Bronze Goddess Eau Fraiche Skinscent 2014

I have wanted this since last year and I finally got bottle! I don't know what it is about this perfume that is so crave worthy because it IS a simple scent but something about it intoxicates and excites me. On first spray it does smell like a nice, non chemically suntan lotion as many have mentioned. An up close sniff of the wrist I can very easily pick out the lemon and orange and probably the bergamot. It does then settle in to a creamy, coconutty warm skin day at the beach. Its kind of hard to explain because if you were to say to someone "this smells like good suntan oil" then why wouldn't you buy sun tan oil for $5.99 instead of the $60 + this costs, right? But it is so much more creamy and soft and all around makes you feel like you just got home from the beach minus the sweaty, oily stinkyness a day at the beach can actually smell like. This is like someone bottled all the good parts of "beach smell" and threw in "shower fresh" for the best of both worlds. I am a huge coconut lover and am usually disappointed in scents that claim to have coconut, but this one comes through on the promise. My husband, however thought it smelled like "Old ladies and sex" before he smelled it on me and swore he would hate it. He tested some on his hand and said he could smell it all day and it was revolting. So when I sprayed some on he never said anything and I said "do I smell like old lady sex?" He looked confused, sniffed me and said "No it actually smells good on you". So this is probably one of those love it or hate it things and I happen to love it!

Bronze Goddess 2014 is, literally, Summer in a Bottle. I was looking for a perfume that would smell like Coppertone sunscreen which, to me, smells as a combination of coconut and tiare scents. And, at last, I found it! This is my absolute favorite summer/beachy scent. It has a definite coconut creaminess to it, so it may not be for those of you who are not a fan of coconut. It is light but not fleeting, and seems to warm on the skin into a gorgeous floral/creamy coconut suntan oil scent. It's perfect in the summer, but also great in the dead of winter to remind you of great times spent in the warm sunshine. I can't recommend this one enough! Knowing that it is a limited 2014 edition, I will stock up with, at least 4 bottles. Try using the whipped body cream and layer to make it last longer because the longevity of this eau fraiche is not a plus, it lasts for about an hour or so. Projection is moderate. Believe me, you do need this perfume in your perfume wardrobe. It may not be a haute couture scent and it may be relatively uncomplicated but, this is the essence of summer as well... All we need is a bikini, the sea breeze and flowers in our hair! Enjoy the perfume quest!

there is no difference in composition between 2013 and 2014 (I have both - they are IDENTICAL) In fact, according to Estee Lauder all of the Bronze Goddess scents through the years are the same scent. I was told this by the EL manager at a department store and called EL headquarters in New York, and confirmed that the scent is the same, only the packaging and bottling change. In Summer 2013 this is what was listed on the EL site for Bronze Goddess - it is the ACCURATE note listing for 2013 Bronze Goddess. Almost identical notes, and it smells identical side by side, and EL confirms it is the same scent. From the Estee Lauder website in 2013, listed "Bronze Goddess: Top Notes: Sicilian Bergamot Mandarin Middle Notes: Tiare Milk-Tahitian Gardenia Petals Coconut Oil Orange Flower Buds Jasmine Magnolia Petals Myrrh Base Notes: Amber Sandalwood Vetiver Caramel Coconut Cream This scent is: BEACH, TROPICAL, SUN, SOFT, CREAMY COCONUT, LIGHTLY FLORAL. "

Tiare and neroli/orange blossom flowers tempered with bergamot, sandalwood, and coconut. An hour after spraying it softens into a rounded vanilla amber with citrus, vetiver, and lavendar. If you like the idea of Bobbi Brown Beach but found it a bit too literal or are looking for a grown-up, beachy version of JLo Glow, then EL Bronze Goddess is for you. It is an Eau Fraiche which is less concentrated than a cologne so I don't worry about over-spraying too much as I spray wrists, chest, behind the knees, hair, etc. This is my jam! I live in a place that is hot and humid most of the year. This is where most fragrances go to die or are too much for the heat. This blooms in the heat without being overpowering and can be uplifting in the rain. I will never fail to pack this for a summer trip.

I'll be upfront: I'm the palest of the pale in terms of melanin content. But when I put this potion on, I feel like a Bronze Goddess indeed. This fragrance perfectly embodies the notion of a fantastical, tropical, exotic woman, and I'm thrilled that I discovered it. I'm a Floridian, so I can get away with wearing this nearly year-round. I'm pretty sure when people smell me and the wafting of this tahitian tiare flower, magnolia, and sandalwood concoction, they think (and see) a bronze goddess as well. Even if not, what matters most is how I feel when I wear it.:) Yay for aromatherapy, 5/5.