Star rating: 5 stars–outstanding/potential classic, 4 stars–very good, 3 stars–adequate, 2 stars–disappointing, 1 star–poor.
The green softness of tea paired with mellow spicy notes gives L’Occitane Green Tea / Thé Vert a very appealing fresh, yet hazy quality. It recalls the pleasantly fuzzy feel of tender buds or perhaps peach skin. Despite a lavish dose of citrusy notes, Green Tea does not really venture into the territory of classical cologne. Instead, it plays up the soft woody notes and crisp floral motifs to create a simple, yet very appealing green tea fragrance.
Green Tea was created by perfumer Fabrice Pellegrin in 1999, and it is essentially a budget version of Bvlgari Eau Parfumée au Thé Vert. If Bvlgari Thé Vert has a nuanced complexity, L’Occitane’s version is a much more straightforward green tea accord framed by citrus and woods. As such, it succeeds in conveying a bright, sparkling impression of uncured tea leaves. The fragrance opens up on a top note of pepper, bergamot and lemon. While the initial effervescence lasts but a few minutes, it sets a vivid tone, which lasts into the drydown. The main body of Green Tea is that of violet, soft cedarwood, and green herbal notes. It is a light, easy-to-wear fragrance, with a decent, if understated sillage. A splash of Green Tea straight from the fridge on a hot summer day is as refreshing as a sip of cold lemonade.
Although in terms of originality, Green Tea does not present anything that Bvlgari Eau Parfumée au Thé Vert did not already offer, in the cheap and chic category, it is hard to beat. It is quite affordable at $19 for 0.6oz, and it includes a nice range of scented body products. Green Tea is the perfume equivalent of a T-shirt & jeans and it is just about as versatile.
Other green tea fragrances to consider: L’Artisan Thé pour un Été, Mäurer & Wirtz 4711 Acqua Colonia Lemon & Ginger, Elizabeth Arden Green Tea, Jo Malone Assam & Grapefruit, Berdoues 1902 Thea Verde (Green Tea,) Lancôme AromaTonic, Annick Goutal Duel. Finally, Calvin Klein CkOne and Tommy Girl are perhaps familiar to the point of contempt, yet they have stellar green tea accords.
L’Occitane Green Tea / Thé Vert includes notes of bergamot, lime, cardamom, bitter orange, jasmine, yerba maté, green tea, cedarwood, amber, musk. Retails directly from L’Occitane. Green Tea has a few variations on the theme, out of which I liked Green Tea with Jasmine / Thé Vert au Jasmin. It is exactly what it is advertised to be–a green tea cologne with a lush jasmine note.
Sample: my own acquisition
Photo Credit: iStockphoto by Tjasa Maticic.
22 Comments
Ann C: Even though we’re a long way from hot weather, this sounds wonderful. I especially like the idea of storing it in the refrigerator; it sounds perfect for those hot and humid days. I have the Bulgari on my wish list, but I might try this first given the price. Thanks for giving us a budget option! March 14, 2011 at 6:31am
axum: Thanks for all these suggestions 🙂 It would be interesting to find some fragrances that combine the green tea with something other than citrus/bergamot… I grew up drinking a variety “green” teas with wonderfully different fragrances. Chrysanthemum tea would make a wonderful scent concept, as would the different varieties of Jasmine tea, Genmaicha with its popped rice nuttiness, the seaweed of Konbucha and the salted plum and shiso of Umecha… March 14, 2011 at 4:47am
Olfactoria: I will try this. You make it sound like a good and simple solution to Green Tea cravings. 🙂 March 14, 2011 at 4:57am
Gitcheegumee: My husband is addicted to L’Occitane’s Verbena soap on a rope.Very recently,Green Tea was included in an order by mistake..(but the company told me to keep it, free of charge).
What a beautiful fragrance..it reminds me of the sweet olive groves down in New Orleans,for some reason. Exquisite!
I plan to do some layering with this one..maybe Chevrefeuille. March 14, 2011 at 10:57am
Victoria: I love the tiny bottle, which fits so easily into a purse. Plus, the scent is instantly refreshing. For those who like Bulgari, it is a good option. I find it crisper too. March 14, 2011 at 10:40am
Victoria: If you like Bulgari and Goutal’s Duel, it is definitely a great choice. I am already craving summer! March 14, 2011 at 10:41am
Victoria: Lancome AromaTonic makes me think of Kashmiri green tea with cardamom. Guerlain Tiare Mimosa has a tea note as it dries down, so it smells a bit like green tea and gardenia.
I love your other suggestions. I would especially love Genmaicha and Umecha inspired accords in fragrances… March 14, 2011 at 10:43am
Marina: That sounds very appealing, and the glass in the picture looks especially inviting after the weekend of shall we say not eating healthy 🙂 March 14, 2011 at 10:52am
Victoria: I loved this picture too. 🙂 Now, I think that I will go and make a cup of green tea. March 14, 2011 at 10:55am
Victoria: Oh, sounds like such a great idea. Chevrefeuille already has a suggestion of green tea leaves to me, so I can imagine that layered together, it will be a wonderful, complementary pairing.
I love sweet olive trees! When they bloom, the air smells of apricots and soft suede. March 14, 2011 at 11:00am
karin: I tried the L’Occitane tea fragrances some months ago, and ended up frustrated with the shop’s method of using ribbons instead of cards on which to spray the scents. It was just darned awkward (for me, anyway). I really, really want to give these another try. Next time I’m in a L’Occitane shop, that is. Closest one is probably 2 hours away!? Might be awhile. I’ve wanted a tea scent for ages. Really need to get over to Perfumed Court and order a tea scent sampler or something. Wore Bulgari’s The Vert back in the day. I really wanted to like the L’Artisan’s, but they didn’t work for me. Interestingly, Chanel No. 19 EDT gives sort of a tea vibe in hot weather. I loved it last summer. March 14, 2011 at 4:36pm
ScentScelf: A bottle of L’Occitane’s Green Tea with Jasmine was just the ticket for a pick me up on a hot and swampy afternoon in Washington, D.C. I’ve since added a small bottle of the straight up Green Tea to my collection for the same purpose, but either the added something of the jasmine or my happy association with sprightly relief makes the “with jasmine” my preferred green tea of the L’Occitane line. (There’s a mint one, too, I think. The mint went a bit too sweet on me, but things do tend to go sweet on my skin.)
Always a fan of the cheap and chic. 🙂 March 14, 2011 at 12:39pm
Victoria: Yes, Green Tea with Mint was one of the limited editions, I believe. I did not care for it either. The mint was sweet and flat, which ruins the sparkling effect of the green tea accord.
All in all, it is a nice cologne for the summer, or whenever one craves warm weather. March 14, 2011 at 2:50pm
behemot: I love Bulgari Green tea and it’s likes. I took Occitane’s Green tea Towelettes when going to work on location in Peru. They were really something to us in our travel through the Andes, where the we used them for washing our hands… like this smell a lot in conjunction with mountain air and fresh smelling cactus… March 14, 2011 at 8:29pm
Victoria: I find the same thing about No 19, especially the EDT.
In my local L’Occitane shop, they have both ribbons and blotters. The ribbons are pretty, but not that comfortable to use. March 14, 2011 at 5:49pm
gautami: I must try Aroma Tonic. Is it available at Macy’s? I love cardamom note both in food and perfume.
I also get some green tea in one of the EL’s White Linen flankers. I wore Bulgari’s Tea a few years ago. March 14, 2011 at 11:21pm
Maria: I really wanted for long to be excited about L’Occitane, since they are so big in bio ingredients. But the truth is that I found Green Tea very loud, artificial and heady. Or I really don’t know anything about natural ingredients. I bought this one as a present for a 11 years girl and up to that day I’m still afraid I made a big mistake and she might hate it. March 15, 2011 at 4:29am
Victoria: What a great memory and a beautiful image! I can just imagine the setting, just as you’ve described it…. sigh March 15, 2011 at 10:35am
Victoria: Yes, I think so, it should be available there. I used to love AromaCalm too for its combination of iris and incense, but I believe that it was discontinued a long time ago. March 15, 2011 at 10:36am
Victoria: I think that L’Occitane does a lot of green washing of their products these days (making them appear more natural or organic than they really are.) I am not into that. March 15, 2011 at 10:37am
March: Oh, another delicious tea to try! There are never enough teas. March 15, 2011 at 2:58pm
Victoria: I agree, one can never have too many! 🙂 March 15, 2011 at 4:49pm