masculin Pluriel
Maison Francis Kurkdjian (2014)

“Less is more”

Measured brushstrokes of rich leather, fresh cooling lavendar jump at you right away. Then a light breeze of barbershop-traditional zing to keep you smelling like you just got a haircut and are ready for a fresh lease on life. Super pleasant drydown with invigorating vetiver and slight woods to leave you smelling truly luxurious.

Is it going to surprise you or leave you mesmerized at its livelihood? No.

What it will do is raise your chin a bit higher. The blending of notes is sublime and really leaves you feeling like it’s your lucky day. Can be a signature scent without further hesitation

I was never into barbershop fougeres, so I wasn't initially interested in this one when I first tried the MFK line. As Varanis Ridari mentions, there's "modern wizardry" in this scent to avoid it smelling like your dad's aftershave.

This isn't a complex fragrance and is a bit linear. The sillage is moderate, but the longevity is pretty good. I prefer this over Penhaligon's offerings, and I think that says a lot since Penhaligon's focuses on fougere and barbershop scents.

I'm not sure I would pay MFK prices for this scent when I could get Oud Satin Mood or Baccarat Rouge, but this is a solid fragrance. I'm quite pleased with it. Maybe I'll get another sample when I run out of my current one.

To me, this is another run-of-the-mill bland male central bureaucracy scent. It's classy alright, but exquisitely boring.

Masculine Plural yet weak and singular.
A 'modern' fougere and by modern I mean gutted to the point of snooze.
A splash of Artisan Aqua and good old Brut dialed back to 15% strength gets you close to this. Wispy fragrances should not be considered masculine. Not full bottle worthy by any stretch.

To be honest, I find the opening of masculin (lower case?) Pluriel a bit of a mess. It smells fine - that is to say, pleasant - but it doesn't have any of the gaps, the rise and fall, of classic fougeres. This puts all the notes out there at once.

The drydown is fairly well done and there is a strong and effective lavendar accord that pulls the scent, not only together, but within the boundaries of the genre.

It's just a bit boring. It doesn't add to the fougere genre at all, in my view. And I kind of get on with those reviewers who think this is a bit too "modern".

This was my first full bottle from MFK that I purchased while I was in Paris, after sampling all of the unisex and masculine MFKs. It stands out as one of the best from MFK alongside 540 (women only), Oud Silk Mood and APOM, and I can safely recommend it as a signature scent for year-round wear, although I wouldn't wear it daily. If you are looking for a traditional, boring fougere, this is probably NOT it. It has more of a younger, exuberant, modern vibe to it, but without being 'sharp' or 'metallic' or anything you would typically associate with modern frags. It has a lingering sweetness that I really enjoy. It is not particularly distracting, so you can wear it at the workplace with no issues. Performance is good for an EdT, and bordering on EdP strength. I have learned to apply more than I think I need, and that results in very good all-day performance upwards of 12 hours. I wouldn't say I douse this on, but it definitely takes more than a few sprays to get the desired effect, and I find that it is very tough to overspray this.

MP is both pleasant and inoffensive, and feels rich and luxurious. It would work well in casual clothes or dressed up. It works fantastic in the winter due to the inherent sweetness, but it doesn't become overpowering or cloying in the summer either. Therefore I can't imagine any scenario in which I would want to avoid it. If you are the type of person who likes to pair frags with memories or periods of time in your life, this would be great for that, and has the ability to invoke nostalgia if you go a long period without wearing it.

I have received many (MANY) compliments when wearing this, and especially on days when I also receive a haircut(?). It seems to be one of my most complimented frags. I get my hair cut roughly every 3 weeks (before COVID) and I have learned to apply this in the morning on that day, because without fail I will receive at least one if not 5 compliments from random people and strangers that day. Every single time. I'm not sure why, but MP blends perfectly with whatever products they use at my barber and it just radiates luxury from my skin, especially as your body temperature rises. I have also received several compliments on other days of the month, but this is not a frag that gets complimented every single time I wear it. It's not a hyper-masculine bro frag like Aventus where it commands attention in that way. I also feel that I don't want to wear it daily because I do think it is more on the linear side, and it could become tiring as a daily wear fragrance. I don't want to ruin the appeal by wearing it all the time, if that makes sense. It doesn't have enough of that unique je-ne-sais-quois factor to make it perfect, but it is definitely a must try and FBW if you are a fan of Kurkdjian in the slightest.