Terre De Lumiere EDP by L'Occitane En Provence

I have always been amazed at the ability of human brain to fool the body through olfactory sensations, and the perfume I want to write about today is one of those interesting gourmand ones which are associated with coziness and warmth. Imagine it's so unpleasantly cold you are almost getting a headache and then there is this scent and it fools your body that it is actually warm enough for you to feel relaxed, safe and wrapped in a soft cozy shawl.

Please welcome the beauty from L'Occitane En Provence Terre De Lumiere EDP!!! L'occitane describes it as "both fresh and warm, consisting primarily of "edible" notes such as honey and almond. Zesty and aromatic at first, the fragrance melts into an unexpectedly sweet heart of lavender honey, like a dessert for senses, before settling into sensual balsamic and musky base notes". The top notes are bergamot, ambrette and pink pepper - hence the zesty opening. Honey and lavender are in the heart of the perfume that effortlessly sway in after the opening has woken your senses. The base notes are acacia, tonka bean, almonds and musk, which form that cozy and warm sensation as the perfume dries down. 

It is a sweet and enveloping scent, quite rich and definitely not linear. I like how interestingly it develops from fresh to a little bit herbal and then to soothing warm. And the staying power is moderately good. When I first sniffed Terre De Lumiere in the shop I immediately thought it was a dupe for Mon Guerlain. I gave it a second chance and sprayed it on my wrist, and I can clearly say that Mon Guerlain is a little sharper sister of Terre De Lumiere. Lavender note in the latter is tiny bit muted, not so loud and instead of vanilla in Mon, the honey is used as an alternative. I would say if you want to make a statement wear Mon - don't get it wrong, it is not loud or demanding, it is still very feminine. However, if you are feeling a little mellower then go for Terre De Lumiere - it will wrap you in Provencal sunsets in summer.

Now, it's also worth mentioning the noses behind this amazing fragrance. This beautiful perfume was launched in 2017 and created by Calice Becker, Shyamala Maisondieu and Nadège Le Garlantezec. The first one has worked for some popular brands such as Avon, Bath and Body Works, By Kilian, Estee Lauder, Nina Ricci, Tom Ford and Tommy Hilfiger, created J'adore for Christian Dior, etc. Shyamala has worked for Lancome, Lanvin, Rochas, etc. And Nadège Le Garlantezec has worked on some creations from Boucheron, Ex Nihilo, etc.

Price-wise L'Occitane Terre De Lumiere is marketed much cheaper than Mon from Guerlain. I got the 50 ml bottle of Terre De Lumiere cheaper than 30 ml bottle of Mon. However, I think they both should be on the same shelf because they smell luxurious and expensive. I hope you could give these both perfumes a sniff and let me know if it was just me who found similarity between the two. Both of them are beautiful, warm, feminine and rich scents.