As I was doing my Christmas shopping I stopped in the M&S Beauty Hall (like you do). Had a little breather and a spritz of Fleur d’Orangeur from Les Maison de Senteurs. I love my orange fragrances but with my increasing love of niche fragrances, this fragrance habit is not cheap. I have some glorious and expensive fragrances on my wish list. I’m getting there but sometimes, don’t you just want to douse yourself in fragrance without thinking that every spritz has cost you seventy five pence. Les Maison de Senteurs is a range that looks very ‘Provence’ Think L’Occitane and the like at a fraction of the cost
The Packaging
The aesthetic of the box is quite cottage chic. French village with distressed furnature and rustic ambiance. As an urban creature I find it quite rural and a little alien. It is very feminine. rural, pretty but I asked the Mr whether he would buy it and he said based on the bottle no, but he was not averse to the fragrance.
The Fragrance
If Serge Lutens Fleur d’Orangeur is like wearing your favourite perfectly fitting t-shirt which is in a modal fabric and has eight percent lycra, the Les Maison de Senteurs version is like the lycra free H&M Basics version.
Fleur d’Orangeur is a very green scent thanks to a liberal dose of pettigrain. This sent is not as polished or sophisticated as the Serge Lutens version. It is not as green as the now discontinued L’Occitane version of Fleur D’Orangeur but it is a decent iteration of a much beloved scent. When you spritz it you immediately know what it is and for me that is very comforting. Despite being and eau de parfum, it does not have the best longevity. If I am lucky I get four hours wear but to be honest, that is fine because I am happy to re-spritz. What I like about it compared to a cologne however is that it is less linear then a cologne. There is plenty of orange blossom sweetness to give you the feminine feels, but the pettigrain gives it a kick.
Call me a snob (many do) but sometimes, I don’t want to waste my delicious expensive fragrance on the drunkard on the night bus. On those occasions, Fleur D’orangeur comes in very handy. The best think about this is that it is £15. I even spritz it on my bed linen – how decadent am !!