L’Artisan Parfumeur makes some wonderful perfumes, but not a single one has ever compelled me to buy a full bottle. That may change with Traversee du Bosphore.

This is a fragrance that caught me off guard. In general, I find L’Artisan fragrances (regardless of the perfumer) too calculated and orderly. Not so with TdB (created by Bertrand Duchaufour). Yes, each of the notes in TdB rings true and harmonizes beautifully with the others, in a very orderly and almost too perfect way. But TdB also feels playful and quirky. On my skin, sweet pistachio is very strong, with a good dose of tart apple, rose, and that hard-to-pin-down leather that is more a suggestion of skin. It smells like Turkish delight, but it also reminds me of a farm. The whole effect is wholesome and well blended, as you would expect from L’Artisan, but it has a little more humor, and I like that.

The official note list, courtesy of NST, is apples, tulips, saffron, leather, rose, pistachio, and musk.

If you would like to try TdB, you are in luck! As I mentioned yesterday, I am doing a little giveaway: a 1 ml sample of TdB, along with two additional samples of the next two scents I will be discussing here on the blog. To enter the giveaway, simply leave a comment telling me your favorite L’Artisan perfume, whether you like Turkish delight, or anything else related to this post. And since I have so few readers at this point, I imagine your chances of winning are pretty good.

Giveaway is open to readers everywhere. One winner will be chosen on Thursday, April 21. The winner will receive the sample of TdB and the two other samples.