Big Sur

I own a few Alkemia perfumes and this one has become a sleeper hit for me. While I love Alkemia, I do find their perfumes can be hit or miss when it comes to projection. Big Sur is intimate while still being present throughout the day which is my preference in a perfume. Not everyone who sees you will smell it, but those who do will get an inoffensive yet unique light aquatic smell. It lives up to its namesake by reminding me of the Northern California coast as oppose to a tropical beach, incorporating a slight woodiness and citrus reminiscent of the area's flora, yet never taking over the way some citrus and woods notes do where you end up smelling like a car air freshener. It smells natural; not overwhelming but distinct, the way places often do. I especially like putting a bit of this perfume in my hair so I can smell it when a breeze hits me. My mother especially loves this perfume. As someone who dislikes most florals and strong gormands, she struggles to find a perfume that suits her yet isn't masculine. I allowed her to use Big Sur for a time and she loved it, even receiving a few compliments while running errands. She will likely be receiving her bottle for her birthday. While I am impressed with the longevity, the rollerball option is also greatly appreciated by me as someone who works full-time with a long commute. It is easy to throw in my purse so I can do a quick top-off after work if I have plans. It may not be a bold "in your face" perfume, but it is one of my go-to's for everyday wear.

Definitely an intimate scent. The ozonic note comes out as a linen to me, and it definitely has a fresh laundry tone to it. That being said, there’s also a good amount of sea salt and citrus in it. Really really love the scent, I only wish it was a little bit stronger/longer lasting.

Overall just a really nice aquatic, fresh, with a hint of florals. Smells just like how it feels to be at the beach. Big fan.

I'd like to mention that, like another reviewer, I received a sample of this as part of a larger haul, early on in my ~fragrance journey~. And to be honest, I didn't care for many of them. Big Sur was a standout, but something that I likely won't wear too often. Also like another reviewer, the ozonic notes come across to me like clean laundry drying in the sunlight. After the drydown a little citrus peeks through. I'm not familiar with the scent of magnolia, but the rest of the notes come across as eucalyptus to me. I wish I got more of the salty sea air some reviewers have described! I can see myself wearing this on bright spring or summer days. This scent lasted for about 3 hours on my skin.

One of the first things I did on my fragrance journey was joyfully review Alkemia's catalogue of interesting and affordable perfumes. I got multiple make-your-own sample sets, and ended up with quite a few of Alkemia's scents for a great price. I think I have something like fifteen in all. Unfortunately, I do not like a single one of them. There's something in Alkemia's base perfume that I really just find unpleasant. It's something almost sickly sweet, but diluted. It's a little powdery and herbal and somehow just stomach-churning to me. I also ordered their perfume fixative and this is present in that product as well. Out of all of my Alkemia samples, I think Big Sur is one of the better ones, probably top three. I had high hopes based on these notes, but something about the combination enhances the nauseating base profile. I think it's the bay that's really amping up the base; if you stick your nose in a jar of bay leaves, you're on your way to smelling what I'm talking about in the base. The most prominent notes are bay, lime, and amber, with some deep white florals and salt. It comes across as quite aldehydic. While the scent itself is nice, the base just overpowers it and makes in an unpleasant wear for me. As is to be expected at this price point, the performance isn't great and I had to reapply after about one hour. I don't want to discourage anyone from trying Alkemia because I respect that they try to make perfume accessible at a lower price point, but don't do what I did and buy a ton. Try one to three and see if you like how they perfume, and go from there. 3.5/10.