The Mainstream Monday: Sniffing a Popular Scent:

This scent created by Olivier Cresp back in 2003 is a woody floral based on jasmine growing in his grandmother’s garden in Grasse. The scent is made for the “free, real, and somewhat wild” woman. I think this is a pretty scent, especially if you like floral musk scents. However, I wouldn’t call this a “wild” scent at all. In fact, it’s pretty tame and “comforting”. It’s more grandmother’s garden than heady jasmine. It’s a very soft, feminine scent.

At first the scent is a pretty floral white musk. It wears closely to the skin. It’s warm. It smells lightly of pepper, a gentle spice against the vanilla-ish florals/heliotrope. The scent really attaches itself to the skin. I guess this is the “lifescent”. I assume this is a type of “skin musk”. The white heliotrope is very pretty in this blend. It adds a sweetness and a soft, delicate powdery element to this warm, white musk scent. After 10-15 minutes, I don’t notice the pepper or spice in the fragrance. I really just get that heliotrope against white musk that I keep talking about. The musk is not animalic at all. In fact it seems “natural” like ambrette seed. After a little more time, the scent smells like ambrette, skin “musk” and sweet floral powder and very faint jasmine. It is such a soft scent that reminds me of a lightweight cashmere sweater. It’s the kind of scent that you would only notice with a close embrace. The light, warm musk floral begins to wear over a soft Mysore sandalwood base. I love Mysore sandalwood. It adds such a soft “roundness” to scents. It completes this scent. Lacoste Pour Femme has a warm woods base that is very feminine. It reminds me of the dry down of many soft, popular, modern floral-woods fragrances on the market.

For a scent based on jasmine, I can barely notice it. Usually jasmine in perfume takes over and steals the show. The jasmine in this is very, very mild. It’s a wallflower in the mix. The real show stealers are the heliotrope, white musk, and Mysore sandalwood.

I really like this scent. It’s warm and comforting. It isn’t the most exciting or “wild” scent on the market, I can safely say that. I really think Lacoste bombed that marketing campaign. They should of went an entirely different direction. It actually smells very comforting and somehow like the skin of a very young infant! I find this is a very nurturing scent that is nice for everyday wear and is appropriate for professional spaces. For an EDP, it doesn’t wear very long. It’s a soft scent to begin with so one doesn’t notice it too much. I really don’t notice this scent on my skin after 3 hours of wear. This doesn’t bother me. It is a “soft” scent and I like to wear it on the days when I feel a bit “anti-perfume”. Yes, even I have those days.

Notes listed include: Jamaican pepper, purple freesia, white heliotrope, Iranian jasmine, hibiscus flower, Bulgarian rose, Himalayan cedarwood, velvet skin “lifescent”, incense and Mysore sandalwood.

Give this scent a try if you like soft, warm white musk scents or fragrances like the Clinique Simply (discontinued), Gucci Pour Femme, Editions de Parfums L’Eau d’Hiver Splash, Emporio Armani She, Victoria’s Secret Dream Angels Heavenly, Donna Karan Cashmere Mist and Philosophy Amazing Grace.

The 3 oz bottle retails for $85 at Amazon. It can sometimes be found at discounters like FragranceX.

*Sample obtained by me. Product pic from the brand. Post contains  affiliate links.