Miller Harris Figue Amère is a fig by the French seaside in a little cottage garden. It’s a salty and bitter green fig with wild flowers.
Figue Amere is a very “French” fig to me. It smells like an elegant French perfumery’s take on a green fig. It opens with a bright citrus with a slightly bitter galbanum. Underneath this “layer” there is an astringent cedar over “coconut greens”. On my skin, the narcissus is noticeable. It’s heady and very green. And then this transforms into a cottage garden filled with thorny roses and a few wild weeds. The base is warm, salty amber that doesn’t read as ambergris but like copal-heavy amber and sea salt. But, there’s a dried greenness. I’m totally in love with the dry-down.
Notes listed include bergamot, mandarin, narcissus, rose, green violet leaves, angelica, cedar, amber and seamoss. Launched 2002.PERFUMER – Lyn Harris
Give Figue Amere a try if you are looking for a fig that isn’t just “fig”. Or if you like perfumes like Sonoma Scent Studio Fig Tree, Tommi Sooni Jinx, Guerlain Aqua Allegoria Figue-Iris and/or Parfums DelRae Bois de Paradis. I find this perfume unisex.
Projection and longevity are average (longevity is above average in the cooler months).
Figue Amère comes in 2 sizes with prices ranging from £65-£95 at Miller Harris. The Perfume Court has decants for those of us in the U.S.
Victoria’s Final EauPINION – Bitter, green fig floral amber by the sea. I think it’s a nice addition to the fig fragrance genre.
Want more reviews? Try…
Basenotes – Member reviews
Fragrantica – Member reviews
Wow, I have been loving this scent this week also. I actually wrote about it along the same lines of what it evokes for me:
“Sea salt fig on the Mediterranean coast with a grove of cedars near by or an Italian amaro based around figs. Figue amere is one of those incredibly evocative fragrances for me I am immediately taken to a dry arid Mediterranean coast line with cedar, fig trees, and the salty tang of sea air. The bitter green herbaciousness making it so different from the usual green fig scent.”
I have found it amazing for dealing with sudden humidity. What was really interesting was yesterday layering if over my Olivina Fig lotion (very classic creamy fig scent) and really smelling the bitter herbal beginning of the scent in contrast to Olivina.
Great minds think alike 🙂 So funny that we are both thinking of this one at the same time!
Now I want to try this in the humidity. I can completely see it being really beautiful on a warmer, humid day. I also have the Olivina Fig (well, hand cream). It’s good stuff but is a contrast in comparison to Figue Amere.
Oh, I love your description of this. I’ll definitely have to give this a try!
I really should try more from the Miller Harris line 🙂
[…] that I left out some that are currently impossible to find in the US like N-Cigale Figue Fresh and Miller Harris Figue Amere because I’m in the US and hate cruel reminders that there are figs out there that require […]