A perfume RAVE for those who might enjoy a NON-FLORAL scent

suzyQ3 · ‎03-09-2010

Lucy B's Apothecary is a niche company that sells "natural" fragrance, bath, and beauty products all made in the U.S. and cruelty-free. In 2009 the company began a fragrance line and now has eight eau de parfums -- high-quality and exceptional value.

One of those has intrigued me for a while now, ever since I read the description and reviews on fragrantica.com. It's their Royal Green Fig & Vanilla Woods. So finally when beauty.com had their F&F sale, I went for it. Yes, I bought it blind, but the original price for 1.7 ounces was only $28, so my cost was only $22 and change.

The notes are green fig and pepper at the top, with a heart and base of green leaves, creamy coconut, and vanilla. It's described as a woody spicy scent, but I think it is also cozy and warm.

I have never smelled anything quite like it. It's not sharp or masculine, but it is also not girly-girly floral or cloying. The vanilla and coconut add just a touch of sweetness.

Here are a couple reviews that I've left elsewhere:

I'm embarrassed to admit that I don't even know what a fig smells like or should smell like. I've not been a big fan of them as a food item.

But I was intrigued with the description here and the reviews. So when a website that sells Lucy B had a 20 percent off sale, I thought, what the heck? It's then almost free. :-)

Fig, schmig, I love this stuff. It's just beautiful. I can't pick out individual notes so much as just enjoying the composition as a whole; it is perfectly balanced. It is a smooth, never overpowering, green, woody, but also very sensual perfume. The notes are as follows: green fig, pepper, green notes of leaves, coconut, vanilla, and woody notes.

This is one of my most favorite scents right now. I find it comforting and almost addictive, so I am grateful that it lingers for quite some time.

P.S. I simply can't believe that such a wonderful perfume in such an attractive bottle is so inexpensive.

And this one:

This is a unique and wonderful scent. It's very difficult to describe because I have never smelled anything quite like it. This is a fragrance in which the notes blend seamlessly to create the final composition. It is fresh but also earthy and sensual.

It is not at all sharp or likely to cause headaches. It is not overpowering but does have excellent longevity. This is my new favorite, and I hope that Lucy B never discontinues it.

~Who in the world am I? Ah, that's the great puzzle~ Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland

Andreatoo · ‎04-04-2014

Ripe figs has little to no discernible scent and an unripe, or green fig, would have even less. I'm always curious when I see 'fig' scented anything because of that.

Is this line available in stores? I'm curious again Smile

suzyQ3 · ‎03-09-2010

Here's fragrantica's description of fig scents in perfume:

Odor profile: complex mix of bitter green and milky sweet facets with ripe fruity notes, often used in woody compositions or in tandem with a hint of coconut and greenery to give a Mediterranean feel to a perfume.

I really have no clue, other than there are some well-received perfumes based on figs, and this is one of them. In fact, it's often compared favorably with one that is many times more expensive.

Lucy B. scents are available online at their own site as well as beauty.com and elsewhere. I'm sure they can be found at some boutiques, but I didn't bother with that, given the price that I paid and the fact that if I had really disliked it, I could have returned it free of charge to beauty.com.

I'm limited in what scents I can use because of a sensitivity I have to so many of them, so I'm thrilled that I not only love this one but that it loves me back.

~Who in the world am I? Ah, that's the great puzzle~ Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland

Andreatoo · ‎04-04-2014

Sniff a package next time you're in the grocery store. Someone has quite the imagination! lol

although a real fig bears no resemblance the Korres Fig shower gel is quite nice. Have you smelled that? Is the fig element similar to the perfume?

mstyrion 1 · ‎09-18-2014

It sounds very intriguing, suzy.

I am not a floral person and all the notes are ones that I like.

thanks for the review!

~Enough is enough~

suzyQ3 · ‎03-09-2010

On 12/4/2014 Andreatoo said:
Sniff a package next time you're in the grocery store. Someone has quite the imagination! lol

although a real fig bears no resemblance the Korres Fig shower gel is quite nice. Have you smelled that? Is the fig element similar to the perfume?

Nope, I have not smelled the Korres product.

As I said in that first review that I included in my opening post, I was drawn to this perfume by the reviews I'd read, not so much by the fig note itself. I have no idea what a fig smells like or doesn't smell like, but this is the first fragrance in a while that I can say with certainty that I will buy again. I'm still amazed at the value, too.

That said, even though the woody spiciness of the scent, which I find to be very fresh, is tempered by the coconut and vanilla, this is not for those who primarily gravitate toward florals or super sweet scents.

~Who in the world am I? Ah, that's the great puzzle~ Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland

Colonel Meow · ‎05-25-2014

Suzy - it sounds interesting, but I'm a bit timid about the fig note. The only experience I have with fig scents is the FIG CC in WEN. Although I primarily use the FIG due to the excellent moisture, I actually really dislike the scent.

However, the green notes with coconut and vanilla sound delicious. I most enjoy clean and crisp scents, such as Bobbi Brown Beach. By "green", do you mean that it shares some of these elements?

F1wild · ‎11-30-2011

Thanks for the review/recommendation, suzyQ3! I've never heard of this brand so I took a look at the website. There are several fragrance combos I'd love to try. I've been a fan of jasmine ever since someone told me it was good for promoting healing...so I've been enveloped with the scent for years. I'd also like to try the peony & mandarin.

As for the fig scent - I grew up with a fig tree next to my house and I can remember a distinct scent. Maybe the fragrance is not necessarily from the fruit?

suzyQ3 · ‎03-09-2010

On 12/4/2014 Colonel Meow said:
Suzy - it sounds interesting, but I'm a bit timid about the fig note. The only experience I have with fig scents is the FIG CC in WEN. Although I primarily use the FIG due to the excellent moisture, I actually really dislike the scent.

However, the green notes with coconut and vanilla sound delicious. I most enjoy clean and crisp scents, such as Bobbi Brown Beach. By "green", do you mean that it shares some of these elements?

I can't help you here, CM, because I don't recall the scent of BB Beach. I think that the green note in this fragrance is what accounts for the "woody" in the "woody spicy" label given to this scent by fragrantica.com.

~Who in the world am I? Ah, that's the great puzzle~ Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland

Silver Lining · ‎04-16-2010

I have a gigantic fig tree in the backyard that bears fruit twice each summer. Figs don't have any scent/fragrance. Any smell one might detect would be coming from sap. It's bitter and raw so it would balance the sweet elements in the parfum you're describing. Sounds very nice.