Lanvin L'Homme Sport Lanvin 2009 Eau de Toilette

Sometimes fragrances polarize, conviction and rejection stand irreconcilably opposed.
However, the fact that a herbal lavender scent is completely misrepresented motivates me to sportingly take the field.
Not that I want to impose my taste here, no, it’s about a clarification.
For my best companion after sports deserves a champion.
Well then, time for my serve.

Swoosh!

First of all, the scent greets with citrus and aquatic notes. It makes no secret of its direction.
But let’s take it step by step.

The freshness of Petitgrain is slightly tinged with bitterness from the bergamot. The listed pepper is used sparingly, but adds a subtle sharpness.
Interestingly, the lemon comes through from the flesh and hints at the fruity undertone that follows later in the fragrance.
A bright and sun-drenched greeting thus creates the desired cooling effect of hesperides. And it’s very nuanced.

When I describe the direction as aquatic, it’s in an unconventional way.
This is about a rather aromatic aquatic, which ultimately presents a different facet of the Fougère base structure.

And something exciting happens here.
First, the scent takes on a bluish hue. No question, the usual components reference the 1990s. But they are just references, quite light and not overwhelming, even though Calone is used.
That polarizing molecule can be extremely annoying, but here it is only used for shading. It will never dictate the scent's progression.
I admit, the usual melon gives off this fruity note. But here it’s not just any melon.

For the dominant lavender will change color like a chameleon, this time to herbal green.
An extremely distinctive sage now enters the center court.

This sage truly lives up to its name. Strong, incredibly aromatic, and deep green.

If associations are being sought here, just click on my profile picture. The depicted sage bush hopefully conveys the desired effect.
The fluffy leaves of the herb release a wide array of aromatic impressions when crushed.
For the fragrance, the herbaceous green note was chosen, never the well-known medicinal candy variant.
So it smells like the bush under the hot sun.

Here’s a little digression.
When the leaves of the sage reach a certain maturity, they can be baked in a light dough coat in olive oil. Sprinkle with coarse salt and you have the perfect companion for a refreshing round of Pinot Gris.

So, after all those images of sage, back to the aforementioned melon.
It will never be overwhelming, as the sage sits at the wheel with the lavender.
A fitting image would be a thin slice of orange Cavaillon melon covered with sage leaves in midsummer.

An extremely elegant cooling effect is achieved by the musk - presumably the white subspecies.
Everything refreshes beautifully, while the sage remains herbaceous green.
At no point does the scent feel ordinary or even loud like its other counterparts.

The patchouli is not overly modulated by earthy notes, but rather green balsamic, yet offers a hint of cocoa.
Together with the moss, a green base is achieved. This creates a successful counterpoint to the freshness.

After about a good hour, the scent mist becomes close to the skin, but is always perceptible. Exactly the right development after sports. Cool and refreshed, one can continue on as a sage leaf.

Of course, the state of mind of the old axiomatic nose is now being questioned, as it doesn’t exactly hold back on negative criticism towards brutal synthetics.
Schizophrenia?
Available from Lanvin?
Not at all!
It’s all about the way the molecules are used.

Now that I suspect some will still roll their eyes at the praise of this blue bottle, which looks quite chic, I’d like to share my experience in the locker room.
Tired and sweaty, I head to the showers. There, I encounter the real shower gel scent of several common brands with ambitious names. Synthetics for a few pennies, which of course have their place.
So far, so conditioned tolerable.
After the revitalizing shower, my nose wanders along some unusual creations to my locker.
I smell glazed chestnuts on woody vanilla, rose enveloped in cotton candy with saffron, blue ambroxan in all variations, dried fruit with incense, or canned pineapple with gummy bears.
Heavy fare after sports and certainly not refreshing at all.

But Lanvin offers me a completely different picture. It’s one of those beautiful sunny mornings in the Département Vaucluse with numerous lavender fields.

The market in Cavaillon, located southeast of Avignon, offers pleasant shade with its plane trees.
A cool Mistral wind blows from the Rhône Valley down south along Mont Ventoux, providing a refreshing relief.
From the stalls of these magnificent melons wafts the scent of these fruits coolly. Meanwhile, spicy sage and lavender mix vigorously, creating a successful counterpoint to the fruity notes.
The musk base is flanked by woods and the patchouli described above, all very light and quite sportily elegant. Not to mention the moss, which never overwhelms.
The beautiful Luberon mountains are not far away, and I could now admire the beautiful Roman ruins in Oppède and then enjoy the blue sky in Loumarin in a nice spot. Perhaps a lavender bush is blooming nearby next to the sage.

And so I can face the day with great cheer.

One more thing, as blue as his kind might suggest, he is not in the end, the sporty man. Rather aromatic with a blue undertone.

And he can send warm regards from the Rhône Delta.