Sunset in Tamarindo

I've been a huge fan of Chris Collins for about five years, now. I discovered him back in 2021 when I was looking up Black-owned fragrance brands. I ordered the discovery set, and have been a supporter ever since. I own ten of his fragrances, and consistently receive compliments when I wear them. I follow his page on Instagram, and I remember about a year and a half ago when he teased "Sunset in Tamarindo" on his Instagram story. When I asked him what it would smell like, all he could divulge was that it would be "solar." Since then, he has released three other fragrances, Savant, Forbidden Apple, and African Rooibos Intens. Needless to say, I have been very impatiently waiting for Sunset in Tamarindo to be released, and I have been consistently nagging him for updates about it ever since. When he finally released the list of notes, I was very disappointed with one particular note, mango. I have never enjoyed any fragrances that had mango as a note. Much like artificial mango flavouring, I find mango scents to be either synthetic-smelling, overly sweet, or extremely cloying; sometimes all three. I also find that they tend to either smell very shampoo-y, or they're mixed with notes that are uncomplimentary, like oud or leather. Last month, my anticipation finally came to an end. I received my bottle of SIT and did my usual fragrance testing routine. I made sure my body was completely free of any scented lotions or any lingering fragrances. The initial spray is quite strong, you get a very strong and photorealistic mango; not super sweet, however. You also get a slight hint of the papaya which adds to the tropical scent profile. Actually, all of the top notes make their presence known. The Mandarin definitely gives it a juicy quality, but not at all tart. The heart-notes are the most interesting part of the fragrance, in my opinion. You get two very distinct florals competing with each other for the spotlight. You get the notoriously fragrant ylang-ylang shining through the collection of fruits. Interestingly, Chris Collins uses ylang-ylang in another fragrance from his Anima collection, Lost in Paradise (a summertime must-have). It's the inclusion of this floral note that makes Sunset in Tamarindo feel like a very close sibling of Lost in Paradise. They have very similar solar/tropical profiles, which would make them ideal layering partners. The other floral note is Frangipani, which falls under the white florals family, and it absolutely lives up to the reputation of white florals; incredibly pungent and noticeable. It adds a slight peachy element to the mix, which again, helps SIT smell similar to LIP (has peach skin note). This definitely pushes Sunset in Tamarindo into a more floral-forward fragrance, which is ultimately why I think this leans more feminine than masculine. The last of the florals is Osmanthus, which helps balance out the powerful florals with a slightly bitter accord. When the dry-down is complete, you get the signature creaminess of the Sandalwood; it's unmistakable. You also get the musk making its presence known, not in an offensive way. The vanilla is only slightly detectable about an hour after applying. Usually when Chris uses vanilla, it's very detectable and noticeable, however, it may have been used as a way to ground the fragrance to prevent it from being too fruity and screechy. Is this my favourite Chris Collins fragrance? No. It is however, perfect for the summertime. It definitely evokes images of a summer sunset in the tropics, while you're dressed in your finest linen ensemble. Even though sunset is in the name, this fragrance leans on the brighter side of things, so, much more appropriate for daytime wear. I honestly think he should've considered naming it Sunrise in Tamarindo. It's a luxuriously creamy, tropical fragrance. It definitely lasts throughout the day, but definitely more of a skin scent. It doesn't really project past your personal bubble. It also has the tendency to rub off on whatever you touch; my couch still smells like mangoes. It'll be interesting to see how it performs in the summertime heat, and also how it fares when I layer it with Lost in Paradise, or Long Kiss Goodnight. A solid effort from Mr. Collins. Update: it works well in heat, and is a real compliment getter. I got three compliments from strangers in less than an hour. Update-update: I was coming out of the lobby of my building, and a tradesman walked past me and literally did a double-take, stop me, and then asked me what I was wearing, and that I smelled absolutely incredible.

So so good. Try this and you can stop looking for any other mango scent. Fruity but not too sweet or synthetic. I have struggled with most of the mango and passion fruity fragrances I have tried because they seem to turn funky on my skin, but this has none of that. Smooth, smooth, smooth throughout. It evolves from being more bright and fruit forward for the first few hours to gentling with the florals, vanilla, and sandalwood coming out as it dries down- while still keeping the fruit, but a bit softer. Great projection and longevity... 3-5 sprays is enough to take me through almost my whole day, and it will stay on clothes for at least 24 hours. Might do one or two more sprays 6-8 hours in just to bring forward more of the fruitier punch, but others still smell it an arms length away even without that. It is a great value, imho, compared to some other much more expensive mango fragrances, and it suits my skin chemistry better. Love love love this... not a single thing to complain about. A real gem... one of the best summer fragrances out there. I never get BUBs, but maybe for this one.

opens up with a really delicious tropical fruit scent. imagine you're at an outdoor upscale dinner in Miami, at sunset, drinking a freshly prepared tropical juice of misc seasonal fruit, and its so good you'll be fantasizing about it until your next trip. It's possibly the best tropical fruit I have experienced in a perfume bottle. the fruit eventually mellows and the frangipani comes out, pretty strong... almost indolic, in the way white and yellow florals can be, but it doesnt go all the way there. the dry down is very creamy and the sandalwood adds an almost nutty edge to it. meanwhile, just enough of the fruitiness from the top notes lingers in the background. longevity is insane - its been maybe 20 hours and I can still smell it. very, very good.

Blind buy success. Sunset in Tamarindo captures the texture of a tropical afternoon rather than chasing complexity. The papaya and mango feel sun-ripened and radiant, creating a bright, airy opening that instantly transports me poolside. The composition remains luminous and easygoing throughout, with the fruit adding warmth and vibrancy without becoming syrupy or overly sweet. It has a relaxed, vacation-state-of-mind quality that feels effortless in heat and humidity. This isn't a fragrance about constant evolution—it's about capturing a moment. Sunshine, water, and golden hour in a bottle. This will be one of my go-to scents for my beach-life chapter because it delivers exactly what I hoped for. 8.5/10 — A radiant tropical escape in a bottle. ☀️🥭🏖️✨

Blind bought a travel size and loved and hated it on first impression. I was getting something sunscreeny or coconutty and I can not stand scents with those aspects. I almost returned it, but then I couldn't find the box. After some weeks I went back to it and fell in love. I still get some aspects of the typical sunscreen scent, but it is very much muted. Everything else about this scent is gorgeous. I love the way this warms up on my skin and I love the way it settles into my clothes. I have been enjoying my scent bubble for the last 6 hours and we are still going strong with a modest spray down. This scent is the smell of a soft warm breeze blowing through a tropical garden... calm, gorgeous, and captivatingly beautiful.