Kenzo Jungle Le Tigre was was introduced in 1997, created by Dominique Ropion. This was created along with Kenzo Jungle L'Elephant. Of the pair, Le Tigre is an easier to wear fragrance than L'Elephant - but both are original and unique fragrances that I'm not sure a lot of perfumers/perfume houses would have the bravery to make today. An oriental spicy, now discontinued, it was named after the first Kenzo boutique in Paris. Notes of davana, kumquat, tangerine, orange, osmanthus, ylang, cinnamon, massoia wood and amber.
Perfume Posse - "Okay, this is really … um … what is this? Hey, again – quick show of hands – how many of you bought L´Elephant unsniffed after I raved about it and then you hated it? I told you not to buy it unsniffed! Because until it settles down, L´Elephant has all the subtlety and annoying enthusiasm of a sugar-addled toddler. I love it, but I have a small decant and I think carefully before I put it on. Le Tigre is the more wearable scent, and based on the notes I thought I´d love it. I loathe the first two minutes — there´s a lot of peppery citrus in the opening, and a macerated fruity sourness, the fragrance equivalent of the taste of postage stamps. The transition from that to the osmanthus and spicy woods is jarring and unappetizing to me. It wasn´t a scrubber, but it was odd. The drydown, though, is the star, and (like L´Elephant) you just have to grit your teeth and wait for it. To my nose it´s reminiscent of KenzoAmour, spicier (which I like) but also more floral and sweeter (which I don´t). KenzoAmour is one of my winter comfort stand-bys, and if you like the concept but find it a snooze, you might like this better."
the Non-Blonde - "Compared to the uncivilized Elephant, Le Tigre starts out very conventionally. A sweet citrus blast in all the fruity glory, but with something sharp and edgy (probably the grassy Davana) that makes it different from Fendi Theorema (and not as pretty). It remains fruity-floral for quite a while, until the cinnamon shows its face and saves the day. Sweet orange and cinnamon are quite irresistible, though had it been up to me, I'd make it much spicier. As a matter of fact, some of the elephant's cardamon could have made this perfume a lot more interesting. The dry-down is utterly gorgeous, though, with its Massoïa wood and a hint of sweet vanilla."
Basenotes - "Also along at the beginning is the note Davana which is an African savanna grass. There is a grassiness below the citrus top and that must be the Davana. It is a quite beautiful beginning. As it continues to develop it becomes more floral as osmanthus becomes the dominant note. Through this stage the scent treads fairly traditional fruity-floral territory but the presence of the Davana gives it a different feel. The joy of Le Tigre comes in the drydown as the sweetness starts to recede and first cinnamon makes its appearance in spicy counterpoint to the sweet that has come before. To pair with the cinnamon is an amazing woody base which has hints of coconut to it. This woodiness comes from Massoia and it is just an incredible finish to this scent."
Fragrantica - " Pretty much like a tiger chuffing, showing friendliness. But tigers are as unpredictable as they are beautiful, and so is this scent. The osmanthus amps up the fruity vibe in Le Tigre, and the ylang-ylang gives it a narcotic floral touch. Also, the cinnamon, amber and massoia wood make it a warm fragrance, more suited for cold weather."
