Exotic Beaches

Good fragrance for the summer. Not too strong and smells like the beach.

This was Avon's summer scent for 2005. I remember smelling it on a "stinky page" corner, when I was just first falling in love with and had just begun selling Yves Rocher... I hadn't looked at an Avon brochure (at that point) for over 10 years; and this was nice, but not enough to lure me away from YR! My mother's friend Mary (who was wearing this that day) was still selling Avon then and left a book, bought some YR nail polish from me and then, it was not until late 2007 (when the romance faded somewhat with Yves, and many longtime favorites were discontinued in Fragrance and Skin Care) that I began getting back "into" Avon. This was very warm and musky and not all that "beachy". Imagine a bit Ban de Soleil suntan oil, crossed with orange blossom and musk. The orange blossom was prominent also with some very sheer citruses. To me, personally, the scent of exotic beaches would have lush and tropical flowers, warm salty scents and some vague hints of driftwood and a breeze laden with juicy, unusual fruits and sun-warmed leaves...not synthetic coconut, oranges and orange blossoms. I live in the US and Florida is nice, but NOT all that "exotic"... Sillage: okay Longevity: average to fair Overall: 3.25/5 A far more exotic choice from this house is the now discontiued Karmala or even Bohista. Karmala is clover leaf, tahitian vanilla, pink pepper and pink cassis. Very rich and almost gourmand and very unisex feeling. Bohista (a real gem) is ginger lilies, orchids, hints of chocolate and musk. These are far more exotic, in my opinion; and worth searching out (they are both gone from regular magalogs) more than EB is. I agree with Weegee Eau de Star (even Womanity) and Salt Air catch the "seascape" better than Exotic Beaches ever could... EDIT (7 Feb 2012): I received a full bottle of this as an extra in a swap with a member here. *THANK YOU Before_Sunrise!* It smells much better (in person) than I had remembered it from seven years ago. Fresh with sunny citruses and flowery with a warm almost tiare-like breeze and a lovely dry down of what Avon likes to refer to as "island musk". The rating has been changed (raised from 2.75 to 3.25 out of 5) to reflect this, above; but since my mother loved it so-it now lives with her...but I have "wear it whenever you want, dear" privileges!

Disappointing. I was looking forward to a beachy smell of any kind, whether suntan oil, salt, sand or ocean water but -to my nose- there's nothing in here suggestive of the beach at all. Opens like a brand of hairspray my mom used to use too much of... Aquanet? Adorn? I smell the citrus in the harsh topnotes but then everything fades into a generic body splash. For an inexpensive beachy fragrance I'd say instead buy Demeter's Salt Air. which creates the "mood" of the beach amongst the ozonic notes. For a bigger budget, try Mugler's Eau de Star, which to me smells like a strong breeze along the ocean. If you can say, "What budget?" go for Dune for the natural scent of an oceanside beach. UPDATE: I sent this to my mom and she loves it. She says she smells ALL of the beachy smells I'd hope to smell but reports that it's the orange blossom that's most prominent to her nose. She says at first sniff she was transported to Florida where she spent many weeks during several spring times there with my father, who passed 20+ years ago. That kind of "nostalgia in a bottle" is priceless. Must be my nose that's off.

It very simple, silent, summer scent (with harsh beginning, but it fades away in few minutes)for every day use, maybe for vacation too. I can't imagine to wear in winter. Edit: Now I know: scent is very si,ilar to old-fashioned soap, used before decades.

Spritz this on. Close your eyes. You feel like you're on holiday. Dreamy. . .