Our take
What does L'Insoumis smell like?
Lalique released L’Insoumis in September 2016. Fabrice Pellegrin composed it, and the bottle borrows the fern pattern of the Tourbillons vase that René Lalique designed in 1926. The name means unruly. The scent itself has good manners. Bergamot opens alongside green peppery basil, then a touch of rum rounds things off without adding sugar. The heart is a textbook fougère of lavender, clary sage and black pepper. It feels crisp and slightly herbal, closer to a pressed shirt than a leather jacket. Haitian vetiver and patchouli settle in the base with a quiet moss. Clearwood, a cleaned-up patchouli material, keeps the structure easy to read. Next to Encre Noire, the house’s best-known masculine, L’Insoumis is far brighter and less earthy. It may lack the bite its name promises. Still, few fougères at this price are this tidy.
When to wear it
An easy fougère for office days and weekends in spring or autumn. Two or three sprays will do, as it sits close to the skin after a couple of hours.
It belongs to the Fougère, Aromatic family. L'Insoumis is one of 17 creations by Lalique in our encyclopedia.
