Top Notes 
Fig leaf
Heart Notes 
Indian jasmine sambac absolute
Roasted sesame
Base Notes 
Somalian frankincense
08/23/2024
Musicandarts
217 Reviews
Musicandarts
1
A delicate elegant white-floral fig leaf - a masterpiece from Marie Salamagne and Givenchy
This creation by Marie Salamagne for the Givenchy La Collection Particuliere is a masterpiece. I had initially written this review based on a 10 ml mini bottle, purchased directly from Givenchy as a discovery set (3 for $99). As these perfumes are very expensive, the 10 ml bottle is more than just a sample. Recently I upgraded to a full bottle. This review has been updated accordingly.
I was delighted to encounter Trouble Fête, primarily because it supports my hypothesis that fig leaf accord must be supplemented with floral notes to make it work. The opening accord in Trouble Fête is the celebrated fig leaf, but the perfumer Marie Salamagne manages to make it soft and natural. It is a fig leaf that is wafting in the wind, not something that is pungent and up your nose as in Philosykos. The green opening note is immediately complemented and enhanced by the sambac jasmine accord. Givenchy lists roasted sesame as another heart note, but it does not stand out among the fig leaf and jasmine. Trouble-Fête ends with a base note of Somalian incense essence, which I believe is a composite of frankincense, sandalwood and agar wood. My nose gets a soft, sweet woody mix, but not these distinct notes. The olfactory pyramid is very smooth and beautiful.
Trouble Fête can be translated roughly as a spoilsport or party-pooper. Yet this trouble is not the raucous kind, but rather the wistful memory of a beautiful love long gone. This feeling is perhaps appropriate as Givenchy lists the intensity of Trouble Fête as moderate (2/4). It lasts 4-6 hours on my skin, but I can smell the incense even after eight hours. The sillage is appropriately subdued, but detectable a few feet away for the first few hours. This would be fantastic office perfume.
I recommend Trouble Fete without any hesitation, if you can afford it. As I mentioned before, 10 ml vial is a good compromise. This is not a perfume that you appraise based on performance. But the soft elegance of Trouble Fête makes it one of the best in La Collection Particuliere, and in my personal collection.
I was delighted to encounter Trouble Fête, primarily because it supports my hypothesis that fig leaf accord must be supplemented with floral notes to make it work. The opening accord in Trouble Fête is the celebrated fig leaf, but the perfumer Marie Salamagne manages to make it soft and natural. It is a fig leaf that is wafting in the wind, not something that is pungent and up your nose as in Philosykos. The green opening note is immediately complemented and enhanced by the sambac jasmine accord. Givenchy lists roasted sesame as another heart note, but it does not stand out among the fig leaf and jasmine. Trouble-Fête ends with a base note of Somalian incense essence, which I believe is a composite of frankincense, sandalwood and agar wood. My nose gets a soft, sweet woody mix, but not these distinct notes. The olfactory pyramid is very smooth and beautiful.
Trouble Fête can be translated roughly as a spoilsport or party-pooper. Yet this trouble is not the raucous kind, but rather the wistful memory of a beautiful love long gone. This feeling is perhaps appropriate as Givenchy lists the intensity of Trouble Fête as moderate (2/4). It lasts 4-6 hours on my skin, but I can smell the incense even after eight hours. The sillage is appropriately subdued, but detectable a few feet away for the first few hours. This would be fantastic office perfume.
I recommend Trouble Fete without any hesitation, if you can afford it. As I mentioned before, 10 ml vial is a good compromise. This is not a perfume that you appraise based on performance. But the soft elegance of Trouble Fête makes it one of the best in La Collection Particuliere, and in my personal collection.
2 Comments
3aloosh
