I have been looking at the Ebay auctions. At the bottom of the page are sponsored links, from fig shaped salt and pepper shakers, fig scented candles, plates with painted figs on them and moisturizing body creams with figs. Today while searching, I found an auction for 3 fig Christmas ornaments.  The weird thing is I was looking at them and try to figure which variety they were.  

Ciao, I use Pomegranate and Fig after bath moisturizer. After shower or bath I use this.  It has a picture of Big purple fig and it makes smell sooo good. I first bought it because it had fig on it, plus the mixture of the two fruits is delicious.  I also have a clock made in old country with fig leaves and figs engraved and painted into it.  Beautiful and very very old.  I have 2 fig candles but the one doesn't smell at all like figs. The other does. Sometimes you get what you pay for.  When I say it smells like figs, I mean the fruit and what the fruits taste like.  I have to say that I don't like the smell of some particular figs.  Some varieties I have smell ( the leaves ) and the plant itself, smells like cat urine. This is just what I think it smells like. The Chieti, Ronde de Bordeaux,  and I have one other one, I think Natalina, they have a bad urinecat smell to them especially when inside where no breeze. Just glad the whole house doesn't smell like them.

You can get fig lip balm, and many other figs products, as well. But, no, I don't have "fig" items in my life - just trees, lots of trees.

Not yet.
First thing first; and that is ripe figs and reasonably more ripe figs for my location.

For me its just the plants.

Italiangirl, I laughed when I read your description of the leaf smell on some figs! I've always LOVED the odor of a fig tree on a hot summer day (reminds me of when I was a kid), so I mentioned it to my wife one day when we were out working in the yard. She sniffed the tree and declared that it smelled like rat pee to her. Ouch! When I read your post, I had to tell her she's not the only one who's less-than-thrilled with the smell. I guess beauty is in the nose of the beholder.

TusconKen,  I think this is interesting.  I have noticed more men saying they like the smell of some fig varieties.  Some fig trees don't have an odor, some do. I mentioned a couple cultivars in my collection that do have this and others have no smell to me.  But, as I said, I noticed more MEN liking the smell of the figs and almost every other WOMAN Not liking or finding it offensive smell. I have talked to and asked what my female friends and what they thought some smelled like, we almost always said Cat or Urine smell.  Maybe the noses of men like smells that women would find more offensive?  I can't stand the smell at times from the figs, but my husband doesn't either notice or he doesn't find it unpleasant.  So there you go. interesting I'm glad you mentioned your wife. 

Oh, I thought the smell was just because the cats had indeed been in the hoophouse!!  What a shock this is.  If I find the culprit, it will likely have to go.  There are times when the odor of 'cat urine' runs me out of the hoop.

At this time the only figs I have are just way too many varieties and too many new starts of VdBordeaux and a few extra Hardy Chicago.  Gave two away to an 81 year old gent today.  Got some heirloom white peach seedlings from him.

Have been considering doing some fig leaf decoupage on the wall or using the design on a 'forever floor'.  The Unknown Pastilliere leaves were huge this year, what a sight they would make!  All of that will have wait until another year and new leaves.

Egads, it is such a long way from Ebay to cat urine.
Fwiw, we share a household with 15 felines (+ or -) and are well acquainted with the smell of cat pee.
But the smell of a fig tree on a hot summer day? I don't get it. Never the twain shall meet for me. Must be a phero-hormonal thing. Love the smell, can't get enough.
I'll be sure to ask my partner what she thinks.
Now about those salt shakers...
thanks people: made my day!

fyvfigs--Yes, I figured my wife was just having a little fun at my expense with her unflattering assessment of one of my favorite smells, but with two more women saying the same thing, there's got to be something to it. I like your phero-hormonal explanation. Maybe olfactory beauty isn't in the nose of the beholder after all, but rather in the Y chromosome.

OK, I'll admit it, I'm a collector...have Apricot/Fig perfume (yummy!), yards of fabric with several varieties of figs and leaves (really pretty!), have collected Julian Merrow-Smith oil paintings (have 2 originals, 2 lithos), have an original watercolor painting, an old collectible trading card extolling the benefits of figs, I could go on...BTY, I LOVE the scent of fig leaves. I go out and sit amongst them just for the scent. Makes me happy. :-)

Sue

Well, so much for my Y chromosome theory!

Does it help that I'm a Tom-boy? :-)
Sue

That changes everything!

Good for you, Sue. Nothing wrong with liking the smell of fig leaves. I like them too. 

I also love the smell of fig leaves but guava fruit smell like cat urine to me and I can't stand that smell so go figure 

A cat's piss smell; you are so right!
I do not smell figs outside.
However, I had some experience with CONFINED
figs, inside my basement and (more pronounced in) car;
woof bweeew woof!

When cold weather was setting in, I brought all my plants to the garage for dormancy and the plants had not dropped all of the leaves yet. After a week no one in the house wanted to go to the garage because of the smell and everyone was saying that it smelled like an enclosed cattle barn with no circulation. The smell declined after the leaves dried up in a couple of weeks.

This is too funny. I had a new brother in law who was a farm boy from Nebraska and had never seen a fig tree much less smelled one. His first impression was "man, what's that smell, it smell like horse pee". I like to fell over laughing.

The first time that I experienced that smell, I thought that
some brave stray tom-cat (male) had very bravely "marked"
off my fig(s) as his own property (territory)...

Is it possible that only the leaves of the mature trees smell (like may be after the plant puberty)?
Last winter I had some 6 to 8 newly rooted cuttings with 4 to 6 leaves each in one room and did not feel the smell. Mature leaves may be getting extra hormones!

All mine are always outside, so I guess I don't really notice it except in the hot summer. Then I can smell it the minute I open the door. Smells kind of musky sweet to me. I guess that's why there are so many different scents on the market in the way of perfume, cologne,candles, etc--we all have different smell palates.  Tim

Tim
Are you sure there are no rose bushes or Jasmine vine near your musky sweet smelling fig plant?

Oldie Chanel #5.

I have experienced the cat smell outdoors BUT i also have smelled the sweet smell outdoors. 
I just dont remember if it was hot out or which plants that smelled like urine and which ones smelled good.
I can tell you this though when i first brought plants in garage with there leaves on the next day i smelled the sweet figgy smell NO urine smell in garage at all.
So i have experienced both at certain times .