Wish I'd get to a coast soon - Costes by Costes

I've been hearing about Costes for a long time but somehow never got around to sampling any of their offerings. Until a little sample of Costes (edt I believe) arrived in a swap.
And then again it took me ages to try it. I rather don't think about the amount of samples and decants I have and have not talked about (or sniffed at all).

As I always do, I tried it without checking the notes beforehand. Just for an instant, it wafted a little suncreen smell I recognize but can't place as which particular bottle it might have come from. And besides, it disappearing so fast, it's not really important.
What is important is that it starts off citrusy and lavender-like and well, strong. Here is where I need to clarify that not all lavender notes smell the same to me. Some take on a masculine character that is in my mind reminiscent of firs and greenery. Like this one. I also thought I smelled incense but wondered later if I was wrong because I couldn't find it afterward.

Notes: lavender, bay-tree, coriander, white pepper, rose, incense, woods, light musc.

Yes, seeing the notes, I realize why I'm thinking of green lavender. :)
While looking for notes, I also came across the fact that this was made by Olivia Giacobetti. It seems she pretty much can't miss out with me. I like this one very much, even though I don't consider it as great as some of her other creations. And when I say great, I'm thinking more in the line of complex and changing.
Because after that initial green fresh blast, it goes into peppery freshness tinged by lighty sweet rose and pretty much stays there.

For someone who thought that roses are not friendly to her in perfumes, I somehow ended up loving them in all the myriad of variants they come out. I don't know though what those variants are called and they are rarely named in notes so I still haven't learned to distinguish them by names. But it seems Ms Giacobetti knows them inside out as this isn't her first rosey perfume I tried, and I admit I love Eau Egyptienne a bit more than this one.
But having said that, if I had a bottle of this, I would be spraying it quite often, and at this time of the year too, as it's fresh, optimistic, lively and extremely easy to wear even though I'm thinking some people might object to pepper as I find it quite obvious. But it's just that little thing that adds a bit of sexy zestiness to it.

SO, one last thing I need to say about this is that it's easy to smell the notes (I didn't smell all of them but most) and to follow them through the scent but they don't work in there for themselves, there is a synergy in there that makes the sum of the notes you recognize and smell, into a little work of art that is easy to wear.

Notes and pic by: http://www.luckyscent.com/