Eau d'Iparie (2002)
by L'Occitane

NOTES: Notes: Red pepper, Rose, Patchouli, Ciste Labdanum, Myrrh, Incense, Vanilla, Moss.

I don’t care for the opening – it’s too sweet and aimlessly abstract for me. Its lack of substance is my fault because I am anosmatic to red pepper, and the red pepper is probably cutting through and balancing the opening accord, but I’m missing it entirely. Within five minutes, though, I feel neutral about the fragrance: Enough of the sweet has gone away but what is left – a subdued rose, a non-descriptly mild patchouli, and some miscellaneous mild spice – is not yet exciting.

Then, somewhere between the beginning of the dull middle and the return of my attention to the fragrance, the resinous notes of the base begin to form and Eau d’Iparie has become much more interesting. The labdanum, myrrh, and incense are the true message of this fragrance, and the message is spoken sotto voce. I have always loved the resinousness of labdamun, incense, and myrrh and I own several fragrances where these earthy notes contribute their much of their full power. Even though Eau d'Iparie is very sheer, I truly enjoy the drydown. It is mildly resinous... discreet. It whispers deep tones, a slight moss, and a balanced sweetness. Eau d’Iparis has turned into a softly resinous skin scent that I very much enjoy.

The notes supposedly are: "Red pepper, Rose, Patchouli, Ciste Labdanum, Myrrh, Incense, Vanilla, Moss." I get mostly a fruity/ambery incense, perhaps due to a combination of certain notes coming across as "fruity." I don't like it all that much at first because it's a bit too strong and has a "synthetic/metallic" quality too, but once it dries down it's quite good, if this is what you're looking for. The ambery quality is dry (and perhaps some would say "resinous"), which makes it different from the other amber-dominant fragrances I have. Don't expect to smell strong rose, pepper, or vanilla. The moss and patchouli, along with the other basenotes, are nicely blended so that there is no predominant one. Also, this is not "squat" or heavy, once you get to the drydown. I'd certainly call this "unisex," and I have a feeling that skin chemistry may play a big role with this fragrance, so I definitely suggest sampling first. Still, it's not very expensive and I could certainly understand this being called "niche-like." Longevity and sillage are at least good. I much prefer this to fragrances like Balmain's Ambre Gris, for example, probably because this isn't very sweet and is nicely balanced. Those who like fragrances such as A*Men, Rochas Man, Terre d'Hermes, or Kouros might find this too sedate or "boring" in the drydown.

Fragrance Notes: Red pepper, rose, patchouli, labdanum, myrrh, incense, vanilla, moss

A lot of the Occitane fragrances are too sweet or too one-note for me, but not this one. After an opening of fresh-cut roses, the patchouli, labdanum, and incense predominate, but the rose never really disappears, and with the vanilla, keeps this from conjuring dusty cathedrals. I don't get much pepper from this, just rose balanced and anchored by the incense. The overall effect is warm, cozy, and more than a little sexy. A very affordable scent given its complexity, too. Love it.