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New Fragrance: L'Occitane Calanques/Mediterranean Inlets

post #1 of 17
6/21/10 at 11:04am
Thread Starter 
Does not sound promising to me........

From nstperfume.com:

LOccitane has launched Calanques/Mediterranean Inlets, a new limited edition collection of unisex products inspired by the calanques (or inlets) in the south of France. The range includes an Eau de Toilette:

A fresh, sunny, aquatic fragrance, for men and women alike, which carries you into the natural world of the Calanques. The perfect summertime pleasure!

The notes feature lemon, mandarin, mastic, samphire, aquatic accord, wild jasmine, benzoin, pine, white woods and cypress.

LOccitane Calanques/Mediterranean Inlets is available in 50 ml Eau de Toilette.

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post #2 of 17
6/21/10 at 2:01pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by petruccijc View Post

Does not sound promising to me........

From nstperfume.com:

L’Occitane has launched Calanques/Mediterranean Inlets, a new limited edition collection of unisex products inspired by the calanques (or inlets) in the south of France. The range includes an Eau de Toilette:

A fresh, sunny, aquatic fragrance, for men and women alike, which carries you into the natural world of the Calanques. The perfect summertime pleasure!
The notes feature lemon, mandarin, mastic, samphire, aquatic accord, wild jasmine, benzoin, pine, white woods and cypress.

Well, some of the notes are enough to get my attention. In particular, props to them for putting mastic in -- that is a rarely-scent resinous note. Maybe, just maybe, the "aquatic accord" won't be obnoxious.
PS -- I checked on samphire, AKA "sea fennel" and it is a herb which grows near the ocean in the Mediterranean. It is said to have a powerful scent. Herbal notes and resinous/coniferous notes... could be good.
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post #3 of 17
8/6/10 at 8:32pm
Smelled it today. Didn't like it.
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post #4 of 17
8/6/10 at 8:40pm
That was terse, mike. Que pasa? Too "fresh"? Too synthetic. We needs more.
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post #5 of 17
8/6/10 at 8:47pm
Sorry, I'm tired Ody...ok, let me give this a shot.

Well, it had a sort of green and fresh opening, but it felt clobbered by a BIG FRESH Febreze-brand-fabric-spray sort of synthetic note that ran through clearly on my skin. I kept thinking...I have smelled hotel room comforters that smell like this, or something of this sort. The drydown was very light (had to press my nose to my skin). Maybe it was the humidity this afternoon, but then again the L' Occitane Vetyver I also sampled wore very well.

One nice thing about it: the juice is a gorgeous light blue color, sort of like the clear blue water of the ocean (aquamarine?). That's about all I can say.
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post #6 of 17
8/6/10 at 8:50pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by mikeperez23 View Post

Sorry, I'm tired Ody...ok, let me give this a shot.

Well, it had a sort of green and fresh opening, but it felt clobbered by a BIG FRESH Febreze-brand-fabric-spray sort of synthetic note that ran through clearly on my skin. I kept thinking...I have smelled hotel room comforters that smell like this, or something of this sort. The drydown was very light (had to press my nose to my skin). Maybe it was the humidity this afternoon, but then again the L' Occitane Vetyver I also sampled wore very well.

One nice thing about it: the juice is a gorgeous light blue color, sort of like the clear blue water of the ocean (aquamarine?). That's about all I can say.

Sounds office friendly!
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post #7 of 17
8/6/10 at 8:56pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by petruccijc View Post

Sounds office friendly!

LOL.

Actually because of the packaging and juice color I am sure L'O is marketing this as a 'resort' or 'cruise' sort of scent. You know fragrance for tourists who don't really like fragrances but perhaps want a 'taste' of the Mediterranean to accompany them on their Carnival Cruise vacation to the Bahamas - that says 'fresh', etc. etc.
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post #8 of 17
8/7/10 at 6:57am
Quote:
Originally Posted by mikeperez23 View Post

... Actually because of the packaging and juice color I am sure L'O is marketing this as a 'resort' or 'cruise' sort of scent. You know fragrance for tourists who don't really like fragrances but perhaps want a 'taste' of the Mediterranean to accompany them on their Carnival Cruise vacation to the Bahamas - that says 'fresh', etc. etc.

bleh!
I hadda feeling the freshies would do this one in. Thanks for the update, mike.
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post #9 of 17
8/7/10 at 7:25am
I received a sample of this, which was a one use only dab on in a packet (they do not send vials), that came with a recent purchase of the limited edition Summer Secret Verbena and Verdon that they sell. Verdon is a very good mint fragrance, but is too similar to other's that I've got with mint in eg. Menthe Fraiche Heeley, Royal Water Creed, Jacques Fath Green Water etc, so I've put that for sale on here as I was hoping for a different take on mint and citrus. The Summer Secret Verbena is excellent and long lasting for the price as well, as for Calanques YUK. This smelt awful on me and it had no staying power, but that was a good thing as I didn't have to wash it off lol. It was certainly not as aquatic or fresh as Verdon is... Can't win them all.
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post #10 of 17
8/7/10 at 7:24pm
I've been to the calanques in France. If any fragrance is going to smell like that part of the world, it better have lavender as a prominent note, as well as some notes that give it a breezy, salty feel. The list of notes for this scent don't sound promising at all.
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post #11 of 17
8/7/10 at 7:34pm
Sounds like the people at L'Occitanne loved Salvador Dali's scent (the one not in the directory: Sea & Sun in Cadaques)
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post #12 of 17
8/11/10 at 4:57pm
Was so disappointed by the fragrance of the new Calanques range by L'Occitane. Loved the idea of it, the packaging, the sea air theme, the fresh pale blue! couldn't wait to get to the store today to try it out!

but the reality is a sickly salty afternote that lingers (and is almost sulphurous!) couldn't wait to get back home to rinse it off. Shame, love the idea of a sea air range, but Calanques shares the same sickly saltiness as the new La Compagnie de Provence range called Mediterranee (again based on the same themes as Calanques).

LOVE the Verdon range by L'Occitane, very fresh and aquatic without the saltiness, and love the smell of La Source by Crabtree & Evelyn (but find some of the C&E range a little too synthetic, have to hand it to L'Occitane for making everything smell natural).

Can anyone recommend any more aquatic/ocean inspired ranges? that smell natural and fresh? I remember Hollister used to do a mens fragrance (YEARS ago) called Drift that Verdon reminds me off (but Verdon is slightly more minty and natural-smelling). Any suggestions to investigate would be great!
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post #13 of 17
8/11/10 at 5:31pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by petruccijc View Post

Does not sound promising to me........

From nstperfume.com:

L’Occitane has launched Calanques/Mediterranean Inlets, a new limited edition collection of unisex products inspired by the calanques (or inlets) in the south of France. The range includes an Eau de Toilette:

A fresh, sunny, aquatic fragrance, for men and women alike, which carries you into the natural world of the Calanques. The perfect summertime pleasure!

The notes feature lemon, mandarin, mastic, samphire, aquatic accord, wild jasmine, benzoin, pine, white woods and cypress.

L’Occitane Calanques/Mediterranean Inlets is available in 50 ml Eau de Toilette.


Packaging certainly doesn't look promising, but the notes of Mastic, Benzoin, and Pine in a unisex aquatic have me scratching my head in a most anticipatory way. My gut says it will smell like a paranoid rush job "we need an aquatic", with little care paid to keeping the qualitative aspect within their brand's identity. But we will see. Could be very good, although their issey-summer/gio/mint-oil muckup wasn't (verdon).
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post #14 of 17
8/11/10 at 5:33pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by oboyo View Post

a sickly salty afternote that lingers (and is almost sulphurous!)!

This makes me think there is actual mastic in it.
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post #15 of 17
8/11/10 at 5:36pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by mikeperez23 View Post

Well, it had a sort of green and fresh opening, but it felt clobbered by a BIG FRESH Febreze-brand-fabric-spray sort of synthetic note that ran through clearly on my skin. I kept thinking...I have smelled hotel room comforters that smell like this, or something of this sort.

Would you compare this BIG FRESH Febreeze synthetic to either Trumper's Skye or Cartier's Eau De Cartier Concentree ? Perhaps even Dunhill Fresh ?
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post #16 of 17
8/11/10 at 8:58pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by DULLAH View Post

Would you compare this BIG FRESH Febreeze synthetic to either Trumper's Skye or Cartier's Eau De Cartier Concentree ? Perhaps even Dunhill Fresh ?

Sorry but I am unfamiliar with those three scents.
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post #17 of 17
8/11/10 at 11:40pm
a few notes seem to have caught my eyes, but the general breakdown looks slightly generic. Looking forward to smelling it, but not expecting much
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