This week marks the fourth and final part of Karen’s mini-series on fragrance families. And, she’s ending the series with one of the most important families - Fougere. Created over a century ago, Fougere has had an immense impact on the perfume industry, from its pioneering use of synthetics to its worldwide appeal with the launch of ‘Brut’. In this episode, Karen tells you all you need to know about Fougere, from why it's lasted so long, the key ingredients, and how to make your Fougere fragrance. 

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Karen gives a detailed overview of the history of Fougere fragrances, from its initial creation in 1882 by Paul Parquet of Houbigant, its pioneering use of synthetics, and its impact over the decades. 

• What makes a Fougere a Fougere? Karen breaks down which notes make up the main accord, what qualities each of them adds to the fragrance, and what other materials can be added to enhance the fragrance. 

• One of the most famous examples of a Fougere fragrance is Brut. But, underneath the marketing and packaging, it is a quite feminine fragrance. Karen talks about the crucial role marketing plays in selling your fragrance. 

• Karen give a breakdown of some of the most famous Fougere fragrances and how they impacted the family and its evolution. 

BEST MOMENTS 

“The success of Fougere Royale showed that synthetics could enhance and expand what was possible in perfumery.” 

“If you’re studying music, you go back and look at the roots to understand it properly. The same is true for perfume.”

“As long as you are creating safe perfumes there are no rules as to what a fragrance can be.”

EPISODE LINKS

Karen’s Book 

October 5 Day Scent Design Workshop

VALUABLE RESOURCES

Getting Started Guide

Artisan Perfumery Mastermind  

ABOUT THE HOST

Fragrance expert, author, teacher and speaker; Karen Gilbert runs courses in the UK and online which demystify the secretive world of perfumery in a fun and interactive way. 

Karen has inspired thousands of students to explore their olfactory sense and create their personalised fragrances.

With extensive product development experience in both the commercial perfumery and the organic skincare industry, Karen can offer a unique insight into creating natural and mixed media fragrances for fine fragrance, room scents and skincare/bodycare products using commercial perfumery techniques.

Karen is also a certified meditation teacher and has a passion for helping people to create daily rituals that integrate scent with other modalities to shift state and increase your sense of wellbeing.

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