Philosykos

Created in 1996 by the exceptional nose Olivia Giacobetti, Philosykos is not simply a perfume, but a hyper-realistic journey to a land kissed by the sun. Inspired by memories of Greek summers on Mount Pelion, this masterpiece from the Legnoso Aromatico group remains, decades later, the absolute point of reference for anyone looking for the fig note in perfumery. Philosykos has the extraordinary ability to photograph the entire fig tree, not just its fruit, evolving on the skin in a magnetic way. The beginning is a burst of disarming realism. The fig leaf dominates the scene, giving a green, bitter, almost crunchy sensation, slightly dampened by the natural sweetness of the ripe fig. It's the smell of a broken leaf between your fingers. As the minutes pass, the fragrance softens. The green notes continue to keep the scent fresh and airy, while coconut makes its appearance. Be careful, though: it's not a "beach" or sweet coconut, but a creamy, tart coconut milk that perfectly recreates the white, milky sap of the tree. In the finish, the fragrance sits on a solid and comfortable base. Fig tree, woody notes and cedar wood emerge to give structure. The perfume loses its initial green humidity to transform into the memory of wood warmed by the summer sun. It is at its best in spring and summer, where its botanical freshness shines, but it can be a splendid nostalgic cuddle even in the cold months.Performance (EDP)Compared to the Eau de Toilette version, the Eau de Parfum is denser, slightly less green and more woody. It has good persistence on the skin and an intimate, elegant, never intrusive trail. Philosykos is an evocative, almost therapeutic perfume. It is the ideal choice for those who love "botanical" fragrances, clean and elegant, far from opulent or hyper-sweet commercial clichés. Wearing it means bringing with you a piece of Mediterranean summer, the shade of a tree and the freshness of lifeblood. A piece of niche perfumery history that never ceases to fascinate.

So this is completely not my type of fragrance. I steer away from fresh and green scents. But there came a day, a warm humid day in late May, you know that day in western Europe when spring gives way to summer, and you feel it in the air, rain feels warm, humidity turns tropic, and we go from easygoing 20 degrees to 30 overnight, humidity and rain give way to drought and scorching sun, and there we go! Summer falls upon us! So in this kind of transition period into summer, I suddenly got a craving for... a green, fresh but milky scent, WITHOUT tea. The "without tea" is important, as I cannot stand green fresh scents with focus on green tea, bamboo, and the like. So I thought: what have a I heard of that is green, fresh, but grounded, not up in the air like all the teas, bamboos and hinokis I have tried.

Sampled on skin. This is like totally coconut dominant, and the coconut in here is the most perfect one I’ve ever smelled, a lil creamy but not thick or heavy, and combines with the wood to smell like toasted coconut flakes, and the fig adds a subtle, kinda jammy depth to it. Overall, this smells like the most wonderful, slightly woody and a little green, Raffaello. Just wow. Whaaoow. I want to smell like this forever. It's not thick or heavy or anything, I tested it on skin in hot summer, and I think it would work in all seasons. The most perfect fragrance to me, Diptyque cooked up this gem just for me. Spiritually this is my signature scent (except it would perform better)

This is one of those perfumes that I have such a mixed experience of depending on how long it's been sitting on my skin. For the first couple of hours, it's a unique blend of fruity, creamy and green notes. You can really imagine the whole fig plant in one whiff: the bud, the leaf, the ripe center. The coconut gives it a sweet creaminess that makes it almost too heavy for summer, but the green notes pull it back from the brink somehow. But, after a few hours, it winds down to a generic, woodsy, sweet, ambery nothing. In a truly bizarre twist, something so distinct becomes indistinguishable from a hundred other perfumes as it dries down.

An absolute masterpiece by Diptique that captures the exact smell of a fig tree. Not just the sweet, jammy flesh of the fig—the *actual* tree. The stemone and oakmoss really does carry wonderfully to deliver that deep, dark bark smell that dries down on the skin wonderfully. You can even smell the hint of natural yeast that forms on the skin of the fig and the slightly cool, refreshing sensation of the pulp. Sometimes I'll find myself over spraying this just because I enjoy the thrill of smelling the fresh greenery, but I think it smells much better when you go slightly overboard (sensitive noses may disagree, but alas). Lovely scent.