Eau d'Iparie

I couldn't resist buying this after reading many reviews, and find it (like the reviews) contradictory. Initially it struck me as repellent, sharp, medicinal, with something annoyingly familiar about it. As truffles' review identifies, it's reminiscent of cherry lips sweets, but also, to me, of the "Friar's Balsam" used as an inhalant by my grandmother- according to Wikipedia, this contains tincture of benzoin with cape aloes and storax (liquid amber resin). From Wiki again: "Another, more remote use, is for beautifying skin. The following excerpt is taken from the book "Personal Beauty" printed in 1870: "Gum Benzoin is a fragrant resin which comes to us from the sunny meadows of Sumatra, and is redolent with odors of the Spice Islands, and the mysterious virtues of tropical balms." So yes, definitely a journey in a bottle- thankfully it dries down very quickly to reveal a warm, sweet, exotic and yes, unusual scent, and, surprisingly...I think I love it! I think this would suit someone who is strong, maybe powerful, but not obvious- it's too mysterious for that!

My signature fragrance for years now. I looooove it. n my opinion this is probably the best and most interesting L'Occitane fragrance so far. Love this review, btw, because my mom keeps repeating I smell oddly of church and funeral all the time, and am mostly polite, but dark person: "Eau d'Iparie is mysterious, spiritual and profound. The myrrh and incense confer a vaguely sacred aura that reminds of religion, churches, saints and the meaning of the divine adoration and yet, this perfume has a markedly dark character, a solemnity that may hide secrets and perhaps occult knowledge. At the borderline between grace and obscurity, this scent gives me quite a spiritual trip. I think Eau d'Iparie is best suited for cold winter days, late autumn trips to old villages in France, Catholic sermons and why not, funerals. It's thoroughly well done and can really put you in a mystical mood, if you know how to wear it. Longevity is great and sillage medium."

This is a beautiful enigma of a perfume - intense yet not overwhelming, incense-y and resinous yet not "dirty". I first saw this perfume in the L'Occitane boutique in Canterbury, England, which I briefly visited in June. I did not buy it then as I found the opening was a bit too "punchy"... but it blossomed into an utterly lovely scent and I could not stop thinking about it afterwards! It is a classy, distinctive scent, very different from L'Occitane's recent crop of cheerful but forgettable offerings. Eau d'Iparie smells like something that I imagine could be worn by ancient Druid high priestesses =) Unfortunately it had been discontinued worldwide but my brother managed to find it in Doha, Qatar. If anyone wants to stock up, I believe the L'Occitane boutiques in the Middle East (UAE, Qatar, Israel, etc) still carry this perfume.

Two dear friends are getting married tonight, Halloween, and it's thankfully not a costumed party. I therefore began mulling over the spirit of their love and and the only adequate descriptor is "bohemian" - not bohemian in the constructed boho-chic-ism that prevails, but in the true avant grade and free spirited sense. My thoughts drifted to the colors and scents of that, and I kept returning to the palette of Van Gogh's "Starry Night": rich gradients of indigo, accents of gold and shimmering white flecks. Eau d'Iparie is the scent that would permeate the garrett apartment in 1890s Paris, with cedar chests, smoky incense, sweet pipe tobacco, exotic spices.

Breathtaking scent especially when I use it in the morning, never fails to impress me every time, I got a second bottle and this was the only perfume so far where I have bought another bottle. There is a tinge of quiet and subtle sadness that wafts gently throughout the day...cool and warm at the same time; I like fragrances that invoke conflicting feelings. Hopefully they will never discontinue this one.

Very, very, very French. Old fashioned, silk undies, cigarettes and coffee in a small cafe, smoldering looks that linger. Sexy, warm, layer upon layer of sweet warmth, but not sickly. The kind of scent that makes me smile when I come accross it again, emanating gently from a favourite scarf. Lasts well on me and I would definatley purchase it again.

One of the best fragrances I've ever had. Dark, mistic and very unique. I agree, it is so special that you can hate or love it. It has some masculine note, so maybe this is a note I adore :)) ? Edit: Recently I've given it to my husband and he loves it! It's definatelly an unisex one! 2. edit: I took it back, I love it; i wear it in a cold weather.

I have had two perfumes in my life that I felt captured what I would be if I were a scent, and this is the second one. The first was a hand-made pomade from a Renaissance Faire. Both have been discontinued, much to my displeasure. Somebody once told me it smells like freshly scrubbed naked ladies! Bring it back!!!

I wanted to try it so bad and was afraid that the negative reviews are right.. well i've tried it and i have to say that this perfume is perfect!! very intresting perfume, to me it smells like jasmine- woody scent, a little bit dark, a little bit sexy and very elegant and expensive smell.. very very good!!

I love this perfume... I was looking for it for a long time and finally got it !! I'm a huge fan of perfumes with strong incense note and this one is the most delicate I have, but it's so sensual, warm... for me it's perfect :)

This starts off quite bright and woody then quickly dries down to a subtle but sensual incense. Unfortunately, on my skin it fades almost immediately which is really disappointing because I adore the incense notes :(

this smells like a warm but dry incense. i really love this scent, but i don't wear it often, because it seems to fit a certain mood. as others have said, it smells ancient. one of the best l'occitane ever did.

parfum étonnant,inhabituel ,une odeur d'église chauffée à blanc,sensualité et méditation,vous ne passez pas inaperçue avec cette odeur là...

A complex blend of myrrh, patchouli, resin and mist. Long Lasting. Reasonable Sillage. A unique scent

This one resembles Midnight Poison very much. I have them both and love them both! Action

Amazing and really exotic. One of L'Occitane best perfumes.

Fascinating, sophisticated, yet not everyone's cup of tea

this started me being obsessed with myrrh.

Realy woooooooow try it for man

I rarely regret not buying stuff, mainly because 1) if I want it I buy it, or 2) I'm not the regretting type. But this one has been taunting me. I got a whiff of it on a sale counter in Spain last week, it was right up my alley on a paper strip but on my skin it reminded me of some harsh chemical astringent-ish type of smell. At that point I wandered out of the store and thought "Good thing I tried it on my skin, I saved myself a good 25 euros". Stupid. Stupid stupid stupid. After 15 minutes had passed, the chemical notes had completly disappeared and were replaced with a deep, warm and truly mysterious air of all the things that I love; honey, amber, incense, something strange and peppery that appears from nowhere and bites you. Not sickly sweet, soft or predictable at all, just a warm embrace of badassery. Leaves you a bit provoked and curious for more. GODDAMNIT! I should have bought it! I understand it's being discontinued. If you have any idea of where I can get a hold of this, PLEASE inbox me! I will award you plentifully with eternal glory in the earthly life and thereafter. ***UPDATE june 2014*** Thanks to all of you beautiful ones who helped me find this perfume again. <3

A Fin de siecle Paris perfume. The incense is crucial point here. A gothic church-like, enigmatic yet theatrical and compelling scent that provokes looks when you pass by. Immersed in mystery and sensuality. Its warm spicy, sweet caress is definately not for everyone. An elegant noir lady with a cigarette holder out of which a thin smoke ascends, her black lace gloves making gentle moves playing with a white pearl necklace around her long neck. Moulin Rouge, Bal Masque associations can easily complement the picture. And yet a Mediterranean Summer sunset picture can emerge as well from this winter-ish, autumnal scent. Unique and refined, it is not a pleaser and I can absolutely understand why some people do not find it beautiful or cannot relate to my words...it's just another mysterious quality of it, a finishing touch that emphasises its powerful depth.....

In my opinion this is probably the best and most interesting L'Occitane fragrance so far. It's quite unique and I can't think of any perfume that comes close to its smell or style. Eau d'Iparie is mysterious, spiritual and profound. The myrrh and incense confer a vaguely sacred aura that reminds of religion, churches, saints and the meaning of the divine adoration and yet, this perfume has a markedly dark character, a solemnity that may hide secrets and perhaps occult knowledge. At the borderline between grace and obscurity, this scent gives me quite a spiritual trip. I think Eau d'Iparie is best suited for cold winter days, late autumn trips to old villages in France, Catholic sermons and why not, funerals. It's thoroughly well done and can really put you in a mystical mood, if you know how to wear it. Longevity is great and sillage medium.

Went today at the local L'Occitane store to test Eau des Baux. Nice scent indeed, but this bright bottle captured my sight and thinking is unisex I spray some on my other wrist...Man! what a wonderful and unusual scent: a herbal dry smell was fighting for attention with sweet myhrr and sensual patchouli that blown me away instantly. The shop lady told me that this (targeted feminine) release match pretty well with a man chemistry and I couldn't agree more. In two hours I was steping full of joy on the street, surrounded by an egyptian-mediteranean garden in which some cult's priests were lightened up myrrh and incense as preparation for a darkness incantation. In a strange way, I loved it. I guess there will be a battle at home with the fair, for whom will be the owner of this french beauty...but hey! love means also sharing, isn't it? ☣☣☣

Dry, warm, comforting, on the sweet side but no vanilla overload. For some reason I imagine it would fit really well with the 60s beatnik style. I don't know what possessed me to try this on a hot day but the heat really amps up the powder here. It's the musky, clean powder note that I'm getting, combined with myrrh which I experience as mysterious and subtly spicy with smoky undertone. A "nude" skin scent. Very refined and chic. Yet unusual and unique. I can't really compare it to any other perfume, yet not overbearing or too complicated. A hidden (and long discontinued) treasure. I'm lucky to own a full bottle!

This is a lovely perfume perfectly described by LuaJane so my words add nothing interesting. I love its being described as a dark lady perfume but I would say not in a negative, gloomy sense, but rather in a mysterious way. Yes, it smells of church where the air is cool even in hot summer melting days, of flowers on their way to be too old to be kept and yet it's so nice. Yes, you should know how to wear it. It's not for everyday, not for every occasion but worn on right days and right occasions it will gain you lots of attention and turning heads.

Interesting and weird scent, I don't know that I like it or not. Not a sweet oriental smell. I feel something bitter, stingy, strong and unusual, herbal/patchouli? note or maybe the myrrh is too sharp. This fragrance isn't that hard to use only in winter, good in spring and autumn also, although very rich, deep, but isn't sticky. Not a typical feminine or sexy scent, a little bit old. Yes, could be unisex.

If happiness had a scent, this would be a fitting candidate. It smells like jolly ranchers, seriously. But it's not necessarily overly sweet like candy, it's still retains some grace. Also pleasant when you get a subtle whiff at a distance. It's hard to describe this scent. To me it smells quite like someone's house (In a nice way); playful and still innocent. Intriguing.

Eau d'Iparie smells to me of pear skin, shampoo, incense, and a little bit of lavender. It is mysterious and smouldering but has an incredibly clean and juicy sensuality lurking in the background. This perfume is many things: feminine, masculine, light, heavy, hot, and cool. A true multifaceted work of perfumery that combines many elements beautifully.

Wow, this is like THE gift from the Three Kings - gold, frankincense and myrrh. So rich and smokey, leaving wisps of incense behind in a delicate trail. It reminds me forcibly of the ancient world, making each spray enchanted. A very warm and somewhat woody scent indeed. But you really have to like myrrh for this one I think.

Very beautiful & carefree! The incense is strong & I can see this being a unisex scent. I'm thinking I may really like it on a guy! Reminds me of something worn by a Gypsy or someone attending the Woodstock concert. I love it however it did not like me so much. Just didn't melt with my chemistry much to my dismay.

Today I wore it even though it's summer, and more recommended for winter. It's a warm scent that stimulates the imagination... very sensual balmy, woody fragrance, evokes flair of the Mediterranean. It's a unique blend of Eastern mysticism and Mediterranean heat,slightly relaxing scent of warm summer afternoons.

This oriental spicy wood with a touch of sweetness fascinated me from the first acquaintance. But later it appeared to be too heavy and exotic for my skin. This fragrance just needs energetic and passionate woman! While wearing this scent I couldn't stop thinking that it was created for brunette :)

Judging by the fragrance notes I expected something like Etro Messe de Minuit. No, nothing common. Oily patchouly and something fruity-flowery. Nevertheless it's an unusual interesting scent, not for a young girls, it's netter for mature ladies and special occasions.

Eau d'Iparie manages to smell mysterious and 'of the East' while also smelling just like the taste of cherry lip sweeties (little red hard jelly sweets that you buy weighed, in a paper bag). Love it.

I've liked wearing this during winter. Although it is very nice, it is very incensey and from what I've been told by my colleague a "major headache inducer". So, not an office fragrance.

I liked this fragrance but found it a little watery and lacking in strength for me. The simplicity of their amber is better if you just want a warm hug in a bottle.

I typically consider fragrances with heavy resins to be colder weather scents (late fall / all winter). Here the myrrh and incense are definitely present, but is done in a light and airy way, making it wearable in nearly every season except the hottest of summers. I suppose the flipside of having a light and airy resinous scent is that the longevity is rather lackluster--it becomes very difficult to detect at the four hour mark, and by the sixth hour, it is all but gone. I thoroughly enjoyed my ~3 mL decant and the 3-4 wearings it provided, but I’m not moved by it enough to hunt down a bottle.

Eau d`Iparie is worst L`occitane fragrance I came across. And has won this title easily. It is a woody scent as the description says. But as we all know there are woods and woods. Let me tell you what I think about Iparie kind of wood. It is rotten, water drifted branch. Coated with dry antibacterial soap. Yes it has herbal note. I think it is grass? Leave the flowers, spices and sunshine meadows image. It is ordinary grass. Boiled inside bronze pot from wich John Wayne was drinking in "The Cowboys". Where is the incense, the myrrh, the mystery? Lasting time?

This must be one of the worst fragrances ever! It's really awful, bitter and stinking to hell on my skin! So disappointing! I expected to smell good because of myrrh, but it doesn't and salso smell very artificial. Too bad. My friend sprayed some on her skin and smelled much better, so I guess it's another of those chemistry things...

Too smoky, not feminine at all. Too bad.

warmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm..earthyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy..full of wonder and bliss.. empowering.. round and full bodied...a true perfumers perfume..a real classic ..old school.. patchouli that's not in your face.. myrrh..labadum..musk vanilla i even smell strange as it may sound but a hint of mango mixed with chocolaty notes..!its a perfume you can easily either fall head over heals for if you are in to warm spicy orientals or might despise for its depth and warmth and strength..its deferentially an oriental similar to opium ysl and obsession ck and shalimar yet its unique and characteristic..its so earthy you can almost smell the earth beneath kings and Queens of roman or Egyptian times..its a perfume surely fit for a queen.. maybe the queen of Sheba wore it to seduce her lover.. in cold winter nights..i almost smell mud you know when the rain falls on dry lands of Africa and quiches the thirst of those dry sandy gravelly lands its a beautiful real scent that is still unsynthetica .still a virgin..pure and true to nature..its a natural perfume ..it deserves to be called a perfume for now a days its so rare that you find a natural healing perfume that infuses with your soul and being..you can almost want to drink it it has some alcohol base maybe whiskey ..i am not a drinker but i know from seeing my grandmother mix her perfumes with all sorts of different alcoholic drinks such as vodka ..and then smoking a cigarette in them to smoke them or actually burn incense or luban in the bottle as to seal it and smoke it ..and they used to bury those bottles under ground some times for months or even years! until they develop..it was an amazing experience watching and helping..and that's how my passion for perfumery especially naturals perfumery started..so this scent really is as close as you can get to niche or old fashioned hand made perfume making...i can only imagine that the castles of the Indian maharajahs would smell like this all year round.. rating 4.5 out of 5

Eau d'Iparie is quite a rich oriental, with an intensity that you'll either love or hate. There is more to this fragrance than just myrrh and incense. Other notes include, patchouli, pink pepper, cistus, vanilla and oakmoss. The patchouli is actually quite strong and earthy, with the myrrh providing that thick, resinous feel. Despite the oriental approach, Eau d'Iparie has an underlying soapy element. I usually applaud complexity, however I don't think I'm a fan of this unexpected clean accord. It just doesn't sit right with me. It's Winter where I am right now, and I can say that Eau d'Iparie really suits the current weather conditions. It's not a light scent on my skin whatsoever, even though many reviewers describe it as being gentle on theirs. Perhaps my chemistry is right for Eau d'Iparie because the longevity wasn't a problem either. I'm not sure if Eau d'Iparie is still sold in Australian L'Occitane stores. I tested this fragrance via a decant which I purchased some time ago from an overseas friend. I wouldn't mind seeing it back on the shelves. It's a breath of fresh air when a majority of L'Occitane scents are either florals or citrus aromatics.

I would love to review this in detail but can't because I've been wearing it for two days solid (re-applied several times) and what's left is resinous and herbal honey and something I can't identify but which reminds me of Serge Lutens Jeux de Peau - can anyone help with why? Possibly I'm a little too tired to make the connection overt but it's nagging at me. Apart from that I can say I love it and that during two strenuous days I've only seen a few people for more than a minute or two and so far three of them have commented, two were men unlikely to normally comment on a perfume and both liked it, the third was a lady with a very sensitive nose who normally admires patchouli but who really liked this. On me it's a cold weather perfume and both comforting and very slightly disconcerting, and also somehow splendid, but it's that elusive connection that's bugging me, please help?

Wonderful fragrance! So strong and wild and just glorious. It's like the Morrocan sun destilled in a bottle. The load of patchouli makes it a scent hippies would wear and I simply love it. I agree that it is one of L'OCCITANE's most interesting women's fragrances. I got a tester for free at a L'Occitanestore (you know, a real testbottle with about a quarter of the original volume of perfume left, not just a sample) and took it home with me. Then my mom tried it as well and she was hooked. It really did suit her (probably because of the patchouli-hippiestuff), so I gave it to her and I'm not using it anymore. I still love it, but it's my mother's signature scent now, so I won't be using it for a very long time.

a very unique scent... I usually mention the similar scents with the perfume I am reviewing here but this time I can't find anything similar to this perfume...although incense is one of the main note of two, I don't call this perfume as "incensy", myrrh is dominant..it is very fresh herbal but romantic and elegant..it is definitely a feminine scent although some members regard iparie "masculine". If you want to smell "different" this is a must have..staying power is very good..I always find Penghalion's scents Frenchy and different than many others in the market and iparie can be in the same category..

Thanks to a kind Fragrantican I was able to give this several very good wearings. It's a nectar-like, honeyed myrrh incense. Mellow, resinous but not smokey, and luminous. Before I was familiar with myrrh on its own, I wasn't sure what to make of Eau d'Iparie, but now that I can identify it here, I can see how this composition works to take waxy woody myrrh and set it on a black mat board with a gold frame around it. Naturally stunning. It's so sad this is gone forever but some things are even more wonderful because they are temporary.

unusual medicinal hospital smell opening. Then, this is gonna sound weird, but I smell candied patchouli. What is candied patchouli? I have no idea but it's earthy, sweet, astringent, dark but not heavy, and the incense and the myrrh is very nice but not strong. If you hate overly girly perfumes that smell like bouquets and candy and shit like that, give this one a try. I love it, and I'll be on the lookout for a fb since it's discontinued...just my luck.

Very dry and herbal, it smells of the fields near the Mediterranean in summer. I really enjoy it, but it's difficult to wear on skin - I spray it on my sheets and on my sheer curtains in the warm weather. It's gorgeous when the breeze spreads the aroma throughout the house. I think I would really enjoy this on a man's skin. Will be a love or hate fragrance for most people; it's hard to be neutral on this one.

I love the smell of this perfume but it's consistently reminded me of the way my mother smelled for most of my childhood. I've been trying to think of what discontinued perfume it reminds me of. Today I smelled it again and I've worked out what the perfume is. It's Givenchy III! I feel sure that my mother will love this and I will definitely be buying her a bottle of it in October.

Incense? Where? I think there is only wood present with a touch of dried herbs. Not bad, really unique, somewhat tea-like. I once mentioned that I like tea from different kind of herbs in it- so this smells like my special tea where my grandma added milfoil or something. It appears very cooling, refreshing. I smelled it from paper strip, maybe I'll test it on skin next time.