L’Occitane brings you a scent-sational Christmas with Fleur d’Or & Acacia and Cedre & Oranger

Earlier this year, L’Occitane introduced their La Collection de Grasse, a collection of 4 fragrances in the brand. I haven’t checked them out yet although a couple of the spicier, woody scents sound like something I might like. For their limited edition Christmas collection however, L’Occitane has introduced 2 new (and limited edition) scents and a range of bath body products to complement the collection.

The 2 new scents are Fleur D’or & Acacia for women and Cedre & Oranger for men. They are packaged in the same way to complement the La Collection de Grasse line so if you have products from the range, it’ll all blend in and I like that sort of symmetry :)

For Christmas, there will be some value sets available featuring products from both ranges so naturally, it’s the best time to get something if you fancy the scents. I’ll just give you a quick idea of what I think of both scents and also show you a new scent that I spotted overseas :)

Fleur D’or & Acacia is the golden coloured range that is targeted at women although I would safely say that neither scent is gender specific. The bottles are quite gender neutral and so is the scent, which is a light floral.

The first note that hits my nose is a sweet floral that I didn’t take to. It isn’t strong, but it is clearly floral and my nose doesn’t like floral scents very much. However, I found that after letting it settle and mellow it actually smelled quite nice. It made me think of warm honey and sunlight and brought out the warmth of my skin. I personally think that this is something you have to try for yourself directly on your skin, because I was ready to write it off on first sniff, but allowing it to develop made me smell better. It doesn’t last very long, being an EdT but it isn’t bad. Price: RM225/75ml

I can’t say the same for the Hand Cream (RM38/30ml) because that doesn’t have the dry down period I get with the fragrance, which means I have to live with the floral top note that I’m not crazy over. But I have to show you this very interesting Shimmering Shower Gel (RM62/175ml).

Yes my dears, that is specks of golden shimmer suspended in the Fleur d’Or & Acacia fragranced shower gel! A delightful gift for anyone (or heck! Just keep it for yourself) and don’t worry, the shimmery bits don’t stick to your skin nor the floor. It reminds me a lot of the L’Oreal Mythic Oil Souffle D’or sparkly shampoo so if you have that, you can have a whole bathroom of sparkly goodies! :D

The other limited edition scent in the collection is Cedre & Oranger for men.

Whilst targeted at men in view of the spicy woody scent and the light green packaging, I personally loved the top notes of this scent. It is a scent that I would personally wear since that’s the sort of scent I go for. Warm, spicy, woody and a touch of masculine.

The top note reeled me in but as it settled on my skin, it stopped smelling very good. The scent lost its warmth and I didn’t smell very good at all. Pity really because I’d have run out and bought this if the top note had carried itself all the way through. There’s the beauty of scent isn’t it? You just never know how it may develop on your skin so never ever trust what anyone says online. Believe me, I’ve been burnt :P Always test a scent directly on your skin where you’d be wearing it. Oh and I don’t do the whole spraying scent on clothes either. It’s just not what it’s made for IMO :P

That said, maybe I’d go for the Cedre & Oranger shower gel instead. Perhaps like the Fleur d’Or & Acacia shower gel, I’d just be able to revel in the warmth of the spicy woody top note that I so enjoy! :D

So that’s what L’Occitane has in store for us this Christmas and you would already have seen their stores togged up in Christmas finery with lots of value and gift sets available.

The other scent I spotted while overseas was Ambre & Santal.

I’m not sure if it’s a new scent or part of the Holiday collection because I don’t see it available locally and I can almost understand why. I thought it might be a scent I’d enjoy. Ambre & Santal conjures up ideas of woody, spicy, musky notes that I usually pick for my personal scents. However, I tested this and found it far too heavy even for me. In our warm weather, I can’t imagine anyone who’d really go for this one but it’s definitely one to mask any BO LOL! :D

Have you checked out the new L’Occitane Christmas fragrances and products? Which of the 2 scents do you prefer?

I think many women will go for Fleur d’Or & Acacia because of the light floral notes. It suits our weather and isn’t overpowering. I do like how a little musk note creeps through after it’s allowed to settle though. That is what makes it appeal to me. I know, in my scent choices, I’m such a boy LOL! :D

Paris B

L’Occitane Fleur D’or & Acacia and Cedre & Oranger fragrances and related products are limited edition for Christmas 2013. Prices are as set out above where possible. Value gift sets are available in store or check out loccitane.com.my