Calanques

Have you heard of pine needle soda? You put some pine needles in water with sugar, let it ferment, and eventually the needles diffuse to form a citrusy soda concoction that people say taste like minty Sprite. I came here because I've been wearing Calanques today and I needed to find out what is in it. It's got this addictive quality I couldn't put my finger on. But now I know. It's pine. Or specifically, it's what happens when you combine PINE with SEAWATER and add a bit of mandarin and pistachio. There is something magical in this combination. The sharpness of the minty, evergreen pine with the smooth sandiness of the marine notes and rounded out with the dry gourmand of the nuts and a twist of orange is SUBLIME. Pine needle soda by the seaside. I've never smelled anything like this before. The closest I have is Aqua Motu EDP, maybe, but this is warmer than that. It's like seawater and sand with a hint of powdered pinecone-pistachio ice cream. There's no vanilla, but the jasmine and mandarin add a touch of floral and citrus sweetness. But not too much. This isn't a gourmand. The cypress, pine, and sea are the strongest notes. Even so, it's not sharp scent - it's soft. And it's got a little something extra. Mostly seaside and forest, but some nuts. Jasmine. And orange soda creamsicle float, maybe, somewhere in the background. Absolutely enchanting stuff. This has been languishing for years at the back of my perfume cupboard but I'm bringing it out again next summer for sure.

I love this range - I knew it was going to be phased out so I stocked up over Christmas with body lotion, shower gel ( they didn't have much so had to get the soap) and perfume. I saved using it until the weather turned better and just love the scent. A few people at work stopped me last year to ask what i was wearing because it reminded them of the seaside. They went out and bought some too. I am gutted I can't get it anymore and would love some ideas of something similar.

Refreshing and dreamy fragrance with a cozy woodsy touch. Light and unobtrusive, good even for early mornings. Perfect for hot summer days. Longevity is moderate though. It's a pity, that this inspiring fragrance was discontinued. Seems, it's a politics of L`Occitane - to launch perfumes only for a year or two. That's a bad tactics for a company to demonstrate that perfumes it produces are only a hook for consumers and are not worth to become beloved fragrances.

Wonderful smell - reminds me of holidays in Menorca at the secret beach you could only access by foot. A beautiful cove surrounded by pine trees. Woody, salty notes - fresh and intoxicating.

Really refreshing, and better lasting power than other L'Occitane perfumes I've tried.