MalaNoche

Rather a perfume-like but not complex/heavy unisex scent.

At the center are the almost fruity flowers, herbal notes come through only slightly, basil is dull and sweetened, instead of green and herbal.

This is how tastefully arranged department stores for women's fashion smell, but not someone looking for the (elegant) herb-resin-forest pharmacy in a bottle.
I am currently searching in vain for the juniper during this autumn season.

What remains is a scent note that reminds me of mildly creamy perfume-rhubarb. Quite unexpectedly.

At least it remains unsporty and comes without too much Iso Super-E molecule stuff. Rather a scent for candles / diffusers.

Searching for the expanses of the sea and the fresh sea air, I ended up in the swimming pool
of a sterile designed outdoor pool (synthetic aquatic!!!!!).
The entrance fee was not worth it... a boring day.

I smell no notes, I only smell "Aqua" on the standard wood-musk base.

Every year again (every year?) there is a new summer edition of the classic Verveine fragrance, which is considered a staple at l'Occitane, this time in turquoise-green-blue and promising freshness and coolness. On the website, if I remember correctly, there was something about a stream and the mineral freshness of the water that the truck with the Verveine harvest passes by.
Well.

When I read about the cucumber among the fragrance notes here, I had to think of my mother.
Recently, after a long abstinence from making juice, I enthusiastically dug out the old juicer, and she advised me:
"Hey, you might want to skip the cucumber. It ruins every juice."

I still included it, juiced it, and the juice actually tasted quite okay.

It's similar with Frisson de Verveine. You get the classic scent of verbena along with a vague fresh undertone, in contrast to the sharp lemon from previous years. The cucumber doesn't ruin anything because it simply doesn't make much of a difference.

What has emerged is a fragrance that, in terms of its difference from the original, is rather unremarkable, and it indeed feels like this has just been diluted a bit with cucumber water.
The real freshness kick or a distinctly perceivable accent is missing for me, especially since the scent only lasted about an hour.

Not a bad summer water, probably even my favorite Verveine variation from l'Occitane, which doesn't mean it's interesting, exciting, or not completely unnecessary.
So, why not stop by the stream, splash around naked with verbena in the water, and then let the sun dry you on the grass, rather than just passing by in the harvest truck?

Could be an exciting change, l'Occitane!

Gourmand fragrances are not my main focus, and whether I will delve deeper into Traversée du Bosphore, I do not know. In terms of style, it is relatively simple and thin, which is typical for the entire line of L'Artisan Parfumeur. Unfortunately, the poetry of the PR material often translates into fragrances that, in my opinion, do not fully realize their potential or live up to their claims.
The initial apple top note dissipates quickly, and more and more the scent is limited to the thin vanilla suede that is perceptible at all times, with the powderiness of a lipstick - until the end.
Despite the richly sounding ingredients, Traversée du Bosphore is rather delicate, which I actually quite like in this case, especially considering the creamy-powdery base note, perhaps also just because it was a very hot day today.
With other L'Artisans, this is exactly the weak point.

Nevertheless, something is missing.
This L'Artisan somewhat reminds me of L'Instant de Guerlain and loses out in comparison.
Elegance, minimalist refinement in the implementation of an oriental gourmand theme, has, in my opinion, simply been replaced by simplicity here.
The journey feels too quick to me, and there is a lack of a few short trips along the Bosporus, a little exploration on the way to the destination. Apparently, the priority was to arrive quickly.
But those who just drive around in a car might have the leather scent of the car seats in their nose; however, they will miss the cultural local diversity, just like Traversée du Bosphore.

"En Passant" could also be a fragrance from L'artisan Parfumeur, in any case, there is a strong resemblance to "L'ete en Douce" (another Giacobetti), which, however, comes across as a bit juicier in the top note.
Both share the fabric softener note and what I simply call dry rice powder. "En Passant" is, for all the associations it awakens in me, an absolute soliflore, indeed the scent you breathe in when you stroll down the street on a mild summer day and sniff at all the plants by the roadside. I felt the same way about "Carnal Flower." This lifelike reproduction of flowers in the air seems to be a trademark of the Malle fragrances.

It doesn't really suit my taste. Personally, I think the opportunity was missed to create a truly cool, watery fresh imaginary flower or "scent situation." I find the idea of mixing in a light orange and its leaves fantastic, as well as embedding the whole thing in cucumber water. However, in my opinion, one could have done without the rice. All these ideas and notes appeal to me greatly, but fundamentally, they are not perceived; they only serve to create this realistic lilac note, which I incredibly enjoy as a scent in nature but not so much as a perfume.

...Addendum: In the meantime, I do perceive something like orange and a certain juiciness that I like. Therefore, now 10% more.