L'Arbre de la Connaissance
Jovoy (2011)

If Philosykos felt too grassy or green for you and you’re looking for something sweeter, fruitier, and a bit denser, this might be the fig fragrance for you. It comes off much riper and slightly greener, with more focus on the fruit than the leaf. When comparing the two, Philosykos leans clearly into fig leaf and grassy tones, while the fig in Jovoy’s version smells more like the actual fruit—ripe, maybe even bordering on overripe.

The more I smell this, the more I appreciate Philosykos for staying drier, leafier, and even a bit creamy in a restrained way. Some find Philosykos too grassy, but I like that unique take. In contrast, Jovoy is 3–4 times sweeter—Philosykos is maybe a 2/10 on the sweetness scale, while Jovoy leans closer to a 6 or 7. That sweetness gives Jovoy more projection and slightly better longevity, but also makes it feel a bit artificial at times—especially when smelled side by side with Philosykos, which is more transparent and watercolored in feel.

I used to feel lukewarm about Philosykos, but comparing it with this made me realize I prefer that subtle, airy approach. Still, Jovoy does a great job capturing the ripeness and fruitiness of fig, which not many others do well. There’s definitely an audience for it. You could potentially layer the two, but owning both might be slightly redundant. If you do get both, I'd suggest Philosykos for hot summer days and Jovoy for cooler evenings in spring and fall.

I have a few kind words for L'Arbre de la Connaissance.
It's a fig, no doubt about it but a very different kind of
fig than Olivia Giacobetti's creations for L'Artisan Parfumeur
(Premier Figuier) and Diptyque (Philosykos), both of which
I adore. This is a far more playful fragrance altogether with its
fizzy aldehydic opening somewhat redolent of Pear Drop candy.
Thereafter its an elegant figgy line all the way to the dry down where
it becomes a far softer creature altogether with a warm woody accent.

I'm wearing it a lot as the Autumn leaves fall crisp and golden around me.




philosykos - Olivia giacobetti premier figuier L'Artisan Parfumeur

A study in the fig tree with over-ripe figs.
Stays that way throughout the wear.
I personally enjoy this type of scent, and Jovoy's version does a decent job of addressing the tree and the ripe fruit while modulating the almost tropical punch texture that some fruity fig scents get.

As with most of Jovoy's collection, there's something in the way L'Arbre de la Connaissance is constructed that reminds me of American indies.
Jovoy, however, has access to higher-end ingredients and experienced perfumers (unlike much of the stuff you can grab off Etsy).
L'Arbre de la Connaissance is one of the more straightforward scents in the line.

A weird aldehyde fizzy opening attempt that struggles to be some sort of citrusy green , but smells like plastic dipped in acetone...smells like a batch of M/Mink that went bad...if i smell this and close my eyes i get visions of industrial wastelands , ones with drums of smelly toxic waste siting here and there...thanfully, after about 10 minutes or so this nastiness slowly fades away and starts getting replaced by a half way decent sweet figgy accord...About a third of the way through this test i thought i was going to have to give this a thumbs down , but , after the initial torture , this went to a base of freshly sanded musky sandalwood with a touch of creaminess and a nutty flavor/accent...bad start - decent finish...

Eye-opening top notes… Such an outrageously bright, fruity, aromatic accord… My first thought was that this is some sort of parody of the opening of Chanel's Beige – only instead of Beige's aldehydes and bright florals this one presents gaudy, plasticy tropical fruit with a tingly camphor-and-prickly-mint sparkle. I suppose that this is a love-it or hate-it opening and, while I don't exactly hate it, I cannot imagine that my universe would be any the less had I not experienced it.

The opening doesn't last long because after fifteen – twenty minutes, the fragrance morphs into a neutral coconut–figgy texture which retains the primary characteristic of plasticity. This heart of the fragrance is a slickly smooth plastic coco-fig and soft sandalwood composite… and it is …not unpleasant. But it seems to be too obviously lacking in relevance – I mean, it doesn't project more than a basic skin scent, and it is fairly short-lived.

Just what is the relationship between the aggressive, Tropicana opening and the artless tropical fruity texture of the remainder of the fragrance's life-span? Damned if I know… Apparently, there is enough substance to L'Arbre de la Connaissance to keep me from dismissing it off hand, but I haven't figured out what that substance is…

Off putting fizzy opening smelling about Acetone, cheap tropical fruity juice (aromachemicals galore) and nail polish, really a disaster. In a really few time (a couple of minutes, not more) a sort of coconutty "fig leaves" presence jumps up in order to typify this Jovoy's creation as its main characterizing element (a sort of pina-colada effect). Over five minutes something woody, rooty, vegetal, bitter hesperidic (bergamot??) and herbal jumps finally up slightly "adjusting and setting" the general disappointing "ambience". It seems to catch in this phase a touch of grated green lemons's shells but there is unfortunately still something chemical and plastic roaming around. The note of sandalwood (the main element imo) provides a woody melancholic twist counteracting the lingering figgy-coconutty effect. In this phase the aroma is still juicy and fruity but slightly more restrained and on the way to smell weirdly tart-powdery (beyond the initial mess but not so better). I detect sour lemon, pinacolada and woods but overall is quite senseless, indefinite, hardly fenced in a specific olfactory dimension. Gradually, along the way, a sort of vaguely discernible soapiness (veined by a powder of sandalwood and patchouli) with hardly distinguishable red fruitiness, figs and "green-leaves" bitterness takes the stage without any specific place where to run. Sorry, a really disappointing "Arbre de la Connaissance" under my "respectful" nose. Not for me.
P.S: Conclusions....This is basically a sandalwood/suede accord with soapy-fruity-coconutty accents.
The dry down is drier, more delicate, subtle and close to skin (soft sandalwood, figgy/berrish soapiness and a minimal twist of suede) but the long messy initial run suggests me to insist over the negative rating.