Maui in a Bottle Sweet Banana | 37 Eau de Parfum

Beachy, sweet, vanilla, fruity, coconut, tropical, white floral, powdery, woody, lactonic, vibrant, radiant, feminine, sensual, flirty, playful, blissful, charming, whimsical, dreamy, delightful, delicious, cheerful , joyful, uplifting, sunny, alluring, tempting, yummy, addictive, inviting, cozy, comforting, transportive, nostalgic On me this opens fruity and radiant with sweet and more green leaning banana and syrupy pear, and then grows more tropical as the sweet, tropical, and creamy coconut cream and lush jasmine join the notes. The dry down really shines as the sensual vanilla and creamy sandalwood intertwine with the other notes. Overall it reads as a beachy, sweet, and creamy coconut vanilla with nuances of banana and sandalwood with an almost marshmallow-y gourmand vibe. I really love this one, it’s super good! Picture drinking a marshmallow and banana smoothie out of a coconut on a tropical beach with the warm sun on your skin and clear aqua water lapping at your sandy feet. I’m actually somewhat reminded of SDJ Coco Cabana by this, which is another love of mine! This is definitely my favorite out of the Vacay in a Bottle set, followed my Maldives, and then Capri (which also gives me a marshmallow-y vibe very similar to Yum Boujee Marshmallow in the dry down)! It’s also one of my favorite Kayali perfumes, the 6th to be exact. I’m a huge Kayali fan, and I currently own 20 different fragrances of theirs. My top 5 favorites are Yum Boujee Marshmallow, Vanilla 28, Vanilla Candy Rock Sugar, The Wedding Silk Santal, and Yum Pistachio Gelato. This feels feminine to me, and while it does have a somewhat youthful vibe to it I think it can still be worn by women of any age. This definitely feels most fitting during the spring and summer because of the beachy/coconut vibe. I think this is most suitable for casual occasions, a beach vacation, work/school, and even some date nights. I get very good performance with Maui in a Bottle. The longevity is between moderate to strong, as it lasts about 6-8 hours on my skin. The projection is moderate, it radiates out at least an arm’s length from me. For reference, some of my other favorites include Kilian LDBS, Princess, Sunkissed Goddess, GdT Celeste, Bianco Latte, Tom Ford Soleil Blanc, Nest Sunkissed Hibiscus, Gucci Flora Gorgeous Orchid, Burberry Goddess, The 7 Virtues Vanilla Woods, YSL Black Opium Le Parfum, Guerlain Mon Guerlain, Rosie Jane Dulce, Ellis Brooklyn Marshmallows, Queen’s Caramel, Vanilla Salt, Phlur Heavy Cream, Vanilla Nectar, Beach Skin, SDJ Summer è Amor, 62, 39, VS Vanilla Lace, BBW Beach Nights, Boardwalk Marshmallow Clouds, Whipped Honey & Vanilla, Fireside Flurries

Beautiful, Beachy, sweet, fresh, tropical, creamy, cheerful, uplifting, fun, bright, fruity, floral, woody, warm, yummy, feminine, sensual On me this opens sweet, fruity, and bright with banana and pear. As it starts drying down the coconut and jasmine really come into play helping to balance out the sweetness of the fruity top notes, and really bringing a beachy feel to the fragrance. When the vanilla and sandalwood appear they add a warm, creamy, and woody depth that rounds out the fragrance very nicely. The coconut stays fairly prominent throughout with the vanilla and sandalwood, while the banana, pear, and jasmine remain gently intertwined through the rest of the wear. I bought 2 of the Vacay in a Bottle sets whenever it launched, and I immediately loved it! Maui is my favorite from the set followed by Maldives, which makes sense considering I’m a big fan of coconut fragrances. I’m also a big Kayali fan in general. I have 16 of their fragrances, and my top 3 are Yum Boujee Marshmallow, The Wedding Silk Santal, and Vanilla 28. For a little more reference, some of my favorite beachy/coconut fragrances include Tom Ford Soleil Blanc, Nest Sunkissed Hibiscus, Kilian Sunkissed Goddess, Replica Beach Walk, Estée Lauder Bronze Goddess, JHAG Lust For Sun, and JHAG Vanilla Vibes. I also have Kayali Utopia Vanilla Coco and love it as well. This is definitely a feminine feeling scent that I think would work for women of any age. It’s best suited for the warmer weather of spring and summer with its sweet, beachy, and tropical vibe. I was nervous about the banana note in this because up until buying this I never owned a banana fragrance. I’m so glad I took the chance though because it’s amazing. The banana is there, but not at all overpowering. It adds a really nice sweet, fruity, and tropical scent that pairs especially well with the coconut and vanilla. I think Maui is a safe blind buy if you’re a fan of coconut/tropical scents. I get excellent performance with Maui in a Bottle, as I do with all of the Kayali fragrances I own. The longevity is great, on me it lasts throughout the day. The projection is good, it radiates out at least a couple feet from me.

I will preface my review by agreeing with the previous comments here, about how quickly the banana note disappears from my skin. I wish it lasted longer, the reason I have bought this perfume in the first place. But that aside, I really love how Maui in a Bottle smells like. Again I wish it lasted longer and be more intense, but talking about the scent only, I do love it. On me, once it is dried down, it’s more coconut, pear, jasmine, and then banana, with a typical base of vanilla and sandalwood combo. All notes that I love and I already have tens and tens of perfumes in my collection, from this particular perfume what I wanted the most was a prominent banana... On the positive side, Maui in a Bottle is a fun, summery, very smooth, creamy, balmy, sweet, fruity, white floral, likeable fragrance. It’s a catchy perfume for most of the ladies (don’t think there’s anything masculine in this) who like a sweet, fruity, white floral scent with an exotic twist. Mass appealing to the younger crowds without a doubt... So, to sum it up: I would rate Maui in a Bottle a 9/10 for the scent, a 8/10 for how long the banana note lasts, and a 7/10 for the intensity and longevity of the perfume. Keep in mind that this is my first perfume that features a banana note in the composition, so in that sense, I don’t have much experience to compare this perfume against. I would not recommend buying this for full price because it’s overpriced for what it is. I got my bottle with a significant discount, so I am not too mad about it. Also, if you don’t like or you’re sensitive to coconut, jasmine and vanilla in your perfumes, don’t buy this! It’s a perfume that has some banana in it, it’s not a banana dominant perfume, like the marketing implies!

I don't love all Kayali scents- many are nice but generic... But this one is special! This is the BEST banana scent I have ever tried. Let me explain why... It is a very naturalistic green banana fruit scent- it is NOT synthetic banana laffy-taffy. And the banana note is much longer lasting than a lot of banana perfumes. There is the vanilla whipped cream facet (this is Kayali after all)... But there is also a soft touch of naturalistic, tropical floral- which only adds to the natural feeling of being in a tropical place. This does not smell like sunscreen, it does not smell like banana bread. It smells like being in a tropical place- eating a creamy, vanilla dessert topped with fresh bananas... with some tropical flowers blooming nearby. Gorgeous. Also, sidenote: It's sad that so many GenZ Americans don't know what real, blooming white flowers smell like. It's also sad that these people only want synthetic gourmands and these people won't even try to appreciate floral notes. The florals in this scent are not sharp, heavy or overly indolic- just natural and soft. Those who appreciate nature and understand floral scents will understand.

Another sweet Kayali fragrance! My bottle is from when the set was sold separately early last spring I believe. So it’s developed beautifully! The juice is dark like the vanilla 28 juice. The initial spray is like a boozy ripe banana with pear to freshen it up. I pick up the jasmine as it sits on the skin. It’s very soft but helps the fragrance smell more of perfume than a body spray. I’m super sensitive to white florals but the jasmine in here is not overwhelming to me nor is it the main note I pick up. I feel like the notes are well blended here. Sometimes I do pick up like a sun tan lotion vibes. The dry down leaves me with a pear, coconut vanilla and sandalwood base. But I can still smell a sweet banana in there from spray to dry down. I enjoy wearing when it’s really hot and humid outside. Makes me feel like I’m walking the beach in Maui beach while sipping on a coconut cocktail. Layers perfectly with SODJ 39 and Phlur’s Heavy Cream. However because this is such a sweet fragrance I don’t wear it often and am leaning towards selling it as I’m gravitating to less sweet and more fresh aquatic fragrances as of late.