I found this one to be very disappointing considering all the hype. I mean it opens well, very appealing, fresh, masculine vibes but for all it's seeming cohesion in the opening, it falls apart shortly after, becoming an amateurish, clunky work. I mean you can get Fougere formulas (although this doesn't quite adhere to a classic fougere) online and knock something up, it won't smell as seamless as Houbigant or Invasion Barbare or Beau de jour. It has herbal elements, soapiness, moss with DHM and linalool, it's a bit flat for me as it dries down. Not particularly enamored. (Disclaimer: I'd only sampled it on a strip at that point) Trying on my skin is a different ballgame, forget what I said about the opening it's horrific, not fresh at all, smells astringent like marker pens but without at least a hint of the dizzying 'high'. However after that it's much more appealing the mossiness and grainy textured musk, loads of coumarinic warmth and even bordering on tobacco. It actually reminds me a little of another perfumer I think is pretty crude, Arron Terrence Hughes Boss Bastard but credit where credit is due, what both of these perfumes lack in finesse, they make up for in niche appeal and raw power. I think the soapy DHM comes out more on the strip and in actual fact is way better once you wear it. I still am not going to concede that this is a good perfume, it's okay, I'm somewhat enjoying the wear and I felt a bit bad for posting something fairly inaccurate up top there but that was my initial reaction and I stick to it in some sense.
Mousse Illuminee is like walking through a gleaming silver forest, with an array of shrubs and herbs carpeting the soft ground you walk on, and endless mosses and lichens hugging the trees around you. It’s gorgeous; intensely green and masculine, unapologetically aromatic and natural. A leafy, herbaceous sharpness cuts through the air like a knife due to the overdose of cypress, artemisia and laurel leaves. The soft woodiness of oakmoss and cedar permeates through gradually, but struggles to reach the surface as they become flattened by frankincense. This strange note of frankincense adds an element of dryness to the scent which is surprisingly complimentary. It’s a lovely scent and it smells amazingly natural, however it’s certainly made for a particular type of person - someone who truly wants to smell like a green forest. It may smell delightful, but I wonder if I would actually wear it.