L'OCCITAN
by L'Occitane

Has anyone else noticed that this picture is wrong (unless it's known by another name in a different box)? My friend has this, and the box is purple and says L'OCCITAN, not EAV DES BAVX.
I'm also curious if anyone can concur that this is a Fahrenheit rip off. Smells very similar to me, that is, good.

This one is definitely subtle and usually flys underneath everyone's radar until it finally hits you: this smells great. The opening is a marriage of black pepper and lavender. The lavender is not like Caron's Un Homme at all. Here, it's quiet, muted and distinctive. This alone is worth the price of admission. Black pepper is a prompt and courteous dance partner to the lavender. It does not step on any toes like Black Pepper usually does. The cinnamon and nutmeg tap the black pepper on the shoulder and take their turn on the dancefloor. Here I get a roasted-almond aroma not unlike the kind you see/smell at the local Ren Faire. Memories of Azzaro Visit also come to mind with its distinctive nutmeg note. I find that the lavendar and the cinnamon/nutmeg stick around forever. After it seems like ages, the last dance is saved for the Cedar and Tonka. Both come on very quietly and if you blink you will miss them. Longevity is good but sillage is below average. Your dance partner will be the only one to notice you on the dancefloor. But what she smells will keep her spellbound all night. Let this be the best $40 you ever spent.

I tend to like L'Occitane fragrances for their "naturalness" and the almost rustic charm of their products. So no suprise that I took to L'Occitan right away. But initially I was concerned that it is a bit one-dimensional after the initial burst of herbs and spices. That one dimension to me is cedar which I get very strongly on the dry-down and for hours after. But it is a gorgeous cedar and I don't tire of it - so it is presumably not nearly as simple as it appears. It is very "manly" in an old fashioned, back-of-my-father's-wardrobe kind of way. Which is good because it has reasonable sillage and I feel I don't have to worry about causing offense.

I find the opening not impressive maybe because of the pepper scent which makes it strong. The dry down was great. I could still smell the lavender notes all throughout and I could still sniff it on my wrist for six hours. The tonka and musk combination gives it a dark personality. This is the type of scent I could wear in my melancholic times. It is not loud but very intimate.

This is a really good one. The black pepper is awesome in the opening. Then I get lavender, nutmeg and musk. Almost a touch of something like cherries/almonds. I think I smell Virginia cedar.

What I like about it is that it's got a sort of washed out watercolor feel to it. To me, this has an overall similarity to Burberry Touch for Men, but I prefer this one-- it's somewhat more rustic and natural. Also, at times I get some common notes with Creed's Himalaya. The total effect of this one is having both sharp and smooth textures. Also it's versatile and easy to wear.

If you like peppery scents, try this.

A quieter family member compared to Eau des Baux, who prefers more casual clothes, but definitely wants his shirt tails tucked in. He's more sophisticated than Eau de Badian and definitely less astringent by keeping the citrus notes in check. When I first tried it, I wasn't too pleased because I was expecting a pronounced lavender note, but I've come to appreciate its spicy, bark-like, incense notes which seem to keep from smouldering or smelling like dry wood shavings thanks to its patchouli cedar musk and tonka notes. Wear this if you want a sophisticated scent but prefer to keep it on the casual side.