Folravril – floral and fruity and green

Photo: perfumeniche

My teenage son just started a summer job. Watching him go through the whole process of hunting for a job, landing a job and working at a job reminded me of some of the jobs I had when I was a young woman.

I remember all the good times I had and the great friends I made, while I was a cashier at a grocery store, or stocking shelves at a bookstore or when I was an inventory control clerk. I was young, cute as a button and had moxie. Unencumbered by the responsibilities of adulthood, the world was my oyster and I its pearl.

OK, that’s how I sold my kid on getting a job. I went right to the best-days-of-your-life pitch. I think he suspects that it’s a crock. But those early jobs are a rite of passage of sorts and they can be an inspiration for future lives. Take Annick Goutal for example. She opened and worked in an antique store in Paris called Folavril and later it inspired her to create a perfume with the same name. C’est la vie!

When I discovered Folavril, I was instantly smitten. It opens with mango, which smells like a rich, tropical version of lily of the valley. Soon jasmine appears and amplifies the white floral aspect of the mango. Boronia flower shows up and contributes notes of raspberry and violet along with a note that smells like clean laundry. Boronia also adds dryness to the juice. Then, there’s a surprise - tomato leaf. It adds a spicy green, vegetal tang that puts the brakes on the florals and gives the fragrance a savory edge. The drydown is a harmonious blend of fruits and flowers that is never too sweet or cloying, thanks to the tomato leaf and a smooth woodiness from the Boronia flower.

The word ‘Folavril’ translates as April Fool, but Annick Goutal isn’t playing a trick. Folavril is a refined, elegant expression of spring, but not necessarily springtime in Paris. Her web site says Folavril is: ‘A truly enticing scent that whisks you away into travel paradise.’ Sounds like she did some daydreaming on the job too.

Check out Folavril to our shop.