Paradis Provence

I really, really love Paradis Provence. It is currently one of my very favorite fragrances to wear. It is a green, fresh, slightly sharp, herbal aromatic fragrance. If you have experience with sunflowers, you can probably identify with this scent profile. Sunflowers put off a pleasant but subtle green, grassy and slightly sweet hay-like smell. In my opinion, Paradis Provence centers around that sunflower accord, and it is extremely natural and organic smelling. I don't pick up any synthetic vibes whatsoever. It smells fresh and outdoorsy, and very comforting to me because of how and where I grew up. My mom's favorite flower was definitely the sunflower, because of her pride in what it represented in her culture and its ties to her ethnicity. The sunflower is happy, vibrant, colorful, joyful and optimistic. It portrays the sun's life-giving energy. It is hopeful. Well, when I see sunflowers I think of my mom, and that makes me happy. And when I smell Paradis Provence, I am transported back to my youth, in our yard by a lake ... swimming, fishing, playing on a jungle gym, and having a picnic surrounded by a garden of my mom's sunflowers 🌻 ... times that were happy, joyful, optimistic and hopeful. That is how Paradis Provence makes me feel. Large areas around our home were covered with various crops and greenery, and Paradis Provence also really reminds me of driving on cool summer evenings with the windows and sunroof open, and the fresh smells of hay, grass, corn, tomato, dill, geranium, rosemary, linden blossoms and lavender mixing in the air. In addition to a sweet hay-like sunflower accord, I definitely smell other aromatics, especially lavender and thyme. Indeed, this fragrance's namesake is Provence. The lavender is gorgeous and natural. It is not overly sweet like Tom Ford Lavender Extreme, Chanel Jersey, Ormaie Le Passant, or Vero Profumo Kiki. With Paradis Provence, you can close your eyes and literally smell, see and feel the Valensole Plateau. The white floral notes are subtle and take a back seat to the herbal aromatics, but they do add a touch of elegance and grace, and perhaps reduce a bit of herbal bitterness. And finally, a woodsy base anchors the fragrance, a uniquely pleasant wood that apparently represents olive wood. Longevity, sillage and projection for me are all above average for a Parfum. This could absolutely be a daily wear, work/office scent, or signature scent. It could be dressed up for a formal or special occasion, or I could see myself wearing it with a white t-shirt and jeans running errands. It is extremely versatile. I think it can be worn in any season or climate. It was made to shine in the sunlight of the morning and afternoon, but it can be worn in the evening as well. It is definitively unisex. I don't think it leans one way or the other. In the end, this fragrance is extremely satisfying to me. I feel like it portrays a part of who I am and where I came from, and isn't that reason enough to love it? 10/10 and a Fragrantica score of 4.8 for me, one of the highest scores I have ever given a fragrance. Is it worth its price? I think it is. 🌻

This does smell like Provence, with the olive wood well prominent in the opening, and the lavender, and the thyme. It's a very different, intriguing scent, that improves with time. The olive wood stays in the background but the scent becomes more floral. The flowers are fresh wildflowers, herbaceous and delicate. The dry down is the best part of this scent, powdery, woody and floral. It doesn't smell like any other fragrance I've tried before and it reminds me of entering one of these shops selling soap and olive wood artifacts in Provence. It's just perfect. The projection is moderate, and the longevity is good. For the price, this should be a tattoo :) In my opinion, this is unisex and it would be very sexy in a man.

I agree with other reviewers: This is a masterpiece indeed. The most beautiful interpretation of lavender/Provençal herbs I’ve ever put my nose on. Bright, feminine, sunny and yet soothing. I can’t tease out the sunflower or orange blossom individually, but they are there to lift, smooth and slightly sweeten otherwise sharp aromatic ingredients. Lasting power is phenomenal and sillage is arm’s length. A joy to wear! I will treasure my 5 little mLs.

I can smell every single note, and they meld beautifully together. I don't recall smelling olive tree as a note before, and it's so much better than I expected. If this is how Provence smells, I need to go. Lasts 9+ hours on me too.

Fresh herbal lavender tempered by a bitter thyme, aerated and lifted by the white florals. Very vibrant and natural, but while reasonably balanced the thyme is just a smidge too medicinal for my tastes. :( Moderately soft projection for 2-3hr, longevity 10-12hr.