Escape to the Mediterranean with Fabulous Fig

Benefits of Figs

A perfume ingredient that is often almost left forgotten ironically creates a beautiful fragrance. It is also considered to be one of the oldest fruits consumed by humans. This ingredient has been largely symbolic in the timeline of culinary history, having been used as a natural sweetener before the days of refined sugar, and although dried Figs are available for consumption all year round, it's undeniable that the taste of fresh Figs is worth the seasonal wait, starting in late June until September.

Biting in, first the smoothness of the small pear-shaped fruit, then its chewy flesh, and finally reaching the crunchiness of its seeds, it is a fruit that you would DEFINITELY want on your breakfast or fruit table!

Rich in health benefits, with a never-ending list of vitamins and minerals, including vitamins A, B, and C, potassium, magnesium, and zinc, only to name a few; Figs are considered one of the best sources of fibre and calcium, and contain superior quality antioxidants.  

A Little History

Originating in northern Asia Minor, the Fig tree was spread around the Mediterranean region by the ancient Greeks and Romans. Fig was then dispersed into different regions, and continents around the mid-1500s, touching both the west and east corners of our world, as far as England and China. In 1520, it reached southern California, which led to its popularity, now known as the Mission Fig. Till today, California is still the largest producers of Figs, in addition to Turkey, Greece, Portugal, and Spain.

Rewinding to the very start of our universe, the Fig tree appears repeatedly in both the Old and the New Testaments of the Bible, as a constant sign of peace and prosperity. Shockingly, there were even scholars believing that the Forbidden fruit, that was picked by Eve, was in fact a Fig, rather than an apple. Moreover, Sumerian stone tablets dating back to 2500 B.C. have a record of the culinary use of Figs, where remains of Fig trees were found during excavations of Neolithic sites from 5000 B.C, and thus many historians even consider it the first of many domesticated crops!

Yet, that's not all this ingredient has to offer…Figs also hold much importance in almost every large world religion we have; Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Judaism, and Buddhism, where the fruit most commonly represents fertility, peace, and prosperity. Furthermore, Figs were widely craved and celebrated by the world’s early ‘celebrities’, especially amongst ancient Olympians, who were tokened figs in reward for their athletic progress; whilst, natural philosopher and the author of our ‘Natural history’, Pliny the Elder, extolled the fruit's restorative powers.

As its popularity grew in Middle Eastern and Arabian culture, prophet Muhammed, the great founder of Islam, fell in love with this fruit too. He identified Fig as the one he would most wish to see in paradise. As the Fig fever continued in Europe, even in France, where King Louis XIV’s admiration for this small, deluxe, delicious fruit, urged him into planting more than 700 Fig trees in his royal kitchen garden at the Court of Versailles!

It’s safe to say that this frequent trend doesn’t require much explaining. Fig is just irresistible to all!

An Unspoken Fragrance Jewel

As a Middle Eastern and Western Asian jewel, a fruit that we’re so used to eating as a healthy snack, rich in almost, what seems like, every mineral possible, and a fruit, who’s leaves, are seen in artefacts: paintings, sculptures, silvers, and most commonly a covering to preserve the modesty of figures from the ancient past…Yet did you know that this luscious, exotic fruit, is a gem of an ingredient in the perfume industry too?

You may be intrigued to unravel the mystery of what this ingredient smells like; so you've come to the right place! To the advantage of the perfumery world, the Fig tree itself is very aromatic, and we can utilise and indulge in the scents of the oils extracted from the fruit, as well as from its leaves. Spraying the scent of the Fig leaves onto your naked skin, you will smell green, with bitter nuances, along with slight tinges of woody and earthy notes, making this scent near savoury, cool, and shady.

Comparatively, on one hand, the scent of the fruit will encircle you into a cloud of milky-sweet, aroma. However, on the other hand, the ripe and juicy natural perfume similarly carries undertones of an earthy scent, with underlying green facets. An intriguing perfumery ingredient full of complexities, yet also a scent you will simply fall in love with at first spray!

Unfortunately, although the Fig notes that we smell in modern perfumery, are mostly synthetic, using the key molecule Stemone; it is fondly used in reconstituting the lush, iconic smell of this fruit. Yet don't fear! Fortunately for us, the perfumer talent at Maison 21G has tackled this ingredient, and thus the scent of the Fig is reproduced in a laboratory from other essences, thus ensuring you won't be missing out in luxuriating in this beautiful, fruity scent. With Stemone successfully resembling the complex mix of bitter green, and milky sweet facets, with ripe, fruity notes, it is often used in woody compositions or in tandem with a hint of coconut and greenery to give a Mediterranean feel to the perfume.

Our Recommended Mixes

A trending fragrance ingredient in the market now, for both men and women, Maison 21G simply couldn't compose the fragrance wardrobe without it! We thus have brought the opportunity to you, to be on top of the trend, and to have the hottest perfume in Singapore!

Our FABULOUS FIG perfume in collaboration with the SLEEK SANDALWOOD fragrance will add a deep, rich, exotic character to your style. A combination of contrasting scents, which together create a powerful, enticing aroma, truly original and distinctive.

As mentioned before, FABULOUS FIG also mixes especially well with most oriental notes, and thus we suggest either our scent of AMBER AFFAIR or the fragrance of VANILLA VENUS. With these seductive combinations, your scent will leave an addictive, yet comforting trail, and will accelerate your mood to cloud 9! For sure an attractive and perfect mix when love is in the air!

Taking on a different approach, for the bold characters who are in search of a more strapping fragrance; the artful blend of sweet and ripe FABULOUS FIG with the powerful aroma of our HAVANA HARVEST perfume will be for those who seek a sensual yet extravagant scent style. Try it for yourself, and you won’t be disappointed!

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