Coming in October, a new quartet of Eaux de Parfum from L'Occitane, inspired by the company's Provencal roots and using ingredients from around the Mediterranean region. The Notre Flore collection includes:
Myrte (shown) takes its cues from the myrtle plant of Corsica, and includes notes of mandarin leaf, bilberry, sea spray, myrtle, rockrose and patchouli.
Iris was inspired by the iris of Tuscany, and includes bergamot, pink pepper, galbanum, violet, papyrus and tonka bean.
Cèdre is a masculine scent inspired by Morocco. The notes include grapefruit, wood sap, cumin, tobacco leaf, cedar and tonka bean.
Neroli is based on Tunisian neroli and orange blossom, with additional notes of litchee, plum, sandalwood and benzoin.
The four scents in the Notre Flore collection are €62 each for 75 ml Eau de Parfum. They are packaged in heavy glass bottles with caps designed to look like compasses. (via cosmeticsint.co.uk, cosmetiquemag.fr, osmoz, marieclaire.fr)
Update: the Notre Flore collection fragrances are $65 each in the United States. The perfumers for the scents are Amandine Marie for Iris, Karine Dubreuil for Myrtle, Alexis Dadier for Cedar, Fabrice Pellegrin for Neroli. Another update: see a review of L'Occitane Notre Flore Neroli.
Some interesting combinations here. Some men's fragrances work well on me, but I'm baffled why so many perfumers are moving toward cumin, which, to me, smells like an armpit left out in the sun all day. Unwashed.
OK, so I'm not a lover of skanky-body odor. The myrtle sounds interesting. I'm not always a friend of aquatic notes, particularly if they are salty (what, exactly, does salt smell like?) But I have come to love the much-scorned litchi, so I'll surely give 'em a sniff.
I like the sound of the Cedre and the Myrte. Interesting, I never realised that Patchouli grew in the Mediterranean region.
I am always a little wary of L'Occitane scents. I fell in love with the description for Eau de Baux. It dried down to a muddy vanilla.
I love the cumin note probably because its so intimate smelling but I can see that it can be scary. The Cedre attracts me the most. I like the look of the bottles (a little L'AP?) but wish they'd sell smaller sizes! I have the L'Occitane Myrrh and Incense one in a 20ml bottle – perfect!
There are a few scents w/ cumin that I really love (Edmond Roudnitska, I think, knew how to use just the right amount) but too much unwashed armpit is just too much, I agree.
Looks like they are going for more of a high-end market with these, although of course that doesn't mean they'll be any better. But they do sound tempting…
And I am wanting the iris! The bottles do look a bit L'AP-ish, don't they? Perhaps not quite so clunky though — I really don't like those bolt-nut caps they recently adopted.
I'm so excited, Notre Flore looks great!!! I'm a big fan of L'Occitane!
You really should go on their new website ttp://usa.loccitane.com
So easy to shop and I received a free cream with my order!!! xxx
The new website really is much nicer & easier to navigate than the old one, isn't it? Looking forward to all these new scents!
Robin, I find the Iris — admittedly, though, I'm not an expert — nicely done, and quite surprisingly “rooty,” with nearly that carrot touch of Hiris. I like the work that Amandine Marie has done, and this is very much on par, I think. I've just tried Prada Iris on one hand and this on the other, and while they're, of course, decidedly different, L'Occitane's Iris holds its own. Here in Canada, I can buy a 10mL spray for $14, which suits me fine! I find the lasting quality is Prada-like, meaning not especially. . .
I am terrible, I still haven't tried them! I will eventually
Hope you do, because I want very much to know what you think. I know you love your irises, and I'm hoping to learn to be more discerning about them. It's a note I'm growing VERY fond of. . .
Oh I have tried the Iris today too. In fact this is the only one I tested (cos this is the only one that interest me). I am not familiar with iris at all and would very much need some expert opinion. Have to admit that the first spritz seemed a bit bland to me, but then I really don't know. I have tried Prada's one too and I guess I probably prefer this cos I find the Prada one a bit smokey…
I did finally try it very briefly on a card in the store. Based on that quick impression, it is sweeter and more violet-y than would be my taste — bearing in mind that I adore the Prada, so our taste is different.
Late reply as I finally tried them. Am repeating my comment from below, but this is sweeter than I like and seems to play up the violet quite a bit. BUT, didn't get a sample or try on skin, so this is based on a quick impression from a test strip, and probably therefore useless
oh i tried it on myself today and I don't like it at all. I am a very bad scent identifier but I find it too watermelony. I don't know if it's because I don't like the scent, or is it really quite lasting and strong, but I was substantially bothered by the scent throughout my entire shopping trip today… another example to show how different a scent might smell on a tester and on oneself…
Ah, if it was melony, perhaps it as an aquatic note as well. I don't think I'm going to end up trying it on skin!
I seriously have no idea HOW this L'occitane Iris could seem melony to someone… it absolutely has no sign of any fruity/acquatic notes… I think it is kind of violety, not very green-green, just a bit rooty, very powdery. VERY long lasting, I seriously wasn't expecting it to last so long. In the drydown it is just a little bit earthy which gives it more depth. I would register it into a Iris-Violet category, but it doesn't make the scent less interesting. As a true iris lover I love to see it (or smell it I should say) in different variations and forms. If my beloved hiris smells like a rooty, rhizomy, carroty, earthy, raw iris, and Iris Nobile smells like an iris polished to perfection, elegant and in full bloom – then L'occitane iris smells like a wild iris flower that grows in the middle of nowhere in some countryside farm from Florence.
Can't argue with you — I still haven't tried it on skin, and since they won't give me a sample I probably never will. I heard these did not do well, though.