If there is a perfume category almost guaranteed to elicit a rude remark it is the Sport style. I’ve never understood the concept for a fragrance to wear while playing sports. It took off as a genre in the 1990’s. Almost all of them are insipid constructs. I am always open to someone to try something different to liven it up. Lacoste Match Point is the most recent to make a case.
Lacoste has been making perfume since 1984. While they don’t use the word Sport in the name of any of their releases it is an unsaid part of their aesthetic. Over the years they have comfortably filled this space. It is fitting for a fashion brand born on tennis courts to embrace it. When I received my sample of Match Point, I expected to find another example. This time the perfume was surprising in the choice of ingredients and style.
Sophie Labbe
Perfumer Sophie Labbe takes Match Point to a different place for a Sport fragrance. Most of the genre is based on the long-time “fresh and clean” trend. It is awash in aquatics for the most part. Match Point goes for a different interpretation of that. Mme Labbe uses some very intensely green notes to provide a new perspective on fresh.
What caught my attention when I sprayed this for the first time is the use of gentian. This is an intensely bitter green ingredient which is oddly refreshing. Any perfume that starts with this is something to pay attention to. She pairs it with a tart grapefruit to soften the edges while also deepening the bitterness. Another oddly refreshing herbal ingredient comes next, basil. The pungency of this herb finds a fascinating harmony with the gentian. The final piece is vetiver which slides into this party like a champ. Cashmeran adds a crisp woody finish.
Match Point has 8-10 hour longevity and average sillage.
Match Point is such a different Sport perfume it makes me soften my criticism of the genre. It shows smart artists can take the most generic types and breathe new life into them. Mme Labbe makes Match Point the Green Sport.
Disclosure: This review is based on a sample provided by Lacoste.
–Mark Behnke
