PROVENCE

Provence is the first fragrance I've encountered where hyssop takes center stage. We may have had our first encounter with the word "hyssop" through the bible ("Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean") but that reference is believed to pertain to a different plant altogether, Origanum syriacum, or Syrian oregano, the "biblical hyssop." Hyssopus officinalis is the true hyssop, a stimulating, tannic aromatic herb high in thujone, phenol, and cineole. Its fragrance could be described as a combination of coniferous needles, rosemary, wormwood, mint, and sweet camphor. It's known for its use in chartreuse and absinthe; my experience with the oil revealed immediate recognition from these libations. In Provence, hyssop, with supporting lavender, clary sage and coriander, evokes the garrigue: the shrubby expanse of the Mediterranean, with the warm air redolent with fragrant low-lying vegetation. There is a limpid quality not unlike that of the more minimalist works of Jean Claude Ellena. Yet the perfumer here, Sébastien Cresp, knows his way around a fixative and builds a sustain to Provence that allows it to levitate above my skin for longer than I would've expected in the first thirty minutes of wear. It feels like a koan on substance, and the inescapable weightlessness of that which may seem to gird the spirit. It represents just as much the cobalt blue firmament as it does the sweet, green terrain below.

I truly fell in love with this fragrance! It was my first ever niche fragrance purchase. To me, it’s a photorealistic green tea scent. I also get notes of lavender and black pepper. I’ve gotten a lot of compliments on it, though I don’t think its projection is very strong. The projection only lasts about 2 hours, but the scent lingers. Even after washing my clothes, I can still smell it on them the next day. After some time it becomes more of an intimate skin scent but it definitely lasts. I still love this fragrance regardless of its projection. It’s a very unique scent and I haven’t found anything like it.

This is exquisite. It has the outline of a fougere. But instead of the typical heady barbershop feel, it’s drying stems of just-harvested lavender. The fragrance is very lightly ‘green’ without straying into tomato-leaf or Un Jardin en Mediterranée. The herbs, particularly mint and pepper, give it a good lift. Underlying it all, there’s a light sweetness (hyssop or clary sage?) that reminds you of sunshine and hay. A late summer’s afternoon in Provence.

Love from the first sniff. Very green, fresh, aromatic but not not very lavendy. Minty and refreshing. I love the concept of the whole line - using single origin compounds, focus on sustainability ang giving back to local communities. I appreciate light bottles with wooden cap, no plastic, simple cardboard box without plastic sleeve The whole line is worth the try

A very natural green herbal fragrance. The blurb lists all of the essential oils, and it is indeed photorealistic. The mint adds a nice lift, too. I also catch a bit of hyssop, similar to the dried herbs my girlfriend sometimes rolls into her blunt. Still, I think it is easy to pull this one off. It has depth but remains wearable. If you want a fresh grassy fragrance this is a good one to try. 8.1/10