L'Occitane Vetiver?

[Kyle Hyde]

Does L'Occitane sell samples or smaller amounts of its Vetiver cologne? I didn't see it in the store I went to, and I'd love to try it. But my girlfriend hated Gurrelian Vetiver, so I want to try the L'Occitane first to see if it is approved.

How much does it smell like the Gurrelain?

Also, what sites to people go to do to get decants of fragrances?

[Rudy Vey]

Originally Posted by Kyle Hyde

Does L'Occitane sell samples or smaller amounts of its Vetiver cologne? I didn't see it in the store I went to, and I'd love to try it. But my girlfriend hated Gurrelian Vetiver, so I want to try the L'Occitane first to see if it is approved.

How much does it smell like the Gurrelain?

Also, what sites to people go to do to get decants of fragrances?

It always sells out pretty fast when it comes to the stores! I had to go there at least five times before I was was lucky and got there the same day the delivery arrived and was put on the shelves. They normally have a tester sitting out and you can spritz yourself, then go into the mall and see how it develops over time. If you like it, go back and get it, it is pretty affordable.

I like it, it is a smoky vetiver scent, and I think one of the best out there. But, as many say, YMMV....

[scottb]

I don't think L'Occitane does Vetyver samples...they don't do much for the fellas.

The best sites for samples are The Perfumed Court or ebay. I would say Rorschach (member here) but I think he's MIA.

Vetyver is a smoky, incense vetiver...no citrus. I used to like it a little bit more than Guerlain's, but that's reversed itself in the last year or so. Still a very good fragrance, particularly if you're kind of tired of the generic citrus/aquatic/floral fragrances that have taken over the market.

Good luck!

[Kyle Hyde]

I like the idea of more "outdoorsy" scents, and I guess that's what L'Occitane scents are described as smelling like. Of all their colognes, which one do you think would probably be the most girlfriend friendly? We are both fairly young (23), and so she does tend to like the newer designer fragrances. Guerlain Vetiver was a big no no (I liked it a lot, however).

[BarryR]

Originally Posted by scottb

I don't think L'Occitane does Vetyver samples...they don't do much for the fellas.

The best sites for samples are The Perfumed Court or ebay. I would say Rorschach (member here) but I think he's MIA.

Vetyver is a smoky, incense vetiver...no citrus. I used to like it a little bit more than Guerlain's, but that's reversed itself in the last year or so. Still a very good fragrance, particularly if you're kind of tired of the generic citrus/aquatic/floral fragrances that have taken over the market.

Good luck!

I too went to L'Occitane and they were out of Vetiver. Didn't even have a tester.

As for some good news, Rorschuck has revamped his website and appears about to be coming out of hiding. He may even be taking orders already. He was MIA for a few months. Although he's sometimes been slow to respond to emails (I think he was overwhelmed) he has some fabulous scents, is lovely to deal with, can make good recommendations and has better decant prices than any I've seen. He also offers everything from 1 ml vials to 2 oz decants and a discount for B&B contributors (though he doesn't have L'Occitane".

[scottb]

Originally Posted by Kyle Hyde

I like the idea of more "outdoorsy" scents, and I guess that's what L'Occitane scents are described as smelling like. Of all their colognes, which one do you think would probably be the most girlfriend friendly? We are both fairly young (23), and so she does tend to like the newer designer fragrances. Guerlain Vetiver was a big no no (I liked it a lot, however).

Most of the women I've spoken to seem to like Eau de L'Occitan the most--it's lavender and black pepper and some other stuff. Really nice if you like lavender, but not the most outdoorsy scent they have.

I think Cade is the most rugged/woodsy, with Vetyver or eau de Baux being close seconds. Unfortunately Baux has a strong vanilla note that kills it for me, otherwise it would be a personal favorite.

[pezdaddy]

L'Occitane's Vetiver is amazing; it's one of two colognes that I wear. However, at times I find it to be a little too strong. I'll usually either spray it into the air and walk through it, or spray it onto my fingers and let it evaporate a bit before applying, usually to my neck.

It's very earthy and woodsy.

[Sterling Cooper]

With an eye towards purchasing a Vetiver based cologne, I tried the L'Occitane today and the Royall over the weekend.

Here's my thoughts.

Royall: While I could pick up slight background hints of citrus, this to me is pure vetiver--much sharper and clearly delineated than the L'Occitane but also more one-dimensional. Lasting power on me was outstanding; seems much more concentrated than an aftershave, which it's labeled as.

L'Occitaine: Much more complex than Royall with several competing notes. The overall scent was much warmer than the Royall. Initially, it reminded me strongly of T&H Spanish Leather (my current favorite) but not quite as sweet. Later it dried down further to more of a melange of warm, spicy wood notes. I'm not sure that I'd call name this a "vetiver" cologne because the vetiver to my nose was just one of several competing notes. Lasting power has been good so far, but I've only had it on for 3 hours.

I'm leaning towards the L'Occitaine for Fall/Winter.

[OCDshaver]

The L'Occitane Vetyver is one of my personal favorites. As others have said, not a run of the mill scent, which is a plus.

When I first tried it in the mall, my 21 yr old daughter was with me. At first she didn't like it...she preferred the L"Occitane lavender scent...but after a few hours she really liked the Vetyver. My wife had the same reaction.

Try the experiment with your gf...if you can find a store with a tester...

Jim

[MaxP]

L'Occitane Vetyver is one my top shelf, always.

That's because my wifemate wears it as well! It's a scent that we both enjoy.

[andrew98]

I stumbled across this thread yesterday, which has proven extremely dangerous. I was out running some errands today, and I stopped into L'Occitane to test some of the fragrances discussed here.

First, I tried a few fragrances on the paper testing strips. Eau des 4 Voleurs edt and Cedar edp were both excellent. However, I ended up spraying (spray air then move arm through mist) one arm with Vetyver and the other with Eau des Baux. Those were the two fragrances I liked best, and they worked very well for me. I actually like the dark vanilla base note of Eau des Baux. It was a gray, wet Liverpool day, so maybe that's why. I don't have a nice bad weather or fall/winter fragrance. Vetyver was amazing, as well, and I may have to pick that up closer to Spring. My girlfriend also really like Vetyver on me, and she preferred it over Eau des Baux. So there are now 3 or 4 fragrances added to my list, which before now, only contained Kistna (Body Shop), Inis and Patrick (both by Fragrances of Ireland). Patrick, incidentally, was compared to Pens English Fern by one reviewer on basenotes.com.

The only colognes I presently own are Eau de Grey Flannel and Kenneth Cole Black, which I enjoy. I've owned Versace Green Jeans and Clinique Happy in the past (college years). All four of these are nowhere near the quality of the L'Occitane fragrances, imo. In my limited experience with colognes, I think I've been missing fragrances that capture natural, earthy essences. The L'Occitane fragrances have distinct notes that I can pick out (other than citrus), and testing these today was the most interesting experience I've had with fragrances. I should also mention that the basil component of Eau des 4 Voleurs is really nice. I enjoy spending my free time outdoors, and everything I sampled today spoke to that side of me.

Thanks for the great recommendations in this thread. This is gonna cost me dearly, I'm sure.

-Andy

[Kyle Hyde]

Thanks for that post Andrew. I'm going to be stopping by L'Occitane tomorrow.

[andrew98]

Originally Posted by Kyle Hyde

Thanks for that post Andrew. I'm going to be stopping by L'Occitane tomorrow.

Let us know what you think about it. I'll be asking for a L'Occitane fragrance for Christmas. I just have to decide which one.

-Andy

[Whitmore]

The wife LOVES the Eaux de Beaux. It's very warm, rather sweet, but incredibly aromatic - not a scent for everyone, but so far I've received a ton of compliments.

[strat1117]

My favorite EdT is the Eau des BAUX. There is also a BAUX ASB, which has the dark vanilla but lacks the black pepper of the EdT. Nevertheless excellent.

Don't forget to pick up a puck of the shave soap for $10 while you are there (but stay away fro the shave cream).


Enjoy!

[scottb]

Originally Posted by strat1117

Don't forget to pick up a puck of the shave soap for $10 while you are there (but stay away fro the shave cream).

+1. The soap is about as nice as non-tallow can get, but the cream is not so good--especially for the price.

[Macion grey]

Hated Guerlian Vetiver? Oh my! That is an absolute classic. A must for spring time application.

[BarryR]

L'Occitane Vetiver is quite nice, but I'm very annoyed that they don't provide (or sell) samples. I rarely buy a fragrance without a sample first. I just don't think I can know whether I'll like it enough without wearing it 2-3 times.

I even emailed L'Occitane, but it was to no avail.

[bman40]

it's a great scent.

go for it

[andrew98]

Originally Posted by bman40

it's a great scent.

go for it

+1. I can see how Eau des Baux and 4 Voleurs may not appeal to everyone, but it seems like most folks like L'Occitane Vetyver.

-Andy