II Trudon 2017

Although fig leaf is not listed as a note, II (called Deux on Trudon website, which means 2 in French) is primarily a fig leaf fragrance on my skin.

II opens with vivid, crunchy verdancy, reminiscent of freshly mowed lawn, but much more polished and not as aggressive as the real cut grass. The combined effect of this greenery and a subtle laconic undertone, smells very much like the sap oozing out of the crunched fig leaves to me. There is also a very soft minty nuance popping up from time to time, which makes II kind of a even greener version of Oriza Déjà Le Printemps.

II remains mostly this green fig leaf fragrance during its 8-hour wear on my skin. It does develop a gentle woody undercurrent reminiscent of lentisque and pine, which discreetly transforms the initial dewy texture into a drier, slightly powdery one. But overall, there isn't any significant change. The sillage is moderate during the first hour, and drops to a skin scent afterwards.

While I don't find II brings anything wildly novel to the green fig genre, which has become a quite crowded category nowadays, it doesn't feel annoyingly redundant to me. In contrary, it's such a solidly made fragrance, and smells green and fresh in such a natural, evocative way, that is always a pleasure to experience. I would definitely recommend it to fans of green fragrances, especially if you're fond of elements such as green fig leaf and grass.

Lyn Harris composed II, pronounced (and sometimes written as) Deux. II is a fresh, green aromatic fragrance that clearly revolves around the use of fig leaf, although it is not specifically listed. Fig leaf in perfumery smells resinous, fresh, and more like freshly-peeled lime peel aspect of galbanum than the milky, sappy smell of cut fig wood: Diptyque’s Philosykos, for example, focuses far more on the milky, coconutty facets of the entire tree rather than just the green leaf itself. Deux far more closely resembles the sharp, citrusy greenness of Annick Goutal’s Ninfeo Mio, a perfume I once owned but quickly swapped away because of the throat-catching sourness of its cassis drydown.

II (Deux) sidesteps the urinous, sharp tones of the cassis problem in Ninfeo Mio, and bolsters the juicy greenness of the fig leaf with a lot of what smells to me like tomato leaf. Either way, II is a perfume that smells pleasantly of a kitchen garden after a gentle shower: dewy, crisp, and green by way of snapped stalks and crushed bean pods. I like II in particular because it is vegetal without being harsh or sour. The base of the scent, mostly Ambroxan, feels like a gust of salty air from outside, and simply aerates the greenery without leaving a bitter chemical aftertaste. Tastefully done.

Opens with a burst of pale green, accompanied by a flash of orange that quickly fades. Woody notes emerge in the heart and base but never override the green notes, which stay remarkably consistent throughout.

The green isn’t earthy or rich like tomato leaves, or sharply pungent as snapped flower stems — instead it’s pale and clean and crisp, like freshly cut celery.

Although I’m into green scents, I didn’t expect to immediately love this as much I do. That cool, clear, watercolour green is unusual, calming, and feels completely natural — no screechy synthetic edge here.

Projection is mild, and longevity is on the shorter end of moderate (no surprise there, we green fragrance lovers know what we’re getting into). Utterly unisex.

This is the tamest fragrance I've tried. Despite the multiple notes, those "green leaves" are what it's all about. It's similar to the smell of celery or a tomato plant. Very feminine, not really unisex. There's probably some subset of folks out there who would love this, but it's very niche. I split the difference on the scent rating. It'd be a 4 for me, but I can see others rating it a 7 or 7.5.

What a beautiful, deep, earthy green-wood scent! This is elegant beyond belief—cool and warm at the same time, soothing, interesting, and toeing an amazing line between totally familiar and completely unique. A little disappointing in the longevity and projection, but so beautifully fresh and deep. It's wet and damp, but still almost earthy-sweet. Somehow not entirely suited to my demeanor, but perfect on the right person.