Reviews of 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.

I have grown to absolutely love this fragrance. Since I bought it I have put it on when I am not going anywhere, just to enjoy it.

I've always enjoyed spicy, peppery openings, which is why one of my very early loves was Cacharel Pour Homme. This shares that blast of peppery fanfare and grabs the attention. And then like a dying fall in a musical phrase, the sweetness of the anise and cinnamon carress and sooth the savage breast.

But the headline grabber which is there throughout is the lavender, which is exquisite and it lasts and lasts and lasts all the way to the dry down. It is sweet and earthy at the same time - and highly addictive to sniff. Put some on your wrist or on the back of the hand (as I do) and you'll find yourself with your hand to your nose time and time again as you catch a whiff of this lovely fragrance.

Sillage and longevity are good to. It's not a sillage monster by any means but it does project and people do notice. It probably lasts four to five hours on me - but who cares, I get to reapply it and enjoy it all over again.

It is reasonably priced too - and much better than many fragrances twice the price. Highly recommended.

L’Occitan stays pretty much the same scent from the opening of bergamot dominated by pepper – quite a strong dose of pepper. I can barely perceive the lavender in the opening. Soon the nutmeg, cinnamon, and anise come on strong – some of them come on strong, that is. I guess about the only individual notes that I can identify are the pepper and cinnamon along with the lavender background. It’s not a bad accord, but I am not impressed with the opening. I guess I just don’t identify with the very strong pepper note – it’s definitely not my thing. L’Occitan holds a rather strong spice and herbal presence and is excellently wearable. It is a bit dark, but interestingly so – nothing depressing. I get some cedar and the burned effect from the base, but it doesn’t come through very strongly over the middle spice accord. I get no sweetness or musk in the base, but the base is enjoyable. L’Occitan doesn’t seem to develop much, nor does it have enough longevity on my skin. It is a very good fragrance though, and I probably would buy it if I could get better longevity out of it.

Top – black pepper, bergamot, lavender
Mid – nutmeg, cinnamon, anise
Base – tonka bean, cedar, “burnt wood”, musk
(expanded list from L’Occitan)
L’Occitan is a deep, dark, fall head-over-heels in love with lavender scent! This is very romantic style of lavender: mysterious, slightly brooding, sensual. The floral combines very well with peppery and spicy notes, and lovely cedar wood tones. The tonka bean and musk are dry, restrained, an effective background. The dry-down is excellent. The cedar develops very well, and there is great longevity. This is a natural scent, deeply satisfying and very classy. It is well-designed; the elements work well together and compliment each other. Shower gel and aftershave balm in this fragrance are excellent. Even if you don’t usually like lavender, try this! It has something extra, and it is superb value.

PERFUMERY NOTES

Top Note: Lavender, Black pepper
Middle Note: Nutmeg, Cinnamon
Base Note: Tonka Bean, Musk

I love this scent. It's airy and fresh with a hint of spice. Longevity could be better though, but it just means you get to reapply.

This scent was really hard to find in the Nordics (Europe) so I had to travel from Sweden to Norway to get it...but it was really worth it.

The scent lasts quite long and is really great!
I recommend it!

Wow!
What a great lavender woody scent this one is!
You can think of it as Burberry Touch light, to give you an idea.
But Eau de l'Occitan is less musky, and features lavender instead of violet. It's also spicier, with a nice pepper touch.
Stays close to the wearer, but smells so good, if you like lavender, of course!
Smells very natural too.