Engish Fern "Type"? Hmmm...

Hello there!

The hiatus is over, I'm back in the saddle, yadda yadda. How've you been?

I've been pretty good, you know....

I've got a new review here, you might want to take a look.

JoAnna over at The Shave Den has been hard at work again, coming up with a new scent.

The English Fern love on the forum over there apparently inspired her to make her own version, and me being the vocal Fern Fan that I am, she sent me samples in the scent. I got soap, her new Wheat Cream, and Milk in "English Fern Type". They showed up, and I've been trying them out.

I'm going to talk about the scent here, because her soaps and creams have plenty of attention on the forum over there, and for me the scent is the thing.]

So I have talked about Penhaligon's English Fern before, and you know how I feel about that scent--I love it. It's sophisticated, warm and masculine, and I could use it every day. I have the dear, departed soap (Woe! O woe!) and some of the EdT (and I plan to get more when I have the scratch). But let's face it--it's pricey. REALLY pricey. And the thought of a more affordable replacement had me more than a little interested.

So when the package from TSD came in, it was with bated breath that I opened it up--and was greeted with a very lovely scent...lavender.

Hmmm.

I've tried all the products out, and can say with confidence that, to my nose, the TSD English Fern type is a nice, complex lavender scent. I think for me, the best indicator is the AS Milk ( a product that, in itself, I love).

Now, please be aware that scent is one of the most subjective, difficult-to-pin-down elements of any product. Everyone has their own perception of scent,s and noses just work so differently that what I say can NOT be taken as indicative of a scent. This is purely my perception, and I am not to be taken as any kind of

On first application, the scent is a light, sweet Fougere type. There is less citrus (or bergamot/vetiver) than in the real icons of the scent (The aforementioned Penhaligon's, and Trumper's Wild Fern) and something that, to my nose, comes across as a strong note of Anise. Now, I have to be perfectly honest, that turned me off at first. Anise is NOT one of my favorites...but it quickly passes down to what, I guess, is the base note--lavender.

Now, a classic fougere most definitely builds on Lavender, so this is not at all unusual, but in the Penhaligon's take (which, it must be said, is classified as Chypre on their site, though most people smelling it list it as a fougere) this lavender gives way to a warmer coumarin/oakmoss (somewhat vanilla-y scent) basenote. In the TSD version, this lavender note seems to become the focus--and lingers longer than the other elements of the scent. So, to my nose, the lavender takes over, to become almost a single-note scent. Which is not at all a bad thing, but in using it I find myself missing that warmth that the coumarin notes give to the Penhaligon's version.

So here's my take: the TSD "English Fern Type" is a very nice take on the fougere type, with a strong focus on the lavender. As such, if you like fougeres and you like lavender, definitely give it a try. However, if you're looking for a straight-up replacement for the classic Penahligon's, it might not hit on all the notes you're looking for. As always, your mileage may vary.