Jacques Fath describes Fath’s Essentials Vers le Sud as a “woody marine fragrance”. Being someone that remembers the 90’s very clearly, I thought I knew everything there is to know about a “woody marine fragrance”. Well, I don’t. Vers le Sud is an unusual fragrance that makes me pull out all the olfactory adjectives from my little bag: milky, fresh, green, cool, mineral, aquatic, aromatic and woodsy.
Vers le Sud opens with a sharp citrus and aromatic notes (lavender). However, it’s more than your average citrus-aromatic. It’s also aquatic and mineral. And it’s also milky. It’s odd, or at least it’s odd to me because I can’t think of any other perfumes that open like this. It’s like “cool fig”. The heart is extremely mineral. It reminds me of damp cobblestone and moss. The heart wears as dry woods and “mineral notes” (like salt water). It’s also slightly creamy but with less of the fig and more of something that is like tanning lotion on sweaty skin. The dry-down is a similar theme as the heart but with more woods and a modern musk.
Notes listed include green notes, lavender, lemon, sea notes, fig leaf, violet, woody notes, oakmoss and musk. Launched in 2015. PERFUMER – Cecile Zorokian
Give Vers le Sud a try if you like Neo-Aquatics or perfumes that are inspired by the French Riviera. Or perfumes like Agonist Vanilla Marble, Versace Pour Homme Dylan Blue, Bvlgari Aqva Pour Homme Atlantique, Dior Sauvage and/or Prada Luna Rossa Carbon. None of these are a great comparison. I’m trying OVER HERE, OK. It’s almost like trying to reinterpret Mugler Womanity as a traditionally masculine designer perfume.
Projection and longevity are average.
The 1.7 oz retails for $105 at Ulta (odd point of sale, I know). Or at Parfums Jacques Fath (Europe).
Victoria’s Final EauPINION – Cool, mineral lavender fig. It’s an odd one but in a good-odd way.
If you’d like more fig fragrance suggestions, here’s my guide.
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Basenotes – Member reviews
*Sample obtained by me. Product pic from Parfumo. Jean-Paul Belmondo pic from darkroastedblend.com.