Néroli & Orchidée Eau Intense

This is absolutely gorgeous, another wonderful vial to test from my perfume pen pal, Sarah. The orange blossom is just gorgeous and reminds me of the orange blossom note in Libre EDT a little bit, although this fragrance seems much more delicate and conventionally feminine. There is also a real freshness to it. I'm never quite sure what is meant by an orchid note in a fragrance, since most of the orchids I have ever smelled were disappointingly odorless, but the part of the accord that is not orange blossom has a faintly floral, slightly vanilla aspect. This reminds me a lot of a perfume I wore back in the '90s, but I can't think of what it is. It doesn't smell dated, though. Like all the L'Occitane scents, it smells expensive and pretty. I thought of what it reminds me of, although it's less peppery-feisty: Roberto Cavalli EDP (original pour femme, with the fancy initials cap). Longevity isn't superb, unless I went noseblind to it, which is possible. It definitely lasts better on fabric than my skin.

The note breakdown above seems spot on. There is the neroli, which I love, very noticeable orange blossom, and vanilla. Blind bought it and this was exactly what I was looking for, precisely what I expected. It lasts very well on clothes, but not on skin. It does smell sophisticated, in a YSL Libre meets Bottega Veneta Knot kind of way. It is sweeter and indeed more intense that the og Neroli & Orchidée. Rounder and longer lasting. They are different enough. It would feel syrupy if it weren't for all the neroli. Vanilla is natural, not too sweet. There is a booziness to it. I got complimented immediately on first wear, which is not something that happens often to me. I do see resemblances to the perfumes identified in "This perfume reminds me of" above. I am needing all my self-control not to buy a back-up of this, as it was a limited edition.

I'm so sad L'Occitane are no longer making this perfume because I'm almost out. The white flowers in the opening are a little more vaporous than I'd like but they settle quickly into a phenomenal spicy-sweet perfume that lasts all day. There's something missing from the listed notes because there has to be some gorgeous resin, spice or wood somewhere in the mid or base to make it so warm and snuffable. This might be too much for daytime if you work around people who are sensitive to strong smells because this does radiate and leave quite a trail, but this would be perfect for fall or winter when you're wearing more layers, or for a date where you want to leave an impression

This one smells absolutely lovely straight out of the bottle! It's sweet, honeyed, and lightly floral. I smelled it on a tester paper and couldn't stop thinking about it, so I went back to the store the next day. Unfortunately the drydown doesn't work well with my body chemistry. It starts to smell a bit like fruity popcorn, which isn't necessarily unpleasant but it loses any trace of the lovely opening notes. EDIT: I caved in and ordered an bottle and I'm so glad I did. The "popcorn" note is a brief interlude among all the gorgeous honey, vanilla, and orange blossom scents, so it's worth it. :)

This is back in stores and looking like it might be a permanent release, with a new bottle design. It does remind me of the new Libre Le Parfum. I recommend you go give it a wear test. This is gorgeous. Of my 90+ perfume bottle collection, this remains my most complimented scent.