Hey Olfactoria’s Travelers,
Portia from Australian Perfume Junkies and Perfume Posse in the Olfactoria house. It’s been warm down under, a bit humid and sticky and I know you guys are in spring in the northern hemisphere so I thought we could talk about one of my go-to warm weather fragrances that also works as a terrific reminder fragrance for times when you think the cold and gloom will never end.
Futur was created by Aurelien Guichard for Robert Piguet in 1960/2009.
Photo Stolen Fragrantica
Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Bergamot, neroli, green accords
Heart: Violets, jasmine, ylang-ylang
Base: Vetiver, patchouli and cedar
Aurelien Guichard of Bond #9 Chinatown and Bois Noir also for Piguet (and a slew of others) was the perfumer for the Futur re-release in 2009. A beautiful, fresh and striking fragrance for everyone who likes a little green. Though Futur is not just about green, green is the mast that everything else is tied to.
So quickly, in the first few seconds Futur jumps out of the skin with a zoom. There is a very Chanel No 19 feel to the initial rush which is something I quite like but it doesn’t last so long, maybe a couple of minutes before it calms down and softens out.
The green that lasts is plush, fresh and elegant, you could easily expect this to continue down this road but as soon as you settle into the green adventure everything takes a sideways step into flowers, green feeling flowers giving juicy and sappy a red hot go. While holding onto their green-ness they also add a hint of sensual, buttery and breathy.
No, Futur doesn’t turn into a sex kitten but it does add humanity and a bouquet to the green that is not big but it is noticeable and has quite good atmosphere-changing ability.
You aren’t particularly fragrant and the sillage is noticeable but not in your face, what happens is that Futur creeps from your skin and slowly ambushes people. The person sitting next to you may ask you what fragrance you have on after sitting with them for 5 minutes, unless you’ve hugged hello and she gets a waft of it then and been too busy greeting you to say something.
Photo Stolen Pixabay
I love the heart of Futur, the violets (which are back up singers on my skin) keep the tropical flowers in check and while it is a white floral we are talking muted, not bombastic or outrageous. Futur offers a multifaceted green experience, from deep green scents to light and bright ones. Calm, stately, refined but more casual than 19 and less stark than Nikki de Saint Phalle, but also not a soft floral like 1932 or Anais Anais. Somewhere between these lies Futur and I think it’s the reason it has fallen between the cracks and not found its following as much as those fragrances have.
The dry down for me is green, woody and musky but I miss the patchouli all together, it seems to get totally overlooked in my ride. Birgit says in her review that she gets galbanum in the opening, I get it there but also here at the end. It’s like the flowers needed time to shine in their heart roles but the galbanum comes back to finish the show with a reed/dry grass vetiver and woodsiness that doesn’t really say cedar to me but that could be my complete lack, not the note.
Photo Stolen DeviantArt
I get an OK longevity from Futur, around 4-5 hours before it goes so close to my skin that I can’t smell it but others can for a while, LUSH UltraBalm adds a couple of hours to that. Where do I wear my Futur? I find it fits with casual days, for my work which allows me to be quite fragrant but maybe be careful with your quantities for office work, great date night and especially good for those times in the cool that you want to be reminded of the spring.
Further reading: Olfactoria’s Travels and The Alembicated Genie
FragranceNet has $70/50ml before coupon
The Posh Peasant has samples starting at $4/ml
So Futur doesn’t rate with many perfumistas, have you tried it? Did you enjoy the ride? What about the other Piguet fragrances?
Portia xx
Olfactoria's Travels 
I really want to try Futur now. It sounds like a green with added interest which are the ones I like. There is a PLL event all about green fragrances coming up so hopefully I’ll get to sample it then.
Visa was hot, putrifying fruit and Fracas was too buttery for me so maybe Futur will be the Piguet for me. Thanks, Portia!
Oh NO! Reads like maybe Piguet may not be your brand Tara but do persist. If it’s Futur I’ll be so glad. I think it falls between the cracks for many perfumistas because it bridges styles.
Portia xx
Ah Portia you make me want to try this. I will go out and try to find it in the city this week. Hope you are well. xo
Hey Sandra,
So well and pretty happy too. Maybe the little perfumery near Knize in Steffanplatz? I think they had some Piguet there, and they are super sweet too.
Is Sean loving his robot pillow?
Portia xx
Now that you mention it Portia – you are right! I will go there this week. Sean is loving his pillow. 🙂
xo
I would like to try it too, esp since he did the best Bond No. 9, IMHO. After reading Birgit’s review, I’m with her with having a hard time with Piguets, but maybe I’ll give this one a shot. Thanks Portia.
Carol, Thanks for dropping by. Basically I ignored most of the Piguets except Bandit and Fracas until Joe Garces came to Sydney and introduced us to the range. It opened my eyes about how good a fit the brand is for me. Now in my collection I’ve added Visa, Petit Fracas and Bois Noir. I like the brand very much.
Portia xx
Great review, Portia! I love Futur, it’s a year-round perfume for me. It plays differently on my skin, depending on the season. But it’s perfect every time.
YAY! Great to meet another Futur fan Annina. Yes, it works most of the year for my skin too but I rarely grab it through winter, just as a reminder of spring.
Portia xx
What a gorgeous review! Not sure if I’ve tried Futur, but I usually love Aurelien Guichard’s work (not to mention that handsome face).
YAY!! Hi there Ari,
What a lovely surprise and thank you for your kindness. Are you well?
Yes Aurelien Guichard is a complete sex bomb, that smille is to die for.
Portia xx
Portia, I have not explored the Piguet line at all. There are a few in the department stores as Sephora so I really have no excuse other than inertia. Your review makes me want to remedy that situation. Thanks for the warning about sillage.
Hi there Hajusuuri,
You well buddy? Yes, do try them. Sephora? They have gone totally mainstream now> Interesting. I suppose that’s where they’ve been headed with the new direction. Mass Market Niche, is that what they call it? Like Serge Lutens.
Portia xx
Dearest Portia (& Brigit)
Excellent review.
But how different from my own experience of Futur.I found it lived up entirely to its name, summoning not flowers but laser beams and neon light pollution. A macabre,monstrously beautiful, verging on the olfactorily industrial creation of hard edges and scientific urgency.
I’ve found Piguet’s to be quite volatile before:Visa is a different beast on every person’s skin, Bandit too,though less so.I wonder if Futur’s the same.
Yours ever
The Perfumed Dandy
WOW! That’s so interesting Perfumed Dandy. You get a disco post nuclear waste dump and I get a green flower garden, don’t let ANYBODY tell you that personal body chemistry doesn’t play a role in fragrance.
If it smelled anything like that on me I certainly would not have grabbed a bottle, though some of the CdG fans may like it. I wonder why this particular house would show more variation than others. Do you have a theory?
Portia xx
A “plush” green is exactly what I’ve been looking for. Not too stark and not too floral sounds just right. It’s going on my to try list, up near the top. Thanks for the review! xxx
Hi there LaurelS,
I hope you get the lovely rode that I get from Futur.
You are welcome.
Portia xx
I definitely smelled Futur before but, like all other perfumes from the brand, it didn’t grab me – so I don’t even remember how it smelled. I’ll try it again if I come across it (hoping for the unicorn? ;- ) ).
Ha Ha ha! Please don’t hope for the unicorn Undina, hopes like that lead only to unicorn droppings.
So nice to see you.
Portia xx
Dear Portia, what an excellent review for this treasure, thanks! I’m a perfume lover living in Berlin, and I love the old, classic french perfumery. I always had my problems with Futur, as its initial blast smelled to me like some spray you may want to use in the toilet (sorry for that), but I may have grown into it (something that happens often to me with pefumes), cause since yestersday I am absolutely in love with this one. It reminds me strongly of Niki de Saint Phalle, where I had the very same experience…I know the review is four years old, but maybe some new reply might get Futur to the surface of peoples minds. Thanks for your reviews in general, Portia,love them!