Aigner
A unique visual signature based on accords, character, and seasonality
The assault is immediate and cheerful—that green apple snaps against your skin alongside a burst of mandarin zest, whilst bergamot and petitgrain create a slightly peppery, almost leafy quality that prevents the fruit notes from becoming candied. It's the olfactory equivalent of citrus peel freshly grated over white linen.
After the initial brightness settles, the florals emerge with surprising restraint; the orange blossom and jasmine feel cleaner and greener than expected, almost herbaceous, whilst the waterlily lends a faint aquatic coolness and sunflower contributes an unusual, faintly creamy powder that rounds the composition without softening its edges. The patchouli begins its slow emergence from beneath, introducing a subtle earthiness.
The fragrance contracts considerably, becoming almost transparent—white musk and vanilla provide the gentlest of bases, whilst oakmoss and that persistent patchouli create a faint woody, slightly tobacco-tinged whisper that clings to the skin with minimal projection. This is where Début's modest longevity becomes apparent; what remains is impressionistic rather than commanding.
Début arrives as a sunlit proposition—neither wholly feminine nor masculine, but rather an invitation to freshness that feels almost architectural in its clarity. Thomas Fontaine constructs something deceptively simple: a citrus-floral that refuses to whisper. The green apple and mandarin opening suggests biting into fruit still warm from morning dew, whilst the petitgrain and bergamot establish a sharp, almost herbal backbone that prevents this from dissolving into saccharine territory.
What's compelling here is the orange blossom and jasmine heart, which trades the heavy indole character typically associated with these notes for something considerably brighter—these florals feel more like their green, slightly bitter leaves than their creamy petals. The waterlily adds an aquatic whisper without resorting to cheap ozonic tricks, and the sunflower (a rarely deployed note) contributes an almost powdery, slightly grassy dimension that feels distinctly unusual.
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3.4/5 (105)