Review: Parfum D' Empire Yuzu Fou

Yuzu Fou EDP ~ Contemporary, vibrant and bursting with mouth watering fresh citrus and crisp green notes, Yuzu Fou is one of those perfumes that makes you lose your cool for a minute and pump your fist in the air with a loud “Woo!” The grapefruit-meets-Mandarin-orange notes of Japanese yuzu are woven together with an unripe kumquat and orange bigarade (bitter orange), while an infusion of icy mint brings harmony to the blend. Lemony verbena absolute lends its kapow! factor and also brings a cool almost metallic edge. Tranquil yet passionate.

Yuzu Fou notes include: yuzu, kumquat, orange bigarade, mint, verbena absolute, green bamboo, neroli, white musk

One of the newest fragrances by fragrance house Parfum D' Empire, Yuzu Fou is a creation of Marc-Antoine Corticchiato. Of Corsican origin, Marc-Antoine Corticchiato was born in Morocco. He spent his childhood and adolescent years between the Moroccan countryside in his parents’ citrus orchards and the Corsican brush, where the family home is situated in the village of Cuttoli Corticchiato, near Ajaccio.

A horserider since the age of eight, horses rapidly became his passion. His curiosity, however, led him on another path. Very early on Marc-Antoine became intrigued by how plants produced their scent. What is the genesis and the function of perfume in vegetation? Why and how does a plant exhale different scents during its flowering cycle? It is the very process of the creation of a perfume in the heart of the plant that guided him throughout his studies of analytical chemistry up to his doctorate degree.

It was the chemical analysis of plants that led Marc-Antoine to perfumery. He began his professional career as a university researcher in charge of the laboratory devoted to the study of plants used in perfumery and their extraction methods. During this time he developed an in-depth knowledge of natural raw materials by « dissecting » them. His works are published in international research journals. On request, he developed his first aromatherapy creations. The formulation of these products, and in particular those grown organically, taught him to consider the olfactory and therapeutic constraints.

After several years of research, he started working at a perfume creation laboratory located in Paris. It was there that he finally let loose his creativity. At the same time he continued lecturing at ISIPCA.

Wanting only the very best plant extracts, Marc-Antoine set-up in 2000 a production factory of essential oils in Madagascar where he travels regularly. In 2003 Marc-Antoine Corticchiato created his own brand, Parfum d’Empire, using the noble raw materials so sought-after by the civilisations that were enriched and strengthened by the inter-mingling of different cultures.


REVIEW:
Yuzu Fou is a delightful, sparkling, lively fragrance that can't help but make you smile as you breathe in the first whiff of scent. Decidedly citrusy yet refreshingly hinting of mint with a lovely dry down of very light white musk, creator Marc-Antoine has another winner on his hands. To be honest, there's not a fragrance in the whole of the Parfum D' Empire fragrance collection that I don't like - even those with a more unisex or masculine vibe. He truly is a master of fragrance. Don't confuse the citrus-nature of this composition to mean it will render itself hopelessly fruity. It projects a light, clean , fresh citrus - yes - but the blending of the other notes allows a different fresh flavor all its own.

Yuzu Fou is available at Beautyhabit and Luckyscent ($99 - $110 a bottle). You can also find other fragrances in the Parfum D' Empire collection there as well.