As long as we're on the subject of tropical beach-y scents, I thought I'd give Ensoleille Moi another try. Ensoleille Moi launched last year as the debut fragrance release from French jeweller André Gas, and like yesterday's Azuree Soleil, it is composed around coconut and tiare (also known as Tahitian gardenia). It was created by perfumer Mathilde Laurent, and additional notes include ylang ylang, vanilla and white musk.
Ensoleille Moi is an altogether more tropical scent than Azuree Soleil: the coconut is deeper, the gardenia is more central to the composition, and there is less here to counteract the sweetness of the floral notes. It is brighter and not so warm as Azuree Soleil, and also considerably richer and creamier; if Azuree Soleil is meant to evoke the Mediterranean, here we have moved on to the Polynesian islands.
It is nicely done, and if what you are looking for is something tropical without all the sweet fruits that evoke a Pina Colada, Ensoleille Moi might be just the thing you need. For my part, it is too sweet and heavy, and in the early stages, too close to suntan oil for my comfort. Azuree Soleil, despite its lighter concentration, holds up just as well on my skin and maintains its floral character long after Ensoleille Moi has mostly faded to vanilla musk.
Have a favorite tropical floral? Do comment!
André Gas Ensoleille Moi is an Eau de Toilette, and is available in 50 and 100 ml. For buying information, see the listing for André Gas under Perfume Houses.
Note: image via the forum at Images de Parfums.
Tomorrow: Crazylibellule & The Poppies.
The gardenia in this was a kiss of death for me.
My favorite tropical floral is forever and always Message from Orchids by Shiseido. Juste un Reve, Songes are nice too. And I know I am forgetting something else…it will nag me all day now.
Ah, now I do love gardenia. I think it just has to be cut with something else, either green notes or woods, or something. It isn't working for me in this one.
Message from Orchids is pretty, but I didn't love Juste Un Reve & can't remember why. Need to try it again!
Last post on the Tropic Topic and then I *swear* I will go off and do something more useful to society (perhaps some laundry…)
I like BB Beach because it has some weird synthetic note (like hairspray?) I find curiously appealing. I like Nars Monoi because it smells “natural” if you'll forgive the word choice (I'm sure it isn't but there's something straightforward about it.) Azuree was between those two poles in a way that didn't work for me — too perfume-y without being interesting enough?
Let me destroy any remaining credibility by saying Sand & Sables by Coty is one of my favorite ultra-cheap beach-y scents. It's the smell of the Atlantic City Boardwalk, if you will.
Also in that Creed Virgin Island Water the oil smells like buttered popcorn, which is silly and sort of fabulous simultaneously. I still can't quite believe it's a Creed.
I invite all of you to come here in Brazil and visit one of our wonderful beaches. You could drink lots of coconut water, relax in the warming blue water of the sea and stand all day in the sand. You'd realize that these scents just don't fit here at all.
Any interest in this trip?
BB Beach does have something going for it, agree, the synthetic thing is appealing. For the Atlantic City Boardwalk, I'd vote for CB I Hate Perfume At The Beach, but admittedly haven't tried Sand & Sables. Wish it was easier to find Coty testers!
Much interest, and if you're springing for the airfare, I'm sure you'll find lots of takers
Juliana, what scents do work there? I would love to know what the sexy ladies of Brazil wear?!
My favorite tropical scent is PdN Juste un Reve. Sage Machado Onyx edt is also beachy to me because of the coconut.
This summer, my staples will be the sexy and fun Creed Virgin Island Water (Creed are extremely good at citrus scents) and, strangely, Miller Harris Cuir D'Oranger, which creates excellent orange infused mossy-leather sillage in warm weather.
Another vote for JuR, so will definitely have to give it another try, thanks!
Everyone is loving the Creed, so will have to try it eventually. Interesting choice on the Miller Harris, I would have thought it too heavy, but perhaps I need to try that again too!
Yea I am loving Cuir D'Oranger – my observation is that in cool weather, the bitter orange notes are more dormant and the moss base dominates (resuling in a drier accord). But in warm weather, the bitter orange notes swirl around the mossy base to create a tangy tart leather accord which smells quite attractive (its in the 80s in my neck of the woods so I have been giving it a thorough testing).
Sounds lovely, although I'm not a huge leather fan. Will dig out my sample