There are many Fougères, but there is only one Fougére. This one. How could there be such a shocking typo in the name of this Czech cologne from the house of Alpa - this is the last part of my Bohemian series for now, but perhaps I will soon buy a refill - occur? Since when has this fragrance even existed, and was the accent upside down from the very beginning? It seems unimaginable that during the interwar period, when French was still the most important language on the European continent and France was the most important ally of Czechoslovakia, a French word like “Fougère” would have been misspelled in the name of a fragrance from Bohemia. Did the Communists invent the scent or maliciously twist the accent on an already existing fragrance? But: After all, we are talking about Czechoslovakia and not the Cambodia of Pol Pot, where probably anyone who placed an accent correctly was shot, or even anyone who knew what “accent” meant. While Fougères may have been considered bourgeois. But first of all, that would also apply to correctly spelled Fougères, and secondly, the Bolsheviks could also spell “bourgeois” correctly and, as it must be said in their favor, never railed against the “Buorgenossie.” And why has the accent never been turned the right way in the 28 years since the presidency of Václav Havel (and not Vaclav Hávels or even Vaćlav Havels)?
These are - at least for language and word aesthetes - crucial questions that the wonderful comment by Fittleworthen, which otherwise says everything necessary about this fragrance, does not answer, just as the ALPA homepage, which in its German version (readers of my previous comments may already appreciate the very special German maintained or even cultivated there) merely reports: “Cologne with enticing sweet herbal-root moss undertone. Gives your skin lasting freshness and evokes a festive feeling.” Well, splendid! Impeccable and Wolff! The “pomadeshop” page, usually a good supplementary source of information about Alpa fragrances, does hint that it is an old scent, but does not provide any specifics either. That it is, as we learn there, one of the favorite fragrances of the factory director does not help either.
The fragrance presents itself to us in a 250 ml bottle (!), which, due to its size and especially its design, is a cross between a color spray can and an XXL egg hand grenade and can certainly, after emptying and appropriate refilling, also be well used as a Molotov cocktail. The label could be described as wonderfully retro/vintage if it weren't for this malicious, toothache-inducing accent error.
Can a coffee taste good when sold as Expresso, Cappuccino, Café, or Caffé? Can a fragrance water smell good when marketed as Fougére or Chypre? This one smells very strong, almost bitter, decidedly masculine, and unlike many other quite beautiful Fougères, I really have to think of moss, ferns, and forest here. A slight hint of a kind of mustiness, no, that’s too harsh, let’s say rather cellar-like, prevents “Fougére” from truly becoming a favorite scent for me (as it is for the factory director), but it is already nice. Its subtlety in longevity and sillage, combined with the giant bottle with a large opening, makes it predestined for me to use as a washing Eau de Cologne: when I don’t get to shower directly after significant physical exertion (I tend to sweat a lot), I wash my face normally with water and soap and then again with a decent splash of “Fougére” pure (poured into the hollow of my hand and thoroughly rinsed over my face and neck). That refreshes and invigorates, and after 1 hour I smell hardly anything anymore, whereas my wife finds the skin-close lingering base of this very special Bohemian artifact - despite the wrong accent - (at least on me!) very attractive. And when I am alone, I can, feeling refreshed, still retreat to read a good book, e.g. “The Prince” by Niccolò Machiavelli, uh, Niccólo Máchiavelli, or Niccòlo….
P.S.: It is quite possible that this is my last comment of the year, which is why I would like to wish everyone happy holidays and a good start!
Updated on 12/10/2018
Lavender
Coumarin
Oakmoss
Tree moss
Fougère notes
Mikael
Fittleworth
Bernard
DasguteLeben
Minigolf
