L’Occitane en Provence does make pretty nice skincare products, however, their fragrances? Hmm, a bit too watery and too much on the same level as the Body Shop or Bath and Body Works. It might be a nice gift to a 16 year old who hasn’t had much experience in wearing perfumes; for someone who’s already got a perfume wardrobe, I’d suggest a water-y bath-gel-turned perfume spray section in the wardrobe for most of the L’Occitane scents.
So…here’s a handful of scents I’ve sampled from L’Occitane.
- Cherry Blossom (Fleurs de Cerisier) by L'Occitane en Provence
Cherry Blossom starts really lovely; it is fresh, juicy, out-of-shower freshness with sparkling cherry and cherry twig scent.
Later on, the sparklingness fades away and the scent just linearly migrates towards the more tamed cherry tree/twig and slightly tart cherry sweetness.
It used to be my go-to scent when I do not know what to wear, for about a week, however, I find L’Occitane perfumes are a bit weird, somehow I don’t find them perfume enough: they smell more like a slightly longer-lived shower gel and somehow they carry a kinda watery body spray feel in them, it’s not that synthetic/plastic as some new release of pink perfumes, but still it nearly gives me a headache. Somehow I find Black XS for men (yes I know it’s marked towards men, but I find it quite unisex) is quite similar to Cherry Blossom, but with more depth. If you like cherry scent and find Cherry Blossom lacks of something, maybe give Black XS for men a try.
Later on, the sparklingness fades away and the scent just linearly migrates towards the more tamed cherry tree/twig and slightly tart cherry sweetness.
It used to be my go-to scent when I do not know what to wear, for about a week, however, I find L’Occitane perfumes are a bit weird, somehow I don’t find them perfume enough: they smell more like a slightly longer-lived shower gel and somehow they carry a kinda watery body spray feel in them, it’s not that synthetic/plastic as some new release of pink perfumes, but still it nearly gives me a headache. Somehow I find Black XS for men (yes I know it’s marked towards men, but I find it quite unisex) is quite similar to Cherry Blossom, but with more depth. If you like cherry scent and find Cherry Blossom lacks of something, maybe give Black XS for men a try.
- Plum Blossom (Fluers de Brignoles) by L'Occitane en Provence
Plum Blossom is quite a disappointment as a Mothers’ Day limited edition in 2011. It is like a cross between Cherry Blossom and Britney Spears’ Fantasy, however the sticky sweet and somewhat cloying factor just comes straight the short lived freshness which is about 2 seconds. And then it’s just a linear sweet watered-down BS Fantasy.
I love plum blossom notes in many other perfumes, however, this one, Plum Blossom is quite weird and headache-inducing to me.
Try before you buy.
I love plum blossom notes in many other perfumes, however, this one, Plum Blossom is quite weird and headache-inducing to me.
Try before you buy.
- Peony by L'Occitane en Provence
Peony starts with a seemingly monotone peony scent, while actually when I smell more analytically, there’s some fresh zesting citrusy smell there which lifts the scent up, and makes it quite ‘airy’ but not in a sheer way. The beginning has a really similar feel to Moschino I Love Love, but Pivoine Flora has a more fresh floral petals hint in it.
After about 10 minutes, the floral smell comes off stronger, and the citrusy smell barely there. The floral smell is quite peony, but more in a solid and sweet form, I find it somewhat lost the airy fresh nature spirit of peony, but not too bad since Peony doesn’t have a big sillage, and when you are not directly sniffing yourself, the scent actually smell quite nice, as if it was a sweeter and more girly sister of Stella McCartney’s Stella, and weird(in a nice way tho) enough, it smell kinda like the dry down of Dior Addict 2 to me at this stage, the floral, a little bit soft powdery clean poeny smell with the citrusy hint.
Towards the dry down, Peony is gets softer and flora, with a hint of echo-y fresh nearly ‘aquatic’ smell, but not the sports perfume aquatic smell, thank goodness; however I still find the typical watery -smell present in many L’Occitane rose or peony perfumes a tiny little bit synthetic sometimes.
Overall, Peony is such a quiet and pretty perfume to wear, a typical L’Occicante perfume, and a nice fresh ‘rose’ perfume alongside with Stella McCatney’s. However, personally I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone who’s searching for something special.
After about 10 minutes, the floral smell comes off stronger, and the citrusy smell barely there. The floral smell is quite peony, but more in a solid and sweet form, I find it somewhat lost the airy fresh nature spirit of peony, but not too bad since Peony doesn’t have a big sillage, and when you are not directly sniffing yourself, the scent actually smell quite nice, as if it was a sweeter and more girly sister of Stella McCartney’s Stella, and weird(in a nice way tho) enough, it smell kinda like the dry down of Dior Addict 2 to me at this stage, the floral, a little bit soft powdery clean poeny smell with the citrusy hint.
Towards the dry down, Peony is gets softer and flora, with a hint of echo-y fresh nearly ‘aquatic’ smell, but not the sports perfume aquatic smell, thank goodness; however I still find the typical watery -smell present in many L’Occitane rose or peony perfumes a tiny little bit synthetic sometimes.
Overall, Peony is such a quiet and pretty perfume to wear, a typical L’Occicante perfume, and a nice fresh ‘rose’ perfume alongside with Stella McCatney’s. However, personally I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone who’s searching for something special.
- Rose Nuit de Mai by L'Occitane en Provence
Rose Nuit de Mai (roll-on, concentrated edt) makes me think about slightly spiced sweet, velvet, dark rose petals in the beginning, which smells so delicate, fragilely beautiful.
Soon after that it gets more depth, and a little bit powdery, this reminds me quite a lot of Anna Sui Anna Sui and luxury rose-scented soap, but Rose Nut de Mai doesn’t have the melancholy aspect and smells more welcoming and less depressed than the purple gothic Anna Sui.
Later on it gets woodier. It smells like sweet woods and is really dark in a kind and nice way. It reminds me a lot of Dolce Vita by Dior, but Rose Nuit de Mai is totally not on your face. This baby borrows the nice sweet rich woody happiness Dolce Vita has, and wrapped it in with a lovely silk ribbon called ‘subtle’.
Soon after that it gets more depth, and a little bit powdery, this reminds me quite a lot of Anna Sui Anna Sui and luxury rose-scented soap, but Rose Nut de Mai doesn’t have the melancholy aspect and smells more welcoming and less depressed than the purple gothic Anna Sui.
Later on it gets woodier. It smells like sweet woods and is really dark in a kind and nice way. It reminds me a lot of Dolce Vita by Dior, but Rose Nuit de Mai is totally not on your face. This baby borrows the nice sweet rich woody happiness Dolce Vita has, and wrapped it in with a lovely silk ribbon called ‘subtle’.
- Rose 4 Reines by L'Occitane en Provence
Rose 4 Reines is quite a real-life rose scent, dewy and smell of rose water to begin with. Then it goes pretty linear. A nice rose scent if you are looking for some real-life rose. However, I find there is something in nearly all of the L’Occitane’s scents, which makes me feel uneasy, it is not the typical headache-inducing scent, but it has this weird quality that makes me feel the watery accord isn’t doing me any good. Maybe it’s just me and L’Occitane are not meant for each other.
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