I’m always crushing on something scented or other. My nose knows no limits. Candy Crush is where I showcase the beautifully scented things I’m crushing on right now so you can hopefully develop a crush too.

I often feel as if I should have been born a handsome and stylish Parisian gentleman. The type of Frenchman I’d like to be is the artistic, knitwear-wearing, reflective type who absorbs culture like good wine. He loves art as much as the gym, speaks numerous languages and is an excellent cook. I’d be called Gabriel or Gaspard, or maybe Jules (can you tell I’ve not thought about this at all?) I’d actually enjoy coffee (why does it smell so good yet taste so bad?!) and I’d be really bloody cool. Oh and I’d wear GUERLAIN exclusively (Jicky I reckon) because why wouldn’t you? A boy can dream of being so chic, but sometimes a fragrance can be the closest thing one gets to making such a fantasy become a reality. Enter Le Frenchy by Guerlain.

Le Frenchy is part of Guerlain’s ‘Les Parisiens’ family – an exclusive collection of reissued masculine fragrances featuring the likes of Derby and Arsene Lupin. This one is a modern reworking of a historic lineage: Aimé Guerlain’s Verveine from 1872, which itself was reinterpreted by Jean-Paul Guerlain as ‘Eau de Verveine’ in 1983. Now we have Guerlain Perfumer Thierry Wasser’s take on ‘verveine’, cheekily entitled ‘Le Frenchy’ (The Frenchman). GUERLAIN calls it “chic and relaxed” which is so not my physical aesthetic, so perhaps Le Frenchy can help me out a bit, after I all I may not have the “bold elegance” of the fragrance, but I reckon I could pull some “natural charm” out of the bag. Let’s see…

Classic Cologne

At first sniff, Le Frenchy is a cool, classic cologne – familiar and comfortable. It’s sharp and hesperidic with a vivid lemon note that’s evocative of Jicky’s grand citrus opening, whilst petit grain brings a clean, floral touch. Greenery comes next in the form of verbena, with its fresh, lemony and leafy smell serving as the perfect bridge between the citrus opening and soft lavender heart. That’s right, this is a classic french cologne with a  fresh blast of greyish lavender, striking sage and juicy neroli – a holy trifecta if there ever was one. It’s suave to say the least.

Modern Man

GUERLAIN says that Le Frenchy is a fragrance for the 21st century man – a scent of duality for the “athlete and […] aesthete, seductive and relaxed, urban and
eco-friendly, chic but never stuffy, virile and sensitive” so what one gets is a modern contrast to the classic cologne found up top. This comes in the form of musk, vetiver and tonka. To my nose it drifts closely to the warm, liquorice-esque dry down of another GUERLAIN (Homme L’Eau Boisée) with musk driving diffusion and staying power (this is a cologne though, so don’t expect it to last for hours and hours) and tonka bean bringing a delicate sweetness (a Guerlain-ness) whilst ambergris and vetiver keep it green and clear. Le Frenchy is so smooth and so balanced one almost feels jealous that it’s allowed to be so handsome…

Candy Crush

Le Frenchy is so chic. So modern. It feels to me, like a signature fragrance – the perfect thing to accompany one to the office, to the gym, to the theatre. It works well everywhere and gives this sort of effortless, affable charm that is undeniably attractive. It makes me feel very, well, French, which I think is pretty much the goal here so not only has GUERLAIN achieved Candy Crush status here, they’ve also made a superb masculine that one can’t help but want to be around. As you can I tell I really like it, so much so, in fact, that I am going to wear it often and henceforth, I shall be known as Gabriel, merci.

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Availability

Le Frenchy is available in 100ml Eau de Parfum.

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Disclaimer

Sample, notes and quotes via GUERLAIN. Images are my own.