Whip
Le Galion (1953)

I tried three of the re-introduced Le Galion fragrances recently and of the three Whip is possibly the one that I was least impressed with. Don't get me wrong it's a refined citrus-powder progression, although I was less enamoured of the soliflores in the middle and I found the lemon burst at the start slightly overwhelming and one-note. It's a tad old-fashioned, maybe, and it feels sort of... unnecessary, like nothing we haven't seen before, and a bit meh - but still a solid and respectable effort, I guess.

Wonderfully composed citrus/floral/powdery cyphre. Totally unisex and decidedly formal. I get a clear reference to Acqua di Parma in the opening and heart. A fresh powdery accord with a hint of leather rises up in the base. The longevity and sillage is excellent in this category. A great choice for a traditional French style citrus floral cyphre.

Whip was launched in 1953, the same year as Elizabeth II''s coronation and it is “a fresh and young fragrance, especially refreshing in the summer.” According to Le Galion, “originally created for men, women also grabbed hold of it quickly.” Le Galion's inaugural men''s scent, Special for Men, is fresh and citric but with an underlying muskiness that is similar to the underlying dirtiness of Mouchoir de Monsieur or Moustache. This is a style that the French do so well and that sexy clean/dirty accord is done brilliantly in Special for Men. Whip, which came only six years later, cleans all of that up, adds a slug of beautiful flowers and lights the whole thing up with galbanum, presaging the green movement that arose in the 60s and 70s.
The top notes are very citrusy, with lemon and bergamot. Herbs such as tarragon and cardamom provide the perfect foil for floral notes like jasmine, violet and lavender. The notes suggest that there is “a hint of iris” and if that is so, the lipstick cap is firmly in place; no makeup smell here. Galbanum illuminates everything and provides the chiaroscuro for the darker notes of oak moss, patchouli and vetiver. Leather underlies the whole thing--–it couldn''t be called Whip without some leather, right? Whip is the perfect scent for men who want a fresh scent with a floral, leather kick to it and for women wanting a sparkling, clean distillation of classic French perfumery. This is close enough to the classic cologne construct (although one of Le Galion's new offerings is an excellent Cologne) to be right on trend today and be a potentially ideal signature scent.

Excellent fragrance..MichailG review sums this up perfectly

WHIP is a marvel. I would have never thought to classify this as feminine; it is certainly unisex. This is all about citrus fruits, with a bitter lemon accord; a twisted fougère and a zesty one too. Thankfully, I get little to no tarragon as I am not fond of anise. I also get very little floral notes, although the lightness accompanying the zest I so much love about WHIP might be due to the florals. The composition certainly works. On my skin WHIP never really loses its zest although after three hours it does start to get a bit soapy. One could find WHIP a bit too old fashioned and linear; however, for citrus lovers it might be just excellent. The silage becomes moderate after one hour or so but the longevity is remarkable: I could detect WHIP on my skin the morning after (12+ hours after application). WHIP is standing out in the sea of perfumes. Just try it. Le Galion offers generous samples for purchase alas not cheaply.