[unpaid/sample/affiliate/ad] So, L’Occitane will be doing some last minute Black Friday offers and I’m publishing this post on Friday so if you use any links, hopefully, they’ll be better than seen!  As yet I don’t have any of the details and as I’m away (Switzerland, then France to Colmar Christmas Market) I won’t be able to update. However, I’ve had a chance to sample some of the festive treats, so I’ll give an overview of what’s lovely.

Golden Latte is a limited edition fragrance – a kind of sweet, milky scent with a citrus and a light nutmeg and turmeric spice  – completely delicious and I think designed to give the mood of a turmeric latte. The shower gel-foams are beautiful – fuelled with shea butter, they’re a sensory treat for the skin that is just more, well, fun, that your regular shower gel. You get a big moussy foam, warm and comforting notes and soft skin – what is not to love there?! I love these at £17 each HERE. Anything in this limited edition fragrance will strike the right enveloping winter warming chords.

My mum has always had a love for Marron Glace so whenever I see chestnut used as a fragrance, I’m reminded of that. She is the only person in the family that can eat them – they’re just too sweet and weird for everyone else – but it’s now made me think of a chestnut puree desert she used to make and I’d love some right now! It’s a grainy texture that tastes nutty, sweet and earthy – I think she made a sort of pavlova with it. In the case of the hand cream – because who wants meringuey smelling hands – it’s greener and more woody than sweet chestnut with notes of vanilla to add the softness. The 150ml limited edition hand cream is £22 HERE.

I’m biased because I love citrus scents but this just a little piece of festive magic. It’s got the same zesty sharpness as peeling a real mandarin – it’s almost fizzing with those peel droplets – and gives an instant mood boost. I was actively smiling when I smelled this on my skin. As it warms, the initial fruit burst changes but never loses its orange appeal (see what I did.. I know, I’m sorry). The composition is a blend of lemon, lime, green mandarin, verbena and grapefruit with a woody backdrop found via bitter orange. It’s got a tinge of sweetness, a heap of happiness and why is it not a room fragrance, too? I would be spraying it liberally and everywhere. Verveine Mandarin is an absolute joy and it’s £54 HERE. L’Occitane limited editions have the most creative festive themed scents of all the Christmas fragrant products I’ve tried (and it’s a lot) – they’re not obvious and will sit perfectly throughout winter time. I can imagine a grey February day being greatly cheered by Mandarin. Hopefully, next week I can start showing product that aren’t all about BF or Christmas – or at least intersperse them.