I’ve been reading a lot of Marie Claire lately. You see, if I read it in English, I feel self-indulgent, but if I read it in French, I can justify the time spent as a language practice. Plus, since the French Marie Claire comes with a Belgian insert, I learn a lot about new lines and local products. My latest discovery is Bien-être L’Eau Parfumée des Familles. Besides Caudalie Divine Oil (Huile Divine), the French beauty press has fallen hard for this simple cologne. Described variously as “a little scented trinket” or a “light and bright scent for a midsummer night’s dream,” it caught my attention too, as did its great price of 6 € ($7.50) for a 250ml bottle.
It’s a light citrusy cologne that dries down to a powdery floral musk. Intended for the whole family, including children, it has the typical scent of French baby products–orange blossom. L’Eau Parfumée des Familles also weaves some crisp violet and grape notes, in addition to cedarwood, and its scent is at once lighthearted and sophisticated.
I’ve learned that in Belgium, as in France, colognes are a popular addition to evening baths, and I’ve experimented with a few favorites, from Ô de Lancôme to 4711. L’Eau Parfumée’s refreshing and delicate scent lingers pleasantly on the skin, becoming my perfumed nightgown. Incidentally, light, low-sillage perfumes like L’Eau Parfumée des Familles, Eau de Bonpoint, Parfums de Nicolaï Petit Ange, Petit Guerlain, Le Labo Ambrette 9, and Bulgari Petits et Mamans, and L’Artisan L’Eté en Douce are also perfect for office or travel, when I crave something comforting, but don’t want to impose my perfume onto anyone else.
L’Eau Parfumée des Familles was created by perfumer Sidonie Lancesseur. I enjoy much of her work including by Kilian Straight to Heaven, Incense Oud, and Cruel Intentions and Olfactive Studio Lumière Blanche (my current infatuation!) It was fun to see that even such a simple product as a baby cologne can get a new elegant twist.
Bien-être L’Eau Parfumée des Familles includes notes of mandarin, freesia, pear, orange blossom, honey, musk, cedarwood, and oakmoss. L’Eau Parfumée des Familles is available from pharmacies in France (and starting in September you can find it all over Europe), so it’s another great example of what to look for during your travels.
83 Comments
Austenfan: Ever since Denyse’s glowing review of the Olfactive Studio Lumière Blanche ( with the stunning photograph) I have been dying to try it. I will have to order their sample set which seems very reasonably priced.
This cologne sounds lovely. Have you ever tried Eau de Lalique? Another soft lovely cologne with some dill in it. August 29, 2012 at 8:06am
Rachel: I really want to try it too, but I can’t figure out if it’s sold in the US. August 29, 2012 at 9:49am
Victoria: I don’t think that it’s in the US yet. I hope that Luckyscent picks it up. August 29, 2012 at 10:45am
Kim: Perfumeniche.com has decants of Lumiere Blanche, and I believe thy ship worldwide. August 29, 2012 at 9:25pm
Victoria: Thank you, Kim! Good to know. August 30, 2012 at 3:45am
Victoria: I bet I have a bottle of Eau de Lalique in my storage someplace, but now it’s miles and miles away. Lalique perfumes are among the better ones from the small prestige lines, and Eau de Lalique is such a great cologne.
The photography for Lumière Blanche is impressive. Not sure if the perfume exactly smells that way to me, but it’s a great fragrance. August 29, 2012 at 10:39am
Lyng: Lumière Blanche is wonderful but sadly it only lasts three to four hours on me. I wonder if you fare better, Victoria? August 29, 2012 at 11:15am
Victoria: It lasts really well on me, but I’m wondering if the musky drydown is the reason you don’t smell it once it gets to that stage (it takes about that long for me). Everyone differs in terms of their sensitivity to musk. August 29, 2012 at 2:59pm
Lyng: Of course! Musc and my nose don’t get along, I cannot smell Musc Normade and SSS Sienna Musk for instance. August 29, 2012 at 4:03pm
Austenfan: Does Lumière Blanche smell anything like L’Eau d’Hiver?
I will spend the last two weeks of September in France so I will definitely look for the cologne. August 29, 2012 at 12:43pm
Victoria: It’s similar, but if you imagine more sandalwood, more milky notes and more spice. Very good! August 29, 2012 at 3:13pm
Raluca: That sounds so lovely! Sometimes I wish I had my own perfume store and could import fragrances from Europe and all over the world.
Sometimes I also spray perfume after my evening shower. It’s one way I pamper myself. 🙂 August 29, 2012 at 8:14am
Victoria: I would come to your shop! 🙂
Perfume in the evening is such a great way to enjoy it. As someone commented here, you wake up the next day to a drydown, which may be a surprise. August 29, 2012 at 10:40am
Barbara: Your first paragraph made me smile, V. That’s a fun language practice!
I want to tell you that I’ve tried a cologne bath after I read your 5 simple summer pleasures article and I loved it. I used Eau de Guerlain. Bien Etre cologne sounds nice too. August 29, 2012 at 8:17am
solanace: I smiled too. Specially since I consider perfume blogs some sort of English practice, so I’m never guilty about the time I spend around… August 29, 2012 at 10:39am
Victoria: Well, anything I can do to justify some down time with a magazine. Things have been so hectic that I feel a bit guilty doing that.
So happy to hear that you enjoyed a cologne bath, and the one scented with Eau de Guerlain must have been a royal treatment. August 29, 2012 at 10:41am
solanace: Of course, I only say that because perfume has absolutely nothing to do with my job… Sometimes I feel I should be reading a paper instead of reviews of Lady Gaga Fame, something I will never even smell… August 30, 2012 at 7:35pm
Victoria: I also could be spending my time in more efficient manner, I guess, and I’m always scolding myself for wasting time doing something useless (like browsing online or checking out Ebay auctions). But in the end, I realize, one can’t be perfectly efficient, and sometimes these little things–like reading the reviews of Lady Gaga Fame or an article about lipsticks in Marie Claire–is what one needs to wind down. August 31, 2012 at 4:15am
marsi: You make me miss the cologne baths my mom would give me when I was little! August 29, 2012 at 8:45am
Victoria: What a nice memory, Marsi! What cologne did your mom use? August 29, 2012 at 10:42am
Marguerite Glorney: I would love to buy this cologne! Where can I buy it, please? I live in Ireland.
Love your blog. August 29, 2012 at 9:17am
Victoria: You might want to check at the pharmacies or even supermarkets. Bien-Etre is one of those brands that should be available fairly easily in Europe, but I really am not sure about a specific place in Ireland. August 29, 2012 at 10:43am
Rachel: I guess I like baby perfumes. Out of the ones you mentioned, I have all but Petit Guerlain and Eau de Bonpoint.
I prefer the French edition of Marie Claire myself, the features are so much more interesting. August 29, 2012 at 9:45am
Victoria: Yes, that’s what I noticed. The articles cover an interesting range. The August issue covered topics from the cost of artificially maintaining one’s useful looks (with quotes from various philosophers!) to the discussion of women’s rights in Morocco. And it also featured a terrific interview with Ines de la Fressange. August 29, 2012 at 10:44am
sammysmom: Orange blossom for babies? Who knew! I think of it as such an adult scent.
But you know I have a soft spot for J&J baby powder. Am I silly? August 29, 2012 at 10:13am
Victoria: Not at all! I love the scent of J&J baby powder, even though I really don’t associate it with babies.
Interesting, isn’t it, how culturally defined these preferences are. Of course, the orange blossom in baby products is the indolic, dark flower like in some more adult perfumes. August 29, 2012 at 10:46am
Jessica: I’ve occasionally spritzed myself with Bulgari Petits et Mamans or Tartine et Chocolat when I’ve seen them in shops. French children’s scents are the best! I also used to love the Le Petit Prince fragrance, which was a simple citrusy splash, so refreshing. August 29, 2012 at 10:14am
Victoria: Guerlain’s baby scents are excellent (one of them was created by Olivia Giacobetti and it pretty much smells like her style). Now that you’ve mentioned the Le Petit Prince fragrance, I really want to try it. I love the book. August 29, 2012 at 10:48am
solanace: Thank’s for the great ideas for my girl! I’ll have to order some samples… August 29, 2012 at 10:41am
Victoria: Your girl will be the best smelling child around. 🙂 August 29, 2012 at 10:51am
carole macleod: I love love love love Tartine et Chocolat! I have the one with blue label. It’s just beautiful, and has no alcohol. perfect, especially if you’ve just shaved your legs 🙂 August 29, 2012 at 10:42am
Victoria: Tartine et Chocolat is such a charming perfume! And more sophisticated than half of the big brand launches. August 29, 2012 at 10:52am
Lucy: This looks like such a comfort scent, and the idea of the perfume nightgown is perfect, subtle yet there. I am envying you! We don’t have this here yet, I hope we do soon. August 29, 2012 at 11:10am
Victoria: It’s very simple, Lucy! If you can find something like PdN Petit Ange (I saw it at New London Pharmacy), you will have something similar. August 29, 2012 at 2:58pm
Cristina: I love these little gems you seem to keep discovering over there. August 29, 2012 at 11:26am
Victoria: It’s fun to try these new things. Whenever I would visit France from the US, I would end up buying stuff like this, and I really wished someone wrote more about these gems. Sure, expensive perfumes are easy enough to read about, but these kind of pharmacy treasures aren’t covered in the US magazines. August 29, 2012 at 3:01pm
Lyng: Children’s scents? Most Danish mothers would try their utmost to avoid anything containing perfume getting near their children. How different we are 🙂
French brand Astier de Villatte produces ceramics and tableware but also a handful of colognes by Francoise Caron. Eau Chic with its herbs and white flowers (tuberose!) is pure, refreshing pleasure on a humid summer day or evening. August 29, 2012 at 11:39am
Victoria: Lyng, is there a particular type of scent used for Danish baby products? Now, I’m very curious.
Thank you for recommending Astier de Villatte. Something new for me to try! August 29, 2012 at 3:02pm
Lyng: No, not really. It’s a salespoint here when a product is unscented and environment friendly. It’s the same with detergents, sanitary articles, etc. As in many other industrialized countries asthma and allergies are an increasing problem. There is a general awareness of this; many people distrust too much “chemistry”, they want simple and “clean” products. August 29, 2012 at 3:58pm
Victoria: That’s very interesting! Here in Belgium I see lots of unscented products at the bio (organic) stores, but the regular supermarkets stock a variety of highly scented products. On the other hand, the organic stuff is not much more expensive than the regular variety. August 29, 2012 at 6:44pm
Jillie: This took me right back to my childhood: a sweet little pharmacy in the suburb of London where we lived used to bring Bien-Etre cologne over from France, and would arrange its bottles artistically into a pyramid in its window. Being a fledgling perfumista, I used to get my parents to buy me bottles as I loved its citrussy smell (so much more complex than ordinary cologne to my nose), and I was intrigued by the painted white flowers on the big bottle. (These days I like the flowers painted on Perrier-Jouet Champagne bottles!)
Later, a lavender and a more woody version were introduced, but then sadly my chemist stopped selling it.
Years later I was mourning its loss to my best friend who married a Frenchman and now lives in Paris. She exclaimed “But it’s a supermarket cologne, it’s dead cheap and my husband uses it in gallons after his shower!” and promptly sent me over three bottles.
I still have a little left, so I will now search my cupboard for it. The original, “naturelle” was my favourite, but I see from an internet search that they have added other types, like rose, as well as this new one you are writing about. How nice to think it’s still going.
Now where is that bottle? …… August 29, 2012 at 12:06pm
Jillie: Sorry for being so long-winded! August 29, 2012 at 12:07pm
Victoria: Please dn’t apologize, Jillie, and be as long-winded as you want! It was so enjoyable to read your recollections. August 29, 2012 at 3:03pm
Victoria: Oh, I’m so happy to read this, because I didn’t know that much about the brand, other than it was around for a while. A French colleague later commented that her whole family used Bien-Etre, but a different type from the one I wrote about. Your story also makes me appreciate it even more.
Funny, isn’t it, how some things can remind us of childhood. Your mention of these colognes reminded me of a rug my father’s friend brought from London. It depicted a dog. A few years ago when I went back to help my mom clean up our old house in Ukraine before it got sold, I spotted the rug again. It was our “English rug,” and we thought that it was so stylish and so different from the Eastern design carpets everyone had at the time. Made me very sad to throw it away. Sigh… why on earth did I get so wistful and sappy over a rug all of a sudden? 🙂 August 29, 2012 at 3:08pm
Bela: How funny: I wrote a post on MUA on Sunday about what I brought back from four days spent in Lille last week. I posted a picture of those nice, inexpensive things, and among them was a bottle of Mont St-Michel Eau de Cologne Ambrée, which I always buy whenever I travel to France (which isn’t as often as I’d like). I love it because EdC Ambrée (from another, now-defunct company) was my father’s favourite. It’s very soft and warm and perfect for when you don’t want the full ‘perfume effect’.
I didn’t come across this one (I know the other eaux in that range) in Lille, but I’ll make sure to sniff it next time I’m in my country of birth. August 29, 2012 at 12:06pm
Victoria: Oh, that’s a thread I want to read! I’m off to MUA to find it.
Actually, we were planning to go to Lille a couple of weeks ago, but something came up all of a sudden and we stay a bit closer to home. But we’re definitely planning to visit there, and I might write to you for some recommendations of things to see, if you don’t mind.
Mont St-Michel Eau de Cologne Ambrée is on my list to try. August 29, 2012 at 3:10pm
Bela: Please do, V. Once you move away from the business area, Lille is quite a pleasant and interesting little town. August 29, 2012 at 4:58pm
Wordbird: I’m a fellow Mont St Michel EdC Ambree is my favourite edc as well. Like Bela, when I do make it across the channel, I also stock up. (I especially like the soap too.) Speaking of things I stock up on, but not a fragrance, have you tried the famous (on the blogs anyway) Bioderma Crealine micellar cleanser yet, V? August 29, 2012 at 5:48pm
Victoria: I haven’t tried this cleanser, but I just read the reviews on Amazon and they are glowing. Sounds like an interesting product to check out. Thank you! August 29, 2012 at 6:49pm
Victoria: My friends here tell me to visit–it’s close and has enough things to see to justify a trip.
Sounds like your visit was a lot of fun. I just read your account on MUA and saw the photos. I now have even more things to explore. 😉 August 29, 2012 at 6:47pm
Daisy: I love Sidonie Lancesseur’s work for Kilian! I will be on the lookout for this. It sounds lovely — and the price point just makes it irrestible! August 29, 2012 at 1:00pm
Victoria: The price point is great, isn’t it! I’m so tired of the overpriced perfumes, both in the prestige and niche lines, that I’m happy to discover something else for my category. August 29, 2012 at 3:15pm
Anne Sheffield: Ohhh I love bien être. In France we can get it in the super market, easyyyyyy! I do love “baby sent” , I used to wear baby Bulgari when my daughter was born…. Soft and cuddly. August 29, 2012 at 2:32pm
Victoria: Cuddly and soft is a great way to describe these scents. They are so tender and charming, and sometimes it’s just the thing one wants. 🙂 August 29, 2012 at 3:15pm
Raw Honey: Thanks. We’re constantly amazed by how far orange blossoms go. We use it in our honey. August 29, 2012 at 2:46pm
Victoria: Orange blossom honey is one of my favorites! August 29, 2012 at 3:16pm
DimSumBxl: Can’t wait to try this one. Read a lot about it in magazines as well, it seems beauty journalists are kind of raving about it. I hope it will be available in Belgium. I remember my mother frictioning me with the classic version of bien-être cologne when I was a child. Childhood memories… 🙂 August 29, 2012 at 2:55pm
Victoria: When the French journalists rave about something, it’s impossible not to notice. The epithets are so over the top and catchy! 🙂
Are there other classical brands similar to Bien-Etre that you can recommend? August 29, 2012 at 3:17pm
Andrea: My grandmother used strawberry cologne from a huge bottle to “anoint” me following bathrobe. Then came the powder puff: a lOng-handled pink puff filled with powder. Clouds of talc would send us into giggles… Knowing how much I loved the cologne, she offered it to me to take home. My mother refused to let me have it, she didn’t want to impose on her mother. However, I suppose I must have been a fledgling perfumista before by values were set; I tried to sneak some in my luggage!
My grandmother’s horror at my 5-year-old perfume thievery was enough to set me on a straight and narrow path. No more stealing cologne for me! Now I have Clarins’ discontinued “par Amour Toujours” to remind me of my childhood escapade, it is a child’s perfume with rose and strawberry. Perfect, since pink roses were my Grandmother’s and my favorite! August 29, 2012 at 3:18pm
Victoria: You were a perfumista even at that young age! I’m laughing at your misbehavior, which to me now seems cute.
By the way, one of my own early childhood memories was the strawberry soap my grandmother used on me. It was our favorite. My mom preferred a more elegant floral variety, but I liked the punchy, bright strawberry. August 29, 2012 at 6:41pm
Andrea: “following bathrobe”??? I detest iPhone’s spell feature, even more when I fail to catch it! Of course I meant “following bath”! August 29, 2012 at 3:21pm
Victoria: I wrote an email to a colleague and my iphone changed Bisous (Kisses) to Bosoms. Well, we’re close enough friends that he got a good laugh out of it. August 29, 2012 at 6:42pm
Bela: ROTFL! August 29, 2012 at 7:32pm
annemariec: So having caved in after you scented oil post and bought some Nuxe oil, I’m going to be very strong this time.
But again your post makes me think of different scented traditions in different countries. I love the idea of a huge bottle of cologne that all the family can splash on. But (in Australia) I’ve never known any family that does that, and lord knows, it gets hot enough in many parts of the country. 4711 is widely used but only by women, not as shared thing.
Have you ever tried any of patricial de nicolai’s bath colognes, by the way? I rarely see them mentioned on the blogs but they do exist in her bath products line! August 29, 2012 at 6:42pm
Victoria: I’ve tried Cologne Sologne, which is a great orange blossom. Not as complex as Annick Goutal Neroli (which is already quite uncluttered and simple), but very good quality. Definitely something to try, if one likes the idea of a cologne splash or a cologne bath.
Patricia de Nicolai’s lectures at the Osmotheque often include mentions of the cologne bath tradition, so I’m not surprised that she included a product like that in her own line.
And checking out the website the other day, I realized that she has a dry oil too, Huile sèche Ylang-Ylang. Another new thing to discover! August 29, 2012 at 6:54pm
annemariec: Very tempting! And I notice that, with typical but charming lack of attention to detail, the website does not specify how much the dry oil bottles contain … August 29, 2012 at 10:58pm
Victoria: 🙂 I really would love someone to upgrade the presentation of this line a little bit, because the fragrances are so excellent, while the packaging isn’t at all. On the other hand, can you find another niche line that’s such a bargain? August 30, 2012 at 3:46am
Elena: I envy all of you who have access to such variety and loveliness in the grocery store! We have to make due with Burt’s Bees Bath Oil, which I do love but I wish there was more variety here. My almost 3 year old daughter would love to have her own “perfume”, and she’s always trying to get into mine. Her favorite is CB I Hate Perfume Black March. I was introducing my brother to a couple of my unisex bottles, and she asked him if he’d ever tried “the dirt one.” This would be a lot more appropriate, not to mention cheaper! August 29, 2012 at 9:20pm
Victoria: It’s so cute that your daughter wants her own perfume now. Since she’s so little, how about just a simple spritz with orange blossom water? It’s calming and very good for the skin.
At TJ Maxx and Marshalls you would be able to find lots of interesting “Euro pharmacy” products. I realize that some of the brands I would buy from Marshalls at discount are the same ones I see here in Europe. Of course, you need to check time to time, since their stock varies greatly. I miss Marshalls and TJ Maxx!
Suzanna who lives in a small town in Florida usually shops for these things from the European Ebay and she has had a great track record. She also mentioned buying on Amazon, but we need to ask her for more details. Andrea who turned me onto Caudalie found it at Sephora. August 30, 2012 at 3:45am
bluegardenia: Confession. I sometimes pour an entire mini bottle of fracas parfum (they’re not very expensive, especially on eBay) into a hot bath. It is heavenly! Different from wearing the perfume of course, but such a beautiful scent in the bathroom and on the skin. August 30, 2012 at 10:45pm
Victoria: Now, that sounds wonderful! You probably don’t even need that much Fracas for a strong scented bath. August 31, 2012 at 4:15am
Elin: Now I’m both envious of the central European shopping possibilities and of all with a bath tub of their own! We had bath tub growing up, and I miss it so much. Who thought it was a good idea to build apartments with only showers??
My mum always had O de Lancôme on her nightstand, two different kinds I think. I should try to find her some, or for myself so I can smell my childhood when I’m not too sentimental.
The unscented perfume free products are in every supermarket here too like in Denmark, and it doesn’t have to be a particularly green product. Perhaps it’s a scandinavian thing, although I don’t completely get it because I have developed severe allergies myself from pollen and I do not get much help nor sympathy from the doctors or the neighbours. Even official planting keeps spreading birch trees one of the worst offenders. What Im trying to say is that when it comes to perfume free products, suddenly people seem to care about allergies but it’s all a bit hypocritical, traffic and pollen are more likely to cause illness and allergies and nothing is done about those factors. September 3, 2012 at 7:58pm
Victoria: I can’t agree more, Elin! I know that some people are extremely sensitive to scents and that there are some hypersensitivities to perfumes, but really, how many scents one is exposed to vis-a-vis traffic pollution and pollen? At least, smoking has been banned in public places in the US and Europe.
I sympathize; I’ve lived in a place for several years that had only a shower, and I missed the ritual of taking a bath. You can still mimic the cologne bath idea by splashing some cologne inside your shower once you turn the water on. It will vaporize nicely, and you will have an uplifting morning shower experience. September 4, 2012 at 5:46am
Elin: That’s a wonderful idea, I’ll have to try it! I must admit I have been quite obsessed brooding over the lack of a bath especially in autumn and winter, making crazy plans in my head like putting a tub on my balcony.
To turn it around and look forward to delicious cologne showers is brilliant, thank you Victoria!
🙂 September 4, 2012 at 5:59am
Victoria: You’re welcome, Elin! 🙂 It’s sometimes even fun when the circumstances cause you to be creative and come up with interesting solutions. You can even put a drop or two of essential oils on the wall of your shower (where the water will not rinse them off right away). The scent will really fill up the space when your shower will be full of hot steam. Mmmm… I do that sometimes when I have no time for a bath. September 4, 2012 at 4:21pm
bluegardenia: Oh. My. Lord. This is the most brilliant idea I’ve ever heard! (Especially for us sensitive skinned types.) I’m rushing off to take a hot bath with some jasmine and tuberose absolutes on the wall!!! September 4, 2012 at 6:04pm
Nancy A: Happy Holidays from across the miles. The city is emptying out (yea!). Reading about this lovely, light fragrance and BdJ readers contributions today are wonderful. I particularly enjoyed reading about the three year old wanting her own perfume. What sophistication — guess that’s the age where it begins. Coincindentally, I was at Whole Foods/Whole Body the other day and started to go through the mini scented oil testers and welcomed the fact that the end result was soft & long lasting particularly the Amber-Sandalwood that appealed to me or at least the dry down was appealing. Best part is they can be used on body and for interior, bathing, etc. One little workhorse without breaking the bank. November 21, 2012 at 1:29pm
Victoria: Have a wonderful holiday, Nancy! Amber Sandalwood sounds good. The combination itself should be wonderful. November 21, 2012 at 2:22pm
Abby: Baby colognes are quite popular in the Philippines. I think we have around 10 variants of Johnson’s Baby Cologne here. Their “Milk + Rice” variant for Baby Bath and Baby Lotion is pretty popular even amongst adults. I remember living in a rural area in high school and on the way home after class, asking my friend to buy me the Johnson’s Baby “Summer Swing” cologne in the store near her house. Local clothing brands like Bench have also produced their own line of baby colognes. Spanish baby colognes that come in big 500ml-750ml bottles such as Denenes, Nenuco, Para Mi Bebe, Gotitas de Oro and Famosin are also readily available in the supermarket. (I’m not sure how this is related but the Philippines is a former colony of Spain.) (I personally love Denenes and always have a giant bottle on the shelf.) I feel that baby powders and colognes are popular because Philippines is a tropical country where it’s hot and humid daily, save for when a typhoon is passing by. Personally, I shower twice a day and go wild with the cologne after. I constantly need to feel refreshed. And strong perfumes don’t sit well with the hot weather; it can be smothering not only to the one who’s wearing it but also to the person sitting next to them. I’ve had the Tartine et Chocolat as well but I mostly spray it on clothes that I repeatedly wear, like jackets. I find that it smells better when the scent is “lived in”. We also have Mustela boutiques in the country now and I always use the cologne and the skin freshener. My cousins and aunts (in their late 20’s and 30’s) living in the province always ask me to send them bottles of the Skin Freshener. The cologne smells exactly like the Musti Eau de Soin. I don’t really know the difference except for the packaging. In the past year, I chanced upon local online shops selling Cadentia Bébé and Bien-être Naturelle colognes. I bought both blindly and I just fell in love with the glass bottles. (That’s how I came across this post! Greetings from 2016.) Now, I’m very curious about this particular variant because there is a white musk note. I love the Acca Kappa Muschio Bianco cologne so much and I’m hoping that it’s at least reminiscent of that. Sadly, the variant you wrote about is not available here. I’ve looked at all possibilities and I don’t think I’ll ever get to try a bottle of this unless I buy it in France in person. I wish someone will bring in the brand in the Philippines or at least some other country in Asia, like Hong Kong. Guess I have to wait for a few years. Your review is *that* compelling! Thank you. I wish people would talk more about inexpensive skin scents. There is so much amazing baby colognes out there and I love that people are discussing their collective memory around these scents. It speaks so much about the differences and similarities of people’s cultures from all walks of life 🍃 May 28, 2016 at 1:20pm
Victoria: Thank you very much for such an interesting comment. I loved learning the way scents are used in the Philippines. You’re right, hot and humid climates are the most difficult ones for wearing perfume, so fresh and light colognes are the best options. Did you check Ebay for this particular blend? May 30, 2016 at 1:11pm
Abby: I finally got a hold of it! My friends say that at first spray, it smells like a “Santo Niño” (a statue of an infant Jesus usually adorned with flowers, lol) or sampaguita. I don’t know how to describe it but it smells wonderful! Something like a baby’s breath, as if they drank diluted condensed milk. I love it. Wouldn’t have tried it if not for this blog 🌸 June 25, 2016 at 1:23am
Victoria: Yay! Very happy to hear it, Abby. June 30, 2016 at 3:21am
Julie: Hi everyone! I need help. I am looking for a citrus fragrance that you can get in a local pharmacy in Paris. Unfortunately, I can not remember the name anymore because it was given to me 3 years ago. My friend said it was a generic brand? Not sure about this info but she said it was not an expensive brand. It has an orange-y scent, very mild. It came in a glass bottle, squarish. I apologize for the lack of details but I’m just trying my luck here. I have been searching the internet, punching all the key words that I think can bring me to the name, but no luck. I hope I can find it. 🙂 July 5, 2016 at 2:55pm