L'Olivier Panier des Sens 2021

Manufactum-Versand stands for sustainable, in the best sense of the word "good" goods that are not made for disposable consumption, but for long-term use and durability: a window into the good old days when products were still mainly made in manufactories - partly by hand and from robust materials. Both the catalog and the homepage bear witness to a classic and traditional aesthetic. It is even nicer to visit one of the Manufactum department stores, where the products are stylishly presented in wooden cabinets. It's not cheap and perhaps even a little elitist, but the investment is often worth it, as many of the products are made to last a lifetime. There is also a beautiful, almost loving selection of fragrances (including Knize, Klar, Trumper and various monastic products), including a whole range from the French brand Panier des Sens, including many classic floral fragrances such as rose and orange blossom, then lavender and of course verbena - and finally L'Olivier, the brand's only fragrance explicitly categorized as a men's perfume.

If you are put off by the hint of maritime notes, you may still want to try it out: the aquatic accents are very subtle on the skin and are reminiscent of a fine skin cream, but remain noticeable throughout the entire fragrance. The green-woody and stylishly bitter aromatic scent of olive leaves, which are rarely used in fragrances, is much more striking; I am particularly familiar with it from Vert des Bois and in the milky green, unconventionally bitter Candour, to make a far-fetched and only remotely appropriate comparison.

Not everyone will find this fragrance particularly appealing: the charm of L'Olivier only reveals itself very subtly on the second and third attempts, remaining rather close to the skin, but with a quite good, but very quiet persistence of a few hours, which is more apparent to the wearer than to the environment
A final note: In contrast to many other products sold by Manufactum, L'Olivier is very reasonably priced, as 50 ml in sustainable packaging without plastic, foil or coating (in line with Manufactum's shipping policy) costs just over 40 euros.

Unfortunately, you don't always know what you're going to receive as a fragrance at Christmas, which is why I gave myself this one.

Merry Christmas!
Yatagan