Very Cherry (L'Occitane: Cherry Blossom Solid Perfume)

Member Name: pink_glitter

Product:	L'Occitane: Cherry Blossom Solid Perfume
Date:	30/10/08 (515 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Smells gorgeous, convenient, cheaper than the eau de toilette

Disadvantages: smell is very subtle, needs frequent re-application

A couple of months ago, I purchased a set from QVC containing various travel sized L'Occitane products, including four from their Cherry Blossom range. I immediately fell in love with the Cherry Blossom scent and wasn't surprised to learn that it is L'Occitane's best selling fragrance. I really wanted to try the Cherry Blossom perfume, so I went down to Fenwick's - the only local place I know in Newcastle that stock L'Occitane - and tried the Eau de Toilette. It smelled absolutely gorgeous, but I couldn't really justify buying another perfume - especially one that cost £32.

It was a couple of weeks later that I was browsing the L'Occitane website that I noticed that they also made a Cherry Blossom solid perfume, and better still it only cost £6.50. I hadn't used a solid perfume since I was a teenager, and had been keen to try one of the ones Lush makes, but I loved this fragrance so much, I walked into town that morning to buy myself one!

This is one of only three solid perfumes L'Occitane make (the other two being rose and green tea) and it comes in a small round tin, similar to lip balm, but perhaps a little smaller. The tin is matt silver with a peach and pink label which is in keeping with the packaging of the other cherry blossom products. One thing I did notice about the tin, was that the lid was a little bit loose when I first bought it, and I was worried that it might come off in my bag, but just nipping the sides in a little bit seems to have solved this problem.

When you remove the lid, you can immediately smell the beautiful cherry blossom fragrance. The smell is very gentle, and although usually when I think of cherry, I think of the fruity smell (like cherryade!) this is made from the blossom, so is more floral. It's a very delicate scent, this one, and is probably more suited for summer, as it's so light, but I think it would suit all age groups.

As it is such a delicate smell, it's more a daytime sort of perfume I'd say - usually at night I prefer something a little heavier and sexier - this scent has 'innocent' written all over it! L'Occitane say that as well as cherry blossom, this perfume has top notes of freesia and blackcurrant. I'll be honest, I don't know what freesia's smell like, but when I first read that it contained blackcurrant, I thought 'are they serious?!' as I didn't think it smelled anything like blackcurrant, but going back and having a sniff, I think I can actually detect it in there. It's quite subtle though, and I don't think you'd notice it unless someone pointed it out!

The actual solid perfume is white and a bit like a wax. To use it, you simply rub your finger over it, and rub it onto the skin, on points such as the wrists and neck - basically wherever you would normally spray a liquid perfume.

I have found that when rubbing your finger over the waxy perfume, it is quite hard to pick up - the perfume does not melt very easily, so it can take quite a while to actually get enough on your finger to transfer to your wrist or wherever you want to put it. Also if you have long nails, you might find that it gets under them, which is a bit of a pain in the neck! Once you've managed to get some on your hands, it's a lot easier to rub onto your skin - possibly because your body heat has melted it a bit - and I always find it goes on smoothly.

Although I have eczema and sometimes get allergic reactions to things, I've experienced no irritation from this. They are actually alcohol free, so some people - although I'm not saying all, because everyone is different - may find them better for sensitive skin. My mam for example, can't wear regular perfumes as the alcohol causes a reaction, but she's fine with solid perfume.

The main downside of this product for me, is the strength of fragrance. Although I love the actual scent, it isn't very strong in this perfume, and even when I apply quite a lot of this, the fragrance is very subtle - a lot more so than the eau de toilette, which I only sprayed the tester once and could smell it for the rest of the day. It doesn't seem to stay on the skin for very long either which is a little bit of a disappointment, and has to be re-applied almost every hour or so, as the fragrance fades fast.

The L'Occitane website says this is ideal for 'touch ups' and I agree that perhaps this is what it is best for. The liquid perfume comes only in a 100ml size, which is a heck of a big bottle to be carrying in your handbag with you! I think if you own the perfume, this might be a good way of touching up your perfume without carrying the whole bottle with you.

And whilst I'm on the subject, this is a convenient little thing to carry around. As it's so small and lightweight, I find it's great for carrying in my handbag - and there's no need to worry about leakage, or the bottle getting damaged, as has often happened with some of my perfumes when I've been carrying them about.

The product can be bought from department stores such as Fenwick's and I believe House of Fraser also stock L'Occitane. Alternatively you can buy it online from www.loccitane.co.uk and it costs just £6.50.

Overall, I am quite happy with this product. As I do love the fragrance so much, this is a really affordable way of wearing it, and I like the convenience that I get from carrying a solid perfume as opposed to a bottle. The main negative side is the strength of the scent isn't great, and it needs frequent re-application, which is where this product really lets itself down. I would consider buying it again, but I think it would be better as a product to touch up the Eau de Toilette spray, rather than used alone, as I am currently doing.

Summary: A sweet cherry perfume