4711 Acqua Colonia Intense Sunny Seaside of Zanzibar

This was probably the most expensive 4177 bottle of cologne that I've ever bought. I understand that it's an "intense" version, so maybe that's why is was pricier. But it is a large 170ml bottle, so it'll last forever. The presentation is nice. The smell? well, luckily it doesn't smell like cologne at all. It smells like a nice edt, with decent last power. I smell mostly a powdery heliotrope and coconut, something that mimics vanilla but it isn't really vanilla. In mid development I can sense the frangipani. The scent is sunny and warm without a single trace of citrus. The powdery feeling turns into something creamy, not unlike Bronze Goddess and sun screen. I can't sense any anise or watermelon, this is all creamy powdery sunshine . I think this is more feminine than unisex, but it would probably smell nice on a man too. Unexpected! Oh, the presentation is quite nice too. I think I'll keep it.

Grab your stash whilst you can, this little gem of the greener, fresher, Beach-Perfume vibe is disappearing (April 2026) and it's a good price too. This Cologne is very refreshing and although it's named after the famous African Island...this isn't a sun tan lotion scent at all, there are no coconut notes, mainly watermelon, freshly cut tropical vegetation, citrus and some musk, it's beautifully done and if you don't want overpowering but something a bit different then this is your scent. If you love Olivier Franck "White Touch" and Paula's Ibiza (Loewe) then you'll love this one too. This was a special recommendation of a list provided by a guy on YouTube, and it's a blessing to get a recommendation of something that costs under £50 for 170ml - these cheaper but amazing fragrances are getting harder to find in the UK.

I always say that Sunny Seaside of Zanzibar is TF Eau de Soleil Blanc's unruly sister. She is younger, more outspoken and less floral. This fragrance has been one of my favourites since I discovered it 5+ years ago. Personally it reminds me of sunshine and definitely pineapple, although I don't see that in the notes. It is more fresh than just pineapple though, which is probably a good thing 😬 I'm all for unisex scents by the way, and many of the Aqua Colonia line are just that... but I find this particular one rather feminine.

Oh wow....this is gorgeous! I'm blown away considering the price of this. To me, it smells expensive, luxurious and not synthetic at all - also very unique and interesting! This will be beeeeautiful in summer, gosh I can't wait to wear this. On my skin, I get a lot of the watermelon and anis for the first hours and then slowly the coconut and vanilla join the game.

I love this one. A perfect summer fragrance for people who cannot support strong fragrance. It has a sweet vacation smell. Doesn’t last long but this isn’t a problem for me.

On my skin this fragrance smells like hypnotic poison EDT once it settles on the skin, with a hint of watermelon. Very pretty and soft

This smells like amaretto with a bit of coconut to me, and I love it :) it's constantly on my bag during summer

I can see why this might be disappointing out of context, just given the notes. But if you know a bit about the brand—that it's responsible for the creation and popularization of the term "(eau de) cologne" in French and English and that eaux de cologne are by definition fleeting—the rather superficial nature of the fragrance shouldn't be surprising. To the contrary, I find it somewhat daring to make an eau de cologne from anything other than the volatile citruses and runaway musks commonly associated with the genre. Here, we have instead balmy coconut, some sweet frangipani, warm (almost sensuous) musky vanilla, with some anisic spice on top. I personally don't detect any watermelon, vetiver, or cedar, but that may be just me. Thanks to these heavier, sweeter elements, this lasts longer than many of its brethren, including the timeless yet paradoxically short-lived 4711 Original Eau de Cologne. So, if you're looking for something light, solar, and uplifting, this "intense eau de cologne" is for you. To my very Midwestern American nose, this evokes the beach or perhaps the pool, thanks to the coconut and frangipani, which melt into the skin and then rebound into the surrounding air, lush and inviting. The comparisons to sunscreen and the like are accurate, but I don't see such associations as negative. I recently wore this on my birthday, during my first big outing since the pandemic (and since my vaccination). It was the ideal companion in the warm sunshine of spring, following me about without overwhelming, and gone before day's end—exactly as expected. For this price, composition, and performance, I am very happy. The name is a bit strange and awkward, but the flacon is lovely, and the scent, gorgeous. If it makes an early departure, so be it. I'll douse myself again without regret. ^_^

Another solid fragrance from 4711! I’ve been impressed with this line so far as delivering pleasant,affordable everyday casual scents (with the only 1 I didn’t like being the lavender remix) What I was hoping for by purchasing this was a soapy,warm,comforting coconut smell that wasn’t too tropical but gave off the feeling of a nice tropical soap!! This definitely satisfied that need !! This opens admittedly slightly harsh as I do get a nice fresh,uplifting coconut vibe in the air but up close however I do get that hand sanitizer harshness some are speaking of !! Once this starts to settle it becomes less fresh and that coconut and vanilla creep in making this more warm,cozy and inviting. It pretty much stays that way but in the drydown it gets more rich and the vanilla takes over with the coconut being in the background!! The drydown is very reminiscent of a sandalwood/coconut body wash that I had a while back and always adored the smell and even thought to myself I’d love a cologne that smells like this. The opening and mid are very unisex but the drydown is more masculine leaning which I love ! I also see the comparisons to Soleil Blanc which I tried a sample of and loved but never purchased as it came off a bit more floral and feminine on my skin so even though I loved the smell I didn’t purchase it for that reason. This is just as good and more masculine which is what I was looking for. Performance on this is surprisingly good ! It never really projects a whole lot but I get a nice,friendly sillage trail that lasts 6-10 hours !!! Overall rating -7.5 out of 10!! Very solid coconut/vanilla smell that is affordable but smells of quality and lasts a good amount of time

This fragrance proves to be a considerably more pleasant tiare interpretation than many others. Unlike, for example, The Body Shop's Polynesian Island Tiare, which I found harsh and cold, this version is a warm, rich, and inviting monoi-inspired scent. It is simultaneously lighter and fresher, yet it maintains a pleasant depth. The fragrance opens with a surprisingly almost salty and fresh nuance, likely created by the combination of star anise and watermelon. This initial note is refreshing, but its effect is brief. Within a few minutes, the scent deepens towards a lactonic, vanilla accord that dominates for the remainder of its wear. The powerful vanilla in the base gives it a rich and warm character. For this reason, it might not be the best choice for the hottest summer days, as I personally enjoy fresher scents in warm weather, but it is ideally suited for late summer evenings or cooler days, when its richness can truly shine. In addition to vanilla, tiare and coconut notes are clearly discernible. The coconut here is relatively fresh and not a dominant note, and together with tiare, it reinforces the fragrance's tropical yet soft essence. The longevity of the fragrance is decent, around four hours. For a cologne, this is even quite long-lasting, which is a positive surprise considering its fresher profile. Overall, this is a fragrance worth considering for those looking for a warm, yet fresh, lactonic-vanilla coconut scent – a perfect choice for transitional weather, as summer's warmth begins to fade towards autumn.

I’m very much enjoying this! Not too sweet, very summery smelling. It’s perfect to keep on my desk during the hot summer months and use as a pick-me-up. The longevity and sillage is surprisingly good for a cologne (I guess, hence, Cologne Intense). I’d say it has eau de toilette performance—1-3 hours and radiates off skin up to arms length. The vibe is tropical powder for me. I don’t really pick out the watermelon or star anise in the opening, but I do pick up light fruity vibes that are not too sweet. The sweetness of the frangipani and the powdery musk come in almost immediately upon dry down, and from there, it’s a little coconutty, a little vanillic, but basically I just get warm solar notes. It smells like sunshine and is reminiscent of tropical breezes, with a heavy dose of powder. You have to be okay with the powder to enjoy this one. I am okay with it. And it fades into delicate cedar (not at all strong), with maybe just a hint of vetiver.

I absolutely LOVE this one. I bought it on guide from reviews because I was looking for a new coconutty scent. I love 4711 and I love the style of their bottles too. They are not hyped and have a very modest presence it seems but for the really small price this is absolutely amazing! It's very nutty on the opening and then that lovely coconut comes through. It's quite sexy, soft warm, mellow and definately suits a sunny beach and a sultry balmy evening somewhere warm. I think it has a broad style and would compliment a 70's, 80's, 90's and 00's vibe. There's definately fruit and floral notes balanced wonderfully in there too. I need to wear it more to pin point them. In fact, on me it smells similar to Mugler's Angel Eau De Star but without the sweaty notes.

Very nice fragrance. I get a sensual and warm vanilla. For those who like summery vanilla scents, it's a must try. Longevity is really good, sillage is not bad and the price is great. It reminded me of Madagascan Vanilla Flower from The Body Shop, but Sunny Side of Zanzibar is nicer, not so sickening. main notes to my nose are vanilla and frangipani, but despite the tropical vibe you can wear it in winter too, without problems. Like another reviwer said, it is nothing new, but it is well done nonetheless and i recommend it. Test it if you're a fan of embracing summer scents. Final note: 7,5/10

Vanilla, coconut, watermelon, and sunscreen. Slight synthetic tinge mostly adds to the sunscreen-like note. And really, are there truly any synthetic-free beaches left out there between plastic floaties and sunscreen galore? Doesn't much smell like the sea, but it does smell like a busy beach. That said, it only lasts around 3 and a half hours. It's comparable to other beach scents out there that do last longer. But, it is much cheaper than many scents that don't manage to come close to a beach, so it's pretty decent. Just make sure you're here for beach and not ocean.

This is a gorgeous summer scent, happy, sunny and just enough sweet. It reminds me of other coconutty/creamy/tiare perfumes, but this one is just right, not overdone in any way. It was really a nice surprise, especially beacause it isn't overpriced and the bright colored bottle beautifully matches the juice from inside.

also i’ve been to zanzibar and the second i sprayed it i was transported back to the turquoise waters and white sands

to me this smells very similar to Beach Walk by Maison Martin Margiela

I recently tried the Acqua Colonia Intense Sunny Seaside of Zanzibar 4711 and while it was a nice fragrance, I have to say it was nothing special. The first thing I noticed about this perfume was its packaging. The bottle is a beautiful shade of blue and the label has a charming illustration of a sunny beach, which immediately caught my attention. However, when it came to the scent itself, I was a bit disappointed. The scent is described as a combination of sea salt, coconut, and vanilla, which sounded heavenly to me. Upon first spray, I could definitely smell the sea salt and coconut notes, which gave it a refreshing and tropical vibe. However, as the scent settled, the vanilla became more prominent and it started to smell a bit too sweet for my taste. The lasting power of this perfume was decent, but nothing extraordinary. I could still smell traces of it after a few hours, but it wasn't as strong as I would have liked. Overall, I would say that the Acqua Colonia Intense Sunny Seaside of Zanzibar 4711 is a nice perfume, but it just didn't wow me. It's a pleasant scent to wear on a sunny day, but it's not something I would reach for on a regular basis. I would recommend it to someone who enjoys sweet and tropical scents, but for me, it's just not unique enough to stand out from other fragrances.

NOT THE SUNNY ESCAPE I WAS HOPING FOR. For someone who loves coconut, sun tan oil-esque, balmy scents....This was not it. I thought the star anise would make this more warm but it didn't. It went too medicinal at first and the dry down was uninspiring. I think they could have switched the watermelon note with an amber note instead to make it seem more exotic. I was really hoping this would be a sultry seaside escape but was let down. It came close...but the top notes linger on for too long and really stay in the background. Oh well...not everything is going to work out. I will have to travel further into the Indian Ocean for the excitement I was looking for.

The first hour or so I hadn’t been smelling much apart from a sharp and rather strong scent of rubber balloons. So had been really puzzled by comparison to Soleil Blanc. Later on, however, it did start to morph into a tropical vanilla scent and ended up rather delicious, delicate and indeed bearing some resemblance to SB. It also stayed quite a while on my skin - from early evening till late morning. Will give it another couple of tries to see if I can get over the rubber opening. UPD: nope, after several attempts the rubber opening sadly still ruins it for me. Would have loved this otherwise, but haven’t found any value for money in this one, I’m afraid.

A beautiful bottle, with a slightly disappointing juice inside. Not bad, but not my favorite from the line - you can t beat the Wakening Woods of Scandinavia there. But back to this yellow baby, it is a very dry, bit dusty vanilla coconut. It does have a beachy vibe for me, but it reminds more of the hot sand, a bit of coconut tanning lotion and relaxing in the sun, it lacks watery notes to evoke the sea as well. It is not bad, quite nice for the summer if you are looking to a summer scent that does not scream citruses. I think it will be discontinued as I keep seeing it here in Germany on sale.

This cologne made me want to speak to the manager of whoever thought it was a good idea to put STAR-ANISE in a tropical fragrance named after "Zanzibar". The anise note is so prominent, that by the time it dries down, the fragrance itself wears off all together... So there is no way around the anise, it won't dry down, get sweeter or warm up. It ends up smelling like you're drinking some Rakı or Ouzo on the beach. Yikes. It's definitely disappointing, but it's decent enough to be wearable as a tropical summer vacation scent. I'd give this a 5/10, but I definitely wouldn't repurchase this.

@Duskfall I just noticed your comment, I agree that Zanzibar is in fact a source of spice trading, such as cinnamon, cardemom, black pepper, clove, etc... (just to name a few). However, a quick google search would also tell you that STAR ANISE is a spice that is originally sourced from Southern China. I personally would have appreciated a sweet cinnamon note instead of the sharp star anise, which in that case would be more logical in my opinion... So in conclusion, the star anise still remains a random note to me.

This coconut/frangipani scent is not creamy and indulgent like many coconut florals. The scent itself is fresh, transparent, with a substantial dose of licorice-y anise. I do understand the latex pool raft vibe some people get from it, but it's not overwhelming. Given it is a cologne it stays very close to the skin. Edit: the latex note, though subtle, does not subside.

I have the same experience as the reviewer below. Smells great in the bottle and on a card but on my skin the star anise is the star of the show and I’m finding it difficult to get past this pungent and sickening smell.

I wanted to live this. I’m a huge fan of the coconut note and summer forward fragrances. I can’t get past the artificial smell with this juice. I’m picking up a plastic smell. I will be returning this fragrance.

Sprayed on skin, this smells aquatic floral like Jo Malone Waterlily, then develops into this powdery antiseptic smell. Immediately, skin scent. I feel like I've wasted my money, affordable it may be.

I wanted to like it, it sounded so interesting. Watermelon and anise is a match made in hell (I know that now).

Coconut summer scent. Smells good quality but must like coconut to enjoy this.

Coconut water, beach sand, anise, and the plastic from pool floaties.

Coconut summer scent. We'll done, must line coconut to like this one.

In the bottle and on card this smells like heaven! Coconut sunblock, gentle vanilla, juicy watermelon and a salty sea note (not listed but I smell salt!) with a slight warm woody spicyness. Smells like a beach holiday. Perfect! Sadly my skin took the star anise and turned it into antiseptic! GUTTED because I love the smell from the bottle! It smelt like TCP on me until it had become a skin scent (more than 2 hours!). For those this works for..... I’m soooooo jealous! Update! I now have Sunray from H&M and it's very similar to this but doesn't go as antiseptic on me!

Synthetic sunscreen with a mild spice I guess could contort into star anise if you squinted, plus a funky fruitiness that reminds me of guava. It lasted a long time compared to 4711's other offerings, which is too bad because I disliked it.

I'm a real fan of 'beachy' tropical type fragrances and this one from 4711 is a really wonderful example of the genre; especially at this price point for a large 5.7 oz (170 ml) bottle. To my nose, this is less about coconut and more about the vanilla and frangipani. Coconut does have a tendency to overpower, especially in this style of fragrance and while the coconut here is quite noticeable, I feel it's perfectly and evenly balanced with the floral and vanilla components. Watermelon does make a (too) brief appearance at the beginning, but I struggle to detect any star anise at all. The base does come across a very gently woody and a bit musky, but I wouldn't necessarily say I could detect cedar or vetiver specifically. If I had to pick a fragrance that it reminds me of, it would be Tom Ford's Soleil Blanc; however, it really reminds me most of the smell of surfboard wax! I've tried several of the 4711 Acqua Colonia's, but the only one that I ended up buying (before this one) was the Mandarin & Cardamon. Now I'll have to check out the rest of this 'Intense' line to see what other hidden gems 4711 have come up with.

This is quite nice. Opens with subtle wet fruit (the ad copy says watermelon and star anise, and I get it, after knowing what to look for) and sweet frangipani. Coconut ebbs in with vanilla in a sheer musky suntan lotion that lasts an extraordinary long time for 4711–the “Acqua Colonia Intense” wears like good eau de toilette–three hours with arm’s length sillage. I don’t get much of the woods on the dry-down, maybe a hint on my cotton cuffs, but there’s an unexpected smudge of caramel on the skin that I like. Definitely unisex, but on masculine types this would come across as very luxe, a Tom Ford-ish Soleil for a tenth of the price.

The famous Madeleines of Proust come to mind with this fragrance. One whiff and I am whisked back in time.... to the days of my childhood. It is Christmas in the southern hemisphere and my mother is in the kitchen, baking german Christmas cookies - all heavenly vanilla and spices.... and anise. I can't smell the coconut and I don't get much watermelon but I do get a blast from the past - my Mum's anise cookies .... Yum! Question is, do I want to smell like a cookie? Do I want to smell like the spirit of Christmas past?

This one is a love at first try. Vanilla with a hint of watermelon and coconut. Such a pleasant scent! Very comforting! It will be a summer favourite for sure. Leans feminine to my nose. It’s not heavy on the floral side but it does have a slight frangipani twist that makes it a bit tropical. Simply beautiful.

Nice but nothing new under the sun. Fortunately I like the coconut-tanning lotion- sunshine- exotic floral perfumes, so I like it, I would take it as a gift, but for the price I would not buy as there are more lasting and stronger fragrances from other brands with similar concept

It doesn't smell synthetic at all and has a very natural feel to it which is nice. But the coconut is just way too heavy in this one. It is summery, but not sunny-sparkling like other summer fragrances.

I am selling my 170ml bottle (UK only) - take a look at my profile, I'm downsizing my huge collection, selling loads of discontinued gems!

Another beautiful fragrance from 4711. The coconut and frangipani notes are very prominent. A fresh summer or everyday fragrance.

Definitely my fav from the line. Can't wait to try it! The composition is stunning, also the bottle and the name.

Coconut water sunscreen scent, pleasent!