Father’s Day Gift Idea--L’Occitane Mer & Mistral Collection Review

**Disclaimer:  This post has been compensated through a free product (s) or monetary payment.  Opinions are solely mine. All links are "no-follow" links.**

L’Occitane Mer & Mistral Collection ($75)

Buying the men in your life a gift can be difficult.  However, L’Occitane en Provence has some tempting fragrance and skin care product gift sets that might easily solve the problem of what to buy this Father’s Day. A good choice might be the Mer & Mistral Collection from their La Collection de Grasse by perfumer, Karine Dubreuil.  

L’Occitane Mer & Mistral Collection trio of products

This is the time of year that everyone appreciates a lighter fragrance that won’t be cloying through the heat like this aquatic, unisex fragrance.   Think of inhaling ocean breezes mingling with pine, cypress and rosemary to enliven it and then freshened even further with brisk lemon and mandarin. This has the alluring air of the sea balanced against land, grounding it with an earthy, sexy appeal that completes itself in beautiful harmony from its fresh opening, stimulating heart to this scent’s soft, but evocative base due to its white amber, cedar and musk.

My guy thought it was more masculine of a fragrance than Cedrat and I agree.  In fact, he is quite fond of this fragrance ever since it arrived for this review and is wearing it now.

This Mer & Mistral Collection ($75) gift set has an Eau de Toilette (75ml), Shower Gel (175ml) and matching Body Lotion (175ml).  There are other great gift options L’Occitane has right now as well that start less than $25 from a Body Set Trio ($24) with three scents of soaps to lush shaving sets to other fragrances that would please.  Check this fragrance gift set out and other fine possibilities at L’Occitane online or their boutiques!

Review: L’Occitane en Provence’s NEW Roses et Reines Fragrance Line Is a Joy to Behold!

**Disclaimer:  This post has been compensated through a free product (s) or monetary payment.  Opinions are solely mine. All links are "no-follow" links.**

Roses et Reines fragrance products

One of the sexiest new floral scents of summer happens to come from L’Occitane en Provence’s tribute to roses this year with Roses et Reines. The new take on their traditional line is a beautiful rendition by perfumer, Karine Dubreuil with a fresher rose fragrance that is moderately sweet and yet bright and velvety, making it chic and lavishly feminine.

Roses et Reines Eau de Toilette ($50) opens with attention-getting notes of sparkling bergamot and currant leaves. Soon rose surfaces through those initial luminous notes from pairings of Turkish, Bulgarian, Moroccan, and Grasse roses, adding a dewy floral sweetness that is delicate and unmistakably romantic in the heart. 

When paired with the notes of raspberry and blackberry that essence of rose becomes velvety and permeates through the layers, giving the fragrance even more of a warm appeal that is captivating and lusciously ripe from those berry juices dripping over the roses.

As the fragrance dries down, the notes in the base invite seduction with white cedar, heliotrope and musk. Wearing it will make you feel lavishly feminine and irresistible!

The collection includes Roses et Reines Roll-On Eau de Toilette Intense ($22) and the solid perfume ($12), which I highly recommend to take with you in your handbag because you will never want to be without these long-lasting forms of this enticing scent.   

Roses et Reines Solid Perfume

Roses et Reines Roll-on Eau de Toilette

Beautifying Body Milk ($25) helps prolong that bewitching rose scent while drenching your skin in pampering moisture.  I loved how silky it left my skin just like a rose petal itself.

The Roses et Reines Hand & Nail Cream ($12) that I also got to try was soothing and a delightful way to nourish dry skin and nails.  This was the 30ml size that is also perfect for packing in your handbag or suitcase when traveling.

Other products in the Roses et Reines line includes a bath & shower gel ($20), perfumed bath soap ($8), gentle bath salt ($24), fresh body & face mist ($14), pearlescent body gel ($25), pearlescent shampoo and conditioner ($20 each), and shower scrub ($20).

Anyone that appreciates that intoxicating beauty of rose should check out L’Occitane en Provence’s Roses et Reines.  It launched today, July 30, 2014 so take note.  Trust me, regardless of the form you choose wearing this scent will make you feel as lovely and precious as that flower itself!

*Disclaimer: Free products were provided to facilitate this review--not my opinion.*

L’Occitane en Provence’s Cerisier Rouge Eau Intense Is a New Fragrance on My Fragrance Hit Parade! (Review)

**Disclaimer:  This post has been compensated through a free product (s) or monetary payment.  Opinions are solely mine. All links are "no-follow" links.**

L'Occitane en Provence's Cerisier Rouge Eau Intense

Currently topping the charts on the Nuts 4 Stuff new fragrance hit parade is from L’Occitane en Provence with Cerisier Rouge Eau Intense, an enchanting ode to cherries everywhere. This fruity-floral created by talented perfumer, Karine Dubreuil, is so sparkling fresh in a delightful sweet combo of fruits and flowers that it takes the cherry scent in a new direction with just the precise balance of fresh to sweet. 

This fragrance sparkles as it opens with top notes of lemon, orange, and ripe blackcurrant dripping those ripe, sweet juices over the citrus.  The result is a bright and uplifting fruity sweetness, which is an ideal prelude to what follows in the heart.

With notes of raspberry, red cherry and wild lilies of the valley, Cerisier Rouge Eau Intense exudes femininity.  This enchanting heart is where you can lose yourself to romance. You want to abandon yourself to this feeling and run swiftly toward it.  Instead, this fragrance treads softly with ladylike grace and elegance that elevates it among other cherry scents.

As this fragrance dries down in the base, I love how Cerisier Rouge Eau Intense can almost seduce on the spot.  Slowly, it entices with notes of heliotrope, white musk, and olive tree that lend to its carefully orchestrated, sexy appeal.

If you love cherry fragrances, but are bored with ones that are too sweet, too tart, or too floral, then take it from this perfumista, Mary B., Cerisier Rouge Eau Intense is what you should be looking into.  I consider it a clean, red juicy cherry fragrance of sheer magic that I wish was sold in a larger bottle instead of the 1.7 fl.oz. ($50).  Hint, hint, L’Occitane en Provence!
  

Review: L'Occitane en Provence's NEW Cèdre & Oranger Eau de Toilette for Men From La Collection de Grasse Has Refreshingly Unique Appeal!

**Disclaimer:  This post has been compensated through a free product (s) or monetary payment.  Opinions are solely mine. All links are "no-follow" links.**

L'Occitane's Cèdre & Oranger Eau de Toilette

Men take note!  L'Occitane en Provence has added an exciting eau de toilette to their La Collection de Grasse that deserves your attention.  Cèdre & Oranger that recently launched late 2013 is what I consider a wonderful citrus aromatic fragrance for those that are adventurous at heart by perfumer, Karine Dubreuil.

The fragrance has a freshness to it with an underlying woodiness from top notes of orange, bergamot and pine needles.  At the same time, there is an aquatic effect coming through due to a lifting of the crisp citrus carrying the pine with it in the breeze, only that pine has traveled far from the forest to the sea.  

As Cèdre & Oranger develops in the heart with notes of spicy cardamom, red berries and Virginian cedar, the fragrance does an exceptional job of stimulating the senses with a mint type of coolness to it that is manly and full of energy.  This is intriguing, but a confident mix, almost daring you to try to ignore it would be a waste of time.   

In the base, Cèdre & Oranger takes on a new depth that is so sexy.  Like a brooding hero, the fragrance begins to taunt, smoldering with sensuality from notes of warming vetiver and musk.  

My guy was hooked immediately on this scent.  He described it as something different with that coolly refreshing twist to the woods and citrus, definitely classy. 

Though I am not a man, I loved my guy wearing Cèdre & Oranger because it was expertly crafted for today's modern man with how vibrant, but refreshing it was with a sensual undercurrent that was very appealing.  

The 2.5 oz. bottle of Cèdre & Oranger Eau de Toilette retails for $75.  The fragrance is also available in After Shave Balm, Soap, and Shower Gel.  Do visit L'Occitane en Provence and check it out.

Meet Your New Sultry Winter Scent--L'Occitane en Provence's Ambre & Santal Eau de Toilette (Review)

**Disclaimer:  This post has been compensated through a free product (s) or monetary payment.  Opinions are solely mine. All links are "no-follow" links.**

Ambre & Santal Eau de Toilette

L'Occitane en Provence welcomed another beautiful addition to their La Collection de Grasse in 2013.  Ambre & Santal Eau de Toilette is a surprisingly soft woody oriental fragrance with a haunting warmth and sophistication from perfumer, Karine Dubreuil, that will brighten any cold day.  

This is a fresh take on spice that you will want to wear forever from the gentle way this lovely amber fragrance develops.  

With opening notes of bergamot and rosemary, you can't help but become fascinated from the beginning.  

The fig leaves and rose notes in the heart give it a delicious, almost gourmand quality lending some sweetness to that warmth that is luscious as well as intriguing.  

As it dries down with sandalwood, cedar, labdanum, and vanilla, the woody base turns creamier and so sensual as it melds with your body chemistry, making it even more enticing as it effortlessly seduces with elegance.

I loved the complex layering that went into this fragrance.  The traditional spicy notes are tempered against the other notes in such a way the fragrance takes on a unique sheerness that is exceptionally alluring.

If you tend to gravitate toward to a spicy fragrance and want something totally unforgettable, then you owe it to yourself to stop at  L'Occitane en Provence and sample Ambre & Santal.  The 2.5 oz. eau de toilette retails for $75.   

Meet L'Occitane en Provence's NEW Fleur d'Or & Acacia Eau de Toilette--A Beautiful Way to Chase Away Those Winter Blues! (Review)

**Disclaimer:  This post has been compensated through a free product (s) or monetary payment.  Opinions are solely mine. All links are "no-follow" links.**

Fleur D'Or & Acacia

Despite the harsh realities of a winter landscape, there is delicate floral beauty blooming to counteract that bleakness thanks to L'Occitane en Provence founder, Olivier Baussan and perfumer, Karine Dubreuil.  Due to the expansion of the La Collection de Grasse of perfumes, which draws inspiration from the historic essences of the region that made Grasse famous for perfumery, there is reason to celebrate because Fleur d'Or & Acacia is here!

The fragrance is like an unexpected bit of bright summer as it opens with juicy notes of lemon and bergamot.  You can almost feel the sun on your face again as that aroma of citrus ripens somewhere in the distance.  The effect is light and refreshing.  

Once the floral notes of mimosa and acacia emerge in the heart, Fleur d'Or & Acacia becomes a powdery yellow floral with a tempting honey-like sweetness.  Suddenly you find yourself in a field surrounded by wild flowers and trees with low-hanging fruit that you have an innocent urge to pick.   How you arrived there is curious, but you find it the most beautiful, romantic place imaginable with almost a golden glow to it just like this fragrance.

The way the base of white woods and musk temper that lush golden floral sweetness is haunting and softly seductive. 

Fleur d'Or & Acacia is very feminine as well as a graceful, golden floral fragrance that I found quite enchanting.  There is a delicate airy quality to this floral that is precious and unique just as much as the others in the La Collection de Grasse perfumes that I have shared with you with Jasmine & Bergamote, Magnolia & Mure, Vanille & Narcisse, and The Vert & Bigarade.

Take it from Mary, picking up a bottle of L'Occitane en Provence's Fleur D'Or & Acacia  is the perfect way to feel the sun's golden rays again.  The 2.5 oz. eau de toilette retails for $75. 

A Delicate Scent to Embrace Seduction! L'Occitane en Provence La Collection de Grasse: Vanille & Narcisse Eau de Toilette Review

Disclaimer:  This post is based on a free product provided by a company as a press sample so that I may offer my own  opinion, which may be the same or differ from yours.

L'Occitane en Provence La Collection de Grasse:   Vanille & Narcisse Eau de Toilette 

To finish my last installment of La Collection de Grasse reviews, I bring you Vanille & Narcisse, the fourth stunning fragrance from L'Occitane en Provence's founder, Olivier Baussan and talented perfumer, Karine Dubreuil.  This collection drawing inspiration from the historic essences that made Grasse celebrated for its perfumery also includes Magnolia & Mure, Jasmine & Bergamote and The Vert & Bigarade, which are uniquely enticing in their own right.  With Vanille & Narcisse that breathtaking beauty continues in this well thought out vanilla oriental.

The opening is beaming with joy as those ripe notes of bergamot and blackcurrant meet the narcissus.  Soon, however, the white floral steals the show as it blooms with sweetness along with the gardenia.  The effect created in the process as the narcisse and gardenia shower those fruity notes result in an elegant softness that is undeniably romantic.  

The more this scent warms with spicy accords in the heart, the more the narcisse taunts your senses with a flirty sort of untested sensuality.  Though innocent, there is something carnal hovering beneath the surface, waiting for the right moment to fully seduce.

The Tonka bean that is making the scent so delicious and yet sweetly intoxicating continues to bewitch until the vanilla turns this spicy-floral mix into what you might want to compare to a fragrance aphrodisiac with the way the notes lovingly embrace the wearer with its opulent, powdery cover.

This is far from your typical vanilla fragrance.  I am captivated by Vanille & Narcisse just as I am by the other three in the La Collection de Grasse, loving them in different ways for the feelings they release in me.  In my opinion, this is a well-structured marriage of notes that give Vanille & Narcisse such an innocent seductive quality that adds an airy element to the vanilla.  What you have here is so inviting and yet a modern take on vanilla, I think is something you should explore if you are a vanilla fan.

Do experience this sensation for yourself and see how quickly it takes over senses.  The 2.5 oz. Vanille & Narcisse Eau de Toilette retails for $75.  Find it at L'Occitane en Provence.

Freshness Never Smelled So Good! L'Occitane en Provence's La Collection de Grasse: The Vert & Bigarade Eau de Toilette Review

Disclaimer:  This post is based on a free product provided by a company as a press sample so that I may offer my own  opinion, which may be the same or differ from yours.

 L'Occitane en Provence's The Vert & Bigarade Eau de Toilette 

When L'Occitane en Provence's founder, Olivier Baussan and perfumer, Karine Dubreuil visualized the La Collection de Grasse, they were intent on capturing the historic essences of Provence through each of four fragrances. The Vert & Bigarade, the third scent that I am bringing to you, is another stunning achievement since they managed to bottle the fresh green landscape of Southern France as it softly blows in against the warm ocean breeze in this beautiful unisex eau de toilette.

You immediately pick up the orange and bitter orange top notes against the lush green to greet you.  Due to careful weighing of citrus to green, this is a warm welcome with gentler freshness.  If you close your eyes and inhale, you can smell the orange floating in the air lazily drifting among the greens to give The Vert & Bigarade its  transparency as well.

Once the citrus unites with the green tea and the herbal influence of yerba mate in the heart, the fragrance cools slightly and evolves.  The eucalyptus like smell of that herb gives that aromatic green scent a distinct smoothness to those notes of green tea for a comforting presence that you gravitate toward. 

The base is rooted to the earth with woods and herbs that help keep this light fragrance grounded.  The notes of cedar, thyme, and musk lend a calming strength and seductive quality to this fragrance that is undeniably irresistible.

This is a gorgeous green tea fragrance I am crazy about that is ideal for warm weather.  I almost forgot to mention this is another L'Occitane en Provence's La Collection de Grasse scent that has incredible longevity.  

Regardless of sex, I think this fragrance would work for anyone with happy results.  Think of it as a mini-vacation to the South of France because it smells like you have just  returned only bringing that trip's pleasant aroma back with you.  The Vert & Bigarade Eau de Toilette retails for $75.  Do pick a bottle up for a warm escape!

To get a better feel about the first two fragrances in La Collection de Grasse, read my reviews of Jasmine & Bergamote and Magnolia & Mure.  Look for my take on the final fragrance in this line with the Vanille & Narcisse in an upcoming review.


Disclaimer:  A free product was provided to facilitate this review only--not my opinion.*

One Whiff and You Will Fall Under Its Hynotic Spell---L'Occitane en Provence's Magnolia & Mure Eau de Toilette Review

**Disclaimer:  This post has been compensated through a free product (s) or monetary payment.  Opinions are solely mine. All links are "no-follow" links.**

L'Occitane en Provence's Magnolia & Mure Eau de Toilette Add caption

Let me introduce you to the second in the quartet of L'Occitane en Provence's  La Grasse Collection celebrating those historic essences  that made Grasse famous for perfumery with their Magnolia & Mure Eau de Toilette.  

Whereas Jasmine & Bergmot that began this series was more fresh floral with the power to whisk you to paradise, this is another stunning fruity-floral fragrance from founder, Olivier Baussan and the perfumer, Karine Dubreuil, that is just as compelling but takes a different direction that I kept wanting to revisit.

Magnolia & Mure starts with a lively jolt of juicy blackberries dripping their tart sweetness over the mix that wakens your senses immediately.  Once that fruitiness flows along to wash over the floral notes of magnolia, patchouli, and rose, there is a beautiful swaying of those equal parts fruit and floral on those romantic waves that are drifting upward as the scent warms.  The heart is romantic, inviting, and yet mysterious as it wraps you in its alluring spell.  Ever so slowly, the woody notes become seductive with an elegant finesse that haunts and becomes impossible to forget.

This is the sort of irresistible fragrance where you feel admiring eyes on you when you walk by wearing it.   Magnolia & Mure radiates glamour, confidence, sophistication, sensuality, and it is a beautiful way to feel and express yourself.

Perfumistas, who are attracted to magnolia scents owe it to themselves to experience this one because it is a glorious celebration of notes!  Hardly an overly sweet magnolia fragrance, this is a fresher, sheer take further enhanced with woods for depth to set it beautifully apart. 

The 2.5 oz. Magnolia & Mure Eau de Toilette retails for $75.  Also, available is a matching  6-oz. body milk and shower gel for $20 each, and a perfumed soap for $8.

The last two in the La Grasse Collection include Vanille & Narcisse and (a unisex) The Vert & Bigarade, which I will be bringing to you in two follow up reviews at a later date.  If you haven't looked into the line yet, I advise you to visit L'Occitane and experience the magic!

L'Occitane's Newest Achievement: Jasmin & Bergamote Eau de Toilette Spray From Recently Launched La Collection de Grasse (Review)

**Disclaimer:  This post has been compensated through a free product (s) or monetary payment.  Opinions are solely mine. All links are "no-follow" links.**

L'Occitane's Jasmin & Bergamote Eau de Toilette Spray

When I learned what L'Occitane en Provence envisioned with the Grasse Collection, I eagerly anticipated what those new divine creations would smell like once founder, Olivier Baussan and perfumer, Karine Dubreuil brought historic essences that distinguished Grasse for perfumery and paired them for this recently launched line of April 2013. 

Simply put, this collection is a celebration of the ceaseless beauty from nature, landscapes, and the exciting atmosphere of Southern France brought to you in the purest form.  

Take Jasmin & Bergamote, the first of the four fragrances that I will be sharing with you in future reviews, that is truly magnificent for complimenting two notes in such a balanced way that the white floral against the fresher bergamot, gracefully float like a soft breeze against a blooming field.  

This romantic fragrance is so delicate and yet refined with how the almost transparent notes of rare petals and green leaves mesh against the uplifting, but an equally sheer layer of bergamot in perfect harmony between freshness and sensuality.  

Wearing this fruity-floral fragrance can be compared to living a beautiful dream that leaves you wondering if that bliss you are experiencing is real or a product of your subconscious because of how the scent lingers to haunt you with its innocent simplicity.

The longevity of this eau de toilette will surprise you as well.  I was thrilled at how many hours this fragrance lasted without fading.
 
If you are drawn to floral fragrances with jasmine, I urge you to try Jasmin & Bergamote products from this collection.  However, I do need to point out if you are expecting the scent to be overly sweet and overflowing with jasmine, you will not find it.  Instead, this scent sways like the perfect partner matching your every move to a slow romantic dance with how exquisitely the notes unfold and glide.

The 2.5 oz. Jasmin & Bergamote Eau de Toilette retails for $75.  Also, available is a matching  6-oz. body milk and shower gel for $20 each, and a perfumed soap for $8.

I honestly fell in love with this scent and can't wait to test the other remaining scents in this Grasse collection because they are something truly to behold and bask in.  

Do visit L'Occitane and pick this fragrance up.  Trust me on this, you too will helplessly slip into the same lovely dream with certainty because this is the magical component that is a part of this fragrance.