Roger & Gallet Fleur de Figuier Review

Inspired by Esterel, a sunkissed region in the south of France where an abundance of fig trees grow, the Roger & Gallet Fleur de Figuier collection presents a very pretty picture of a Mediterranean idyll. The scent is simultaneously fresh, sensual and delicate, and is available as part of an entire body care ritual including a shower cream, soaps, a body lotion and an eau fraiche spray.

The core product in the Roger & Gallet Fleur de Figuier collection is the Fragrant Water Spray. The delicate fragrance is actually quite complex for an Eau Fraiche concentration, blending woody, milky, fruity and fresh tones to create a fitting ode to the languid Med. For the composition, master perfumer Francis Kurkdjian (the nose behind Jean Paul Gaultier Le Male and Classique, Narciso Rodriguez and Elie Saab) drew inspiration from the fruit and the flowers of the fig tree, and the intensity of a moment of freshness of a heavy, hot day.

The resulting fragrance is absolutely spot on, with a balance of fresh citrus and languid lactones with sweet fig pulp, and a touch of sensuality in the dry down from fig leaves and cedar.

I appreciate coordinating body products, especially when they are created with as much care and attention as the core fragrance. The Fleur de Figuier Replenishing Body Lotion is a luxury body moisturiser first and a scented auxiliary product second, providing an impressive 24 hours of hydration with its 96% natural formula. Its main ingredient is softening fig bud, with extra hydrating prowess from glycerine and olive oil. An infusion of shea butter provides nourishment and makes the texture really indulgent.

In terms of packaging, it’s as functional and refined as you would expect from Roger & Gallet. The handy pump mechanism ensures that you can dispense as much or as little as you need pretty easily, and it has a locking action which makes it perfect for travel.

The texture of the body lotion is blissful. It’s smooth and creamy rather than shiny and thin and has enough substance to feel really luxurious as you’re massaging it onto your skin. Sorry to revert to old adages, but a little really does go a long way! That tiny blob above managed to cover both hands and most of my arms and imparted the most wonderful fig aroma. The scent isn’t quite a replica of the fragrance Eau Fraiche – it focuses more on the fig milk and cedar of the base notes, providing an ideal base for layering the brighter, fresher spray.

If you’re used to using soaps that make your skin feel tight and ‘squeaky’, then you’ll find Roger & Gallet soaps a welcome surprise. Their 100% plant-based and nourishing ingredients provide optimum comfort while efficiently cleansing the skin. They also retain their shape incredibly well thanks to the traditional cauldron method of cooking the soaps, which also allows for them to be richly fragranced.

For me, the fusion of the modern fragrance with its old-school packaging is really special. Individually wrapped using the same silk paper pleating method that has been used since 1879 and nestled into in the box with tissue paper, the soaps really are an everyday luxury.

Of all of the Fleur de Figuier body products, it is the soaps that smell most similar to the fragrance. Their scent is just so incredibly rich. Best of all the fragrance is present right through to the core, staying just as strongly scented from its first use to its last. I’ve been using one of them, and I’ve kept the other two tucked at the bottom of my wardrobe to subtly scent my clothes. It’s really effective, and a lovely treat when I reach for some clothes in the morning!

The Fleur de Figuier Shower Gel smells like ripe figs with a touch of bittersweet grapefruit. It's such an uplifting, pretty and delicious aroma; it's an excellent way to start your day or pamper yourself. The formula has a lightweight gel texture and contains soothing and hydrating aloe vera. When mixed with water it turns into a creamy foam, gently cleansing, nourishing and scenting your skin.