One of L’Occitane‘s limited edition products for the holidays is Délice des Fleurs, a scent inspired by the traditional Provençal confectionary of candied flowers; it is “a gourmand floral fragrance with a powdery vanilla base and aromas of May Rose and Violet leaf absolutes.” I do love candied violets, and anything edible made from rose petals, so I immediately put Délice des Fleurs on my must-try list.

Délice des Fleurs does indeed smell as though it were “inspired by delicate roses and violets draped in sugar.” It leads with its violet note, which is sweet but not chalky; the violet is followed by a sugared rose heart, then vanilla (with a heliotrope-like creaminess) and soft white musk. The violet-rose-vanilla combination is smoothly blended. Despite its concept and its notes, Délice des Fleurs is surprisingly gentle, and can even be applied somewhat generously. On me, it avoids turning cloyingly sweet, and it doesn’t send off overwhelming waves of sillage…

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