A Wren Says

I had been waiting patiently for this day. I finally tried Father Figure from Phlur. Listen, if you tell me that fig is one of the notes in a fragrance, then you have instantly captured my attention.

On my skin this smells like a blend of the fruity fig and floral additions and a bit of the creamy sandalwood. Despite the name, this doesn’t give me a strong masculine vibe. (Although, I assume it was more a play on words.) While it does not smell girly or juvenile, I find it closer to protective and loving mother. While not matronly, it gives me a feminine essence that would not be out of place in any confident woman’s fragrance wardrobe. Although you should feel free to wear whatever fragrance you want despite your identity, I struggle to associate this scent to anything traditionally masculine.

Father Figure eau de parfum

$99 for 50 mL

Notes

Top: Waterlily, Lush Fig, Cassis Buds
Heart: Orris Root, Iris Flower, Jasmine Dew
Base: Skin Musks, Vanilla Madagascar, Patchouli Leaf, Sandalwood

More than anything, and I’ve written the same sentiment before, I don’t think that Phlur have gotten the name right here to really convey what the buyer should expect. Despite maybe chuckling, “Oh right fig, Father Figure. I get it,” there’s not much there. They could have easily named it “Figment of My Imagination” calling to mind this fictitious secret garden I feel like I have been transported to. And then it might also call out how fleeting it seems to be on my skin.

Although I wish it would last all day and long into the night, it was faint by the end of the work day. In terms of projection, I’m not entirely sure if anyone around me noticed it. However, I sprayed myself to write this post and can smell it rising up from the one wrist I seemed to have doused. The secret might lie in over spraying this one.  

Thinking about when to wear this, I imagine an intimate lunch or dinner spent comforting or advising a dear friend. Or really whenever, as I do like it. Maybe it could even go to a work meeting where I am trying to gain a client’s trust or convince my boss that I am in fact capable and reliable.

If you also get excited about fig fragrances, this might be one to try. Or even if you are looking for a floral fragrance that won’t suffocate you with flowers, smell this one and see what you think.