There is probably no more difficult task for a perfumer to try and come up with a modern version of one of the early 20th century classic perfumes. The best of those fragrances have achieved near mythical status as perfume lovers attempt to find vintage bottles. This desire has led to companies wanting to release new versions to take advantage of this. The biggest problem facing the current perfumer is trying to make a perfume where many of the ingredients are no longer allowed to be used or have risen in price so dramatically that synthetic equivalents need to be employed. This usually has the effect of the newer version having the feel of a lithograph; lacking the vibrancy of the original. It can be particularly frustrating when I know how much lesser the new version is. I am still hopeful especially when the perfumer behind the new version is one I admire. The new Jacques Fath Faths Essential Green Water was one I was hopeful for.
The original Jacques Fath Green Water, from 1946, is one of the few perfumes which manages to use mint without reminding me of dental care products. Original perfumer Vincent Roubert uses it as part of a citrus and neroli accord before really getting green in the foundation with vetiver and oakmoss. The amount of neroli being used here is massive. The use of the mint and the cost of getting the orange blossom concentration correct were but two of the challenges facing perfumer Cecile Zarokian as she took on the challenge of making a 2016 version of Green Water.
Cecile Zarokian
Mme Zarokian dealt with the easiest of the problems by convincing the powers at Jacques Fath there was no substitute for lowering the neroli concentration. In that case she was able to hold the line and the neroli in this new version is as densely potent as it was in the original. The mint was going to be another thing. Mme Zarokian decided to take the mint and make it the leader of a selection of herbal notes. It helps control the mint and remind one that it is also an herb. It keeps it from being the presence that it is in the original but in this case it seemed less important to me. Keeping the neroli at the previous level was the more important battle to win.
The new version of Green Water opens with that mixture of citrus as lemon and orange add a snappy beginning. Then the lush neroli rises up on all sides. It is beautifully encompassing. The mint arrives with caraway, tarragon, and basil in attendance. The basil in particular really attenuates the mint. I like this change as it is more herbal than in the original. It is what really separates it from that. The base is vetiver and the low atranol version of oakmoss. Mme Zarokian adds in a bit of ambergris to add interesting depth to the variant on the original base accord.
Green Water has 10-12 hour longevity and average sillage.
Mme Zarokian has successfully taken on the challenge of reinterpreting a classic. Her diligence at getting something close to the original without feeling like something lesser is laudable. I am looking forward to wearing this new version of Green Water during this upcoming spring and summer. It feels like seeing an old friend after many years with changes for the better.
Disclosure: This review was based on a sample I received from Jacques Fath at Esxence 2016.
–Mark Behnke
