUT Fig Porn

BORNTOSTANDOUT Fig Porn is filed as an Eau de Parfum from BORNTOSTANDOUT; the note list on record reads Fig, Pear, Bergamot, Cedarwood, Peony, Turkish Rose and others. It is tagged fruity, floral and amber. The listing names spring and autumn as its season. Wear it on more than one day before you make up your mind.

Fascent I Fig You

Fascent I Fig You, an Eau de Parfum from Fascent, has Green tea, Sage, Citruses, Fig leaf, Carrot seeds, Vetiver and Cedar wood on record. The scent families on record: fresh, aromatic and woody. It is listed for spring and summer. Clothes hold a scent differently from skin, which makes a scarf or sleeve a useful second test.

Also in this selection: Byredo Pulp, Roja Parfums Amber Aoud, Goldfield & Banks Silky Woods Elixir, Le Labo Thé Matcha 26, Diptyque Philosykos, Nishane Wūlóng Chá, Nishane Wūlóng Chá X, Jo Milano Paris Game of Spades Bonus.

How to test them

Leave other perfumes off that day, so nothing interferes. Note what you think each time, and read your notes back at the end of the week. Check it after a few minutes, around midday and in the evening. Spray it on the inside of your wrist or elbow and do not rub.

A decant gives you time with it, which a quick spray on a paper strip never does. A sample earns its place when you reach for it again without planning to. A sample is the sensible first step: a perfume on paper and a perfume on skin are rarely the same thing.

Where to go next

• Fig samples
• all samples
• find your scent
• all brands
• sample sets
• what a decant is
• how to build a sample set
• Eau de Toilette, Eau de Parfum and Extrait

Questions

How were these samples chosen?

By the tags and note lists on record for each perfume. Nothing was added from memory, the order is not a ranking, and perfumes without recorded notes are described without notes.

Are these samples made by the brands?

No. They are decants: FragranceGems fills each one from the original bottle into a glass spray vial and labels it. They are not official brand samples.

Why do some perfumes show no notes?

Because we only print notes we can trace to a source. Where no note list is on record, the page says so and leaves the judging to your own skin.