L'Insoumis Lalique 2016

Scentrack
Dylan Donkin – Make a Choice

Despite of the name L’Insoumis (translated rebel or unsubdued man), this fragrance is not so groundbreaking compared to many other fragrances launched, but for Lalique it is a novel direction. In my eyes, L’Insoumis is a reinterpretation of classic fougere theme for the 21st century.

L’Insoumis opens slightly sweet and coconut-like balmy with a lot going on. The sweetness is probably from rum note, although I do not perceive this rum as a proper liqueur note. Bergamot is strong in the opening, just reminding me of notorious Dior Sauvage. Soft basil is nicely paired with other notes, giving an herbal and somehow pine-like accord. Lavender, usually a central note in fougeres, is present, but subdued by the other notes. Ambrox® is, to my nose, easily noticeable, while a Firmenich’s new molecule – Clearwood® gives a soft patchouli twist to the whole composition. Lalique visually nailed the commercial, the opening smells like European pine forest in morning fog with wet, earthy undertones.

Rating: 7/10

More on Scentimentalwords

For the past 20 or 30 years, innovation, especially in the fragrance space, has been relatively straightforward. L'Insoumis is one of those disruptive scents, not another sheep following the herd, but a lonely wolf. An outlier who stands apart from others of its group. I first encountered it two years ago and was immediately drawn to its bottle. Being a Lalique creation—the house behind Hommage a l'Homme and Encré Noir masterpieces—it represented something I could trust blindly. That's precisely why I ordered it sight unseen, and after the first inhale, I did not regret my decision in the slightest.

The sprayer is extraordinary—a broad and deep spray with micro drops that fall on your skin like a cloud of steam. L'Insoumis opens with a blast of aromatic fresh basil and boozy, velvety, warm rum. This intoxicating cocktail is adorned with slices of fresh bergamot, reminiscent of the opening notes in Dior Sauvage. To my nose, the rum and basil blend, subtly supported by complementary notes, creates a distinctly herbal and Mirto-like aroma. For the uninitiated, Mirto is a dense, sweet, herbal liqueur crafted from Myrtle berries—sometimes even from leaves—and sweetened with bitter honey. It's consumed throughout Sardinia on all occasions, much as ouzo or raki is served in Greece. This initial phase of the fragrance is wonderfully crisp and aromatic.

L'Insoumis lives up to its name—unsubdued, intractable, and nonconformist. The heart reveals other quintessential fougère notes: the aromatic lavender and Salvia Sclarea accord, invigorated with spicy yet powdery black pepper. The Mirto effect lingers in the background, not overpowering the heart's notes but rather enhancing them. This middle stage remains aromatic while introducing subtle spiciness.

The final stage of L'Insoumis is truly eccentric and unconventional—an olfactory outsider. Its strength is boldly affirmed in the underlying notes. Patchouli's heart reveals an unusual, harmonious, and sweet richness that is simultaneously herbaceous and subtly coriaceous. The boisée strength of Vétiver extends the fascinating trail of L'Insoumis seemingly to infinity. The musky aspect is potent enough to ensure impressive longevity, while clearwood reinforces the patchouli, adding an earthy undertone.

Although I wore L'Insoumis on a typical foggy, cold Northern Italian winter workday—and it performed admirably—I must admit that I slightly prefer wearing fougère scents during the fall season. It excels during business days, boasts substantial longevity, and maintains a personal yet noticeable projection.

-Elysium

I was in the mood for a new fougere fragrance and decided to take a $23 shot in the dark on a 1.7 oz bottle of Lalique L’Insoumis. To my surprise, it’s become one of my two most beloved fougeres in my collection along with Chanel Platinum Egoiste.

The fragrance opens very effervescent to my nose. It reminds me of a sparkling cocktail with a sprig of basil sticking out of the drink. Green, fresh, and herbal. The fragrance then did something a little odd on my skin, which made me not care too much for the next 10 to 15 minutes of the fragrance. It became very mossy and seemed like it lacked any supporting sweetness or muskiness to balance it out. The fragrance then hit the dry down and in came the slightly sweet lavender and musks to balance out the very green moss notes. It’s heavenly. The bottle is a work of art, and the atomizer rivals that of Dior Sauvage’s legendary pressurized atomizer. Worth the small price for a bottle for anyone that wants a solid everyday wear barbershop type fragrance.

Edit: After Lalique pulled it from their website, making everyone believe they were discontinuing it, L’Insoumis has now re-appeared on the official Lalique website.

It's a nice fragrance and a Modern fougere style. It opens up with like citrusy , green notes, slightly spicy and boozy in the background. then dry down is green woody. This perfume is linear and it smells so good and very pleasant like a dark forest. It is perfect for the spring and fall. Longevity is good. I really enjoy it and I like L'Insoumis Lalique EDT for Men.The art of bottle design is very wonderful.
Thumbs Up.
Rating : 8 / 10

Overall, I really like Lalique's works. They are thoughtful, rich, surprising, innovative, they do not copy ... the work with a capital W, but not always delight. Sometimes these are works that are worth having, but only for a short time, e.g. an ingot, a sample.
And that's what my thoughts are about this fragrance. It is interesting, relatively fresh - in spring, summer and autumn. A little sweet, a little fresh, a little woody, a little grassy - vetiver, patchouli.
A little bit of everything and that's why it's just OK. There is no dominant thing for me that would make me dizzy and want to buy another and another bottle of this perfume.
It's worth a try, but whether to buy a bottle depends on individual receipt.