I ordered a plethora of fig fragrances as part of my last sample haul, so I thought I would lay out my thoughts for others who are interested!
The judge: Me (31 F), I lean towards unisex, unsweet fragrances. I bought samples of these aiming for a winter fragrance and they are all squarely spring/summer for sure, so take any conclusions with a hefty grain of salt.
In the Red Corner: Diptyque Philosykos
By all reports, this is the fig fragrance to beat, and it largely lived up to the hype for me. It’s a masterclass in green freshness, a photorealistic fresh fig scent. You get the gentle sweetness of the raw fig, the dampness of the earth, even some light woodiness to round it out and keep it from skewing too sweet. On my skin this is delicate and refined, with little silage (a bonus for me), but ephemeral (the staying power leaves something to be desired). This is a classy fig that spent the summer studying classics in Greece.
In the Blue Corner: D.S. & Durga Debaser
If Philosykos is a photorealistic fig, Debaser is a pop art fig: all the notes are there, but turned up to 11. This is a fig tree that has been baking in the summer sun, with some fuzzy, warm, metallic aldehydes like speaker feedback, or the prickly feeling of suntanned skin after a day outside. After the green fig of the opening, I get a lot of milky coconut and tonka on the dry down, and I found this to be the kind of drawing fragrance you want to cuddle up to. On me, this has decent silage and it lasts. This is a fig that spent the summer working landscaping jobs by day and playing in a garage band by night.
Conclusion: While I appreciated the complexity and refinement of Philosykos, unfortunately it was too ephemeral on my skin and, though still solidly unisex, a touch too mild for my taste. Debaser would be my choice between the two, but the coconut was almost too forward and there was something about it that was almost a little too retro 90s. Maybe the coconut/tonka combo? Were these kinds of aldehydes popular in 90’s/00’s cologne? I loved how joyous and exuberant these two were, like memories of the best summer you can remember from high school or college, but I was also left feeling a little bit like they were a touch too youthful for me personally. However, it’s not exactly fig fragrance season where I am (still solidly winter), so I plan to revisit these when the weather is warmer to see if my opinions change!
Wild Card: Shay & Blue Dandelion Fig
The fig is a lie in this one, as I didn’t get any fig notes at all. However I loved the spicy, herbal opening (citrus and lemongrass), and caught the occasional peppery waft of tomato leaf and an edge of juniper. Maybe there was a fig tree somewhere nearby, but nowhere close, and this should not be confused for a fig fragrance in my opinion. A mood booster that I will also revisit in warmer weather!
