Gorse

Received my bottle this morning so after a full day of wear, I'm ready to give my review. Yes, I did buy it blind because of what everyone has had to say about it's similarity to Virgin Island Water. I tend to ignore these kind of "affordable alternative" suggestions because in my experience they're almost never accurate, but in this case I had to take the chance. And in this case, IT'S REAL, Y'ALL. The similarity is uncanny. Aside from the distinctly lemon drop fizzy candy opening in Gorse being an obvious departure from the mouth wateringly tart lime opening in Creed, if someone were to bottle this and sell it to me as Virgin Island Water, I would absolutely believe them. I would have no reason to doubt it, given how unique and inimitable Creed's Virgin Island Water is. There simply is nothing like it. Except Gorse, apparently. The key difference, as far as I'm concerned, is that where VIW has a certain sweet pungency that remains sort of sticky and boozy all the way down, Gorse seems to have a smoother and more natural blend while still hitting the same fragrant check-points. And it also lasts far longer than the Creed ever has, having been applied 11 hours ago now and still being readily detectable on my skin. Following the lead of the reviewers who came before me, I won't even bother to lay out the similarities. This is essentially the same fragrance. It makes more sense to explicitly list out the few differences: Gorse opens with a nose tickling sweet lemon candy. On my skin (which takes scents to their base notes with record speed) this lasts literally less than a minute, but a mildly sweet citrus quality lingers even up to now, though faintly. It lends a consistent freshness that I don't necessarily sense in the Creed. VIW opens with a sweetened but noticeably sour lime that is more than slightly bitter, and I find myself waiting for the dry down when that sharp bitterness is entirely gone. But this is not the case here. The coconut of VIW is very nearly identical to the dominant scent in Gorse, but Gorse has a consistent, fresh floral quality which I can only assume is in the likeness of gorse flower itself (though I've never encountered a gorse bush so I can't be certain). But for the first 15 to 20 minutes I also detected something waxy, which called to mind the texture and smell of tearing a flower petal, but could also come across as the wax of an unlit candle (in reference to the lament of a couple other reviewers). That waxiness was short lived and in no way pronounced enough to have been a deal-breaker. Lastly, with the exception of the opening, Gorse overall isn't quite as sweet, and by comparison VIW is actually a little cloying. To be honest, next to Grose it almost smells synthetic. As if it were a lower-end dupe. ...I like Gorse more---there I said it.

Fresh, creamy and gourmand. Gorse is like a lemon meringue pie mixed with piña colada. 🥥🍋 This scent is bloody gorgeous. What opens up with a fresh, creamy lemon slowly fades into a smooth, zesty coconut that flows into the background and sticks with you through the rest of the day. This scent has so much flavour to the point I would eat it if I could. I adore JPG Le Beau Le Parfum, but it can be quite overwhelming, so I've been wanting a coconut scent that feels more light and airy, that I can wear with ease. This is exactly what I've been looking for, as it gets the balance between fresh and sweet spot on. It reminds me of summer staycations in the UK when I was younger. The coconut brings that holiday feel, but the lemon and floral notes bring a localised nostalgia to it that feels closer to home. Fields of flowers, blue skies, the beach, camping, and summer BBQs. It's a perfect spring and summer daytime fragrance for anybody, and breakfast-friendly, which is a massive win. Throw it on anywhere, and you'll smell fantastic without offending anyone. The drydown is genuinely brilliant, and I've been impressed at just how long it lasts. It definitely quietens down, but it does it in this really smooth and indulgent way that feels special. Even after 6 hours, I still get a dopamine hit from pulses of creamy coconut, and it's even better on clothes. After testing the Laboratory Perfumes range, this one is the undeniable king (or queen) for me. It feels fresh and nostalgic in the same way Samphire does, but brings a more unique and flavoursome profile that makes it stand out as its own, which I think makes it the pinnacle of success with what the brand has aimed to achieve. Brilliant fragrance, great ethical brand, well worth the price and something that will never fail to put a smile on my face. 10/10 👑

I ran out of Virgin Island Water and decided not to repurchase, since Greed increased the price from 165€ to 265€ over the past two years. Besides, my bottle was a letdown anyway. While the faint drydown was absolutely heavenly, the opening was thin and shrill and within 30 minutes it became a skin scent. In my search for a new fragrance, I gave Malibu Party in the Bay by Simone Andreoli a try. It opens with an incredibly lively and realistic burst of lime, followed by a velvety coconut. The overall scent is quite different from VIW and Gorse; it does its own thing, in a good way. However, it's not quite what I was looking for. So next up was Gorse. The lime and lemon opening is very natural and refreshing, accompanied by a very noticeable coconut right from the start. There's also a slight touch of saltiness which gives off a perfect beachy vibe. I found it delightful, well-blended, and versatile enough for both summer and spring. I was initially concerned about reviews that compared it to lemon candy, candles and cleaning products, but it turns out that Gorse smells just as natural as Virgin Island Water, if not more so. In fact, I actually prefer Gorse by a significant margin. This is not to say that Gorse smells "just like VIW but better". They do share a lot (!) of similarities, but they also have their differences and I just so happen to prefer Gorse's scent profile. These are the official notes : TOP: Bergamot, Coconut, Lime, Lemon, Mandarin, Ginger, Cardamom HEART: Jasmine, Ylang Ylang, Lily of the Valley BASE: Musk, Amber, Milky The only negative points are that the sprayer is not great and the cap is very thin and flimsy – if you squeeze hard enough, it will bend.

Never in my life have I experienced a fragrance "clone" so perfectly like its progenitor. I own Creed Virgin Island Water and after hearing the hype about Gorse being a "Creed Killer," it was with giddy anticipation that I awaited delivery of my bottle. Having now experienced this fragrance I can confidently say this: Gorse is not similar to Virgin Island Water, it IS Virgin Island Water. With only three notable differences: 1. VIW has a very pronounced top note of lime that Gorse lacks. 2. Gorse outperforms VIW in both sillage and longevity. 3. Gorse is approximately $300 cheaper. Gorse (like VIW) instantly transports you to the sun-drenched isles of the Caribbean. You can almost feel the warm, turquoise water lapping at your feet and the ocean breeze gently caressing your skin. The opening is a blast of coconut (actually the flowers of the gorse plant, hence the name) with faint hints of lemon. After a few minutes the coconut continues its robust presence but a boozy, rum note introduces itself and helps Gorse transition into a base of sugar and cardamom. As mentioned earlier, the performance and sillage are fairly impressive for a warm weather fragrance. It radiates about an arm's length for the first two hours and becomes a skin scent for the next seven. Much better sillage and longevity than I get from my Creed bottle. This is truly a masterpiece Summer fragrance. I don't know if Laboratory Perfumes set out to clone Virgin Island Water but, whether they did or not, it's the finest dupe job I've ever smelled.

I own both VIW and Gorse and also smelled multiple clones of VIW on the market. Gorse is indistinguishable from VIW after short opening and, by far, the closest to Creed out of all on the market. This is a very well done scent with quality no less than Creed's. The two differences that were already mentioned by many: opening has a bit more lemon and less lime than VIW (a welcomed change in my opinion since it brings it closer to a more traditional cologne not just a tropical scent) and gorse plant oil is, I guess, what Creed used for coconut note but here it is more "full spectrum" as I assume Creed used an isolate, not whole oil. Overall, an excellent scent, spoken by someone who does not believe in clones. Also, performance and versatility is better than current Creed's (and on level with my vintage VIW from 2014). Now, if you never smelled the Creed before and just buying it as an original perfume: this is very unique and not like your traditional cologne. It still has this tropical coconut vibe to it, the note is not for everyone, even though many like to smell it on somebody else. I get 8 hours of longevity every time with strong projection going to modest after 1-2 hours. If you like VIW, this is a safe blind buy, IMO, if you are OK with the above.

Love! Beautiful fresh top notes, amazing summery fragrance, pulls more feminine on me & more masculine on my fiance but we both love this, just as we both love Creed Virgin Island Water, but I pedfr this bc it has only the tiniest hint of what is a "rum" note, in Creed VIW - the thing is, from twenty minutes in, Gorse remains far more rounded, & beautiful, & the lasting power is far, far better than any bottle of that particular Creed that I've ever purchased, frankly this is better & at Eighty Pounds for 100ml, using a couple of spraye each time it lasts for ages. We are both very fond of this perfume, espc from May to September, my fiance wears it a lot & I like to wear a lot of different perfumes but this is a Summer huge favourite for me, although you can wear it any time outside of very cold Weather, I think personally. (Or you can be daring, & wear it on Boxing Day just for a change, as my Fiance did noticeably in 2022!)

After I tested Creed’s VIW, I purchased the 100ml Gorse as a blind buy and I am not disappointed. There is without a doubt a very high similarity. Especially after one hour they smell exactly the same. I like the Gorse opening much more. It is literally a citrusy hit in your face and it doesn’t smell synthetic to my nose. Harsh, but not synthetic. On the other side, I like the drydown of VIW a bit more until it vanishes after 2-3 hours. Because of the rum and the sugar, it becomes a little more deeper, while Gorse stays quite linear (that’s not necessarily a negative thing in my opinion). The performance is by far better – I took one spray on my arm and after 5-6 hours it was still good noticeable as a skin scent and for me that’s more than enough. A beautiful and different summer scent – I love it!

Truly an amazing dupe for Virgin Island Water. Almost identical. Opens with a limey greeting, but it disappears quickly (VIW’s does as well but leaves behind a lingering fresh soapy smell which elongates the citrus, very subtle difference). Gorse then settles down to a warm, delicate, slightly unisex floral-coconut-amber. The coconut is a little more pronounced than VIW. Such a nice scent that doesn’t assault the nose, it’s gentle and intriguing. Sunshine and class. Evokes riding a catamaran to a nearby island for an afternoon snorkel or cocktail. At least that’s the fantasy I will these fragrances to induce!! Would definitely repurchase, and it has satisfied my desire to own VIW. It needs a few sprays for sure to be noticeable when wearing.

Laboratory Perfume Gorse. Summers on the way so its time to grab Gorse from the collection. A well blended and high quality unisex creamy Coconut and citrus's Fragrance. This is a beautiful scent, i Particularly wanted a coconut based scent for the summer and Gorse ticks all the boxes. Gorse is a a creamy coconut smelling flower and creamy coconut and citrus's of Lemon & Limes is what you get here. its a fairly linnear scent, but who wants it to change when it opens and remains this good. Performance is excellent and the warmer the weather, then the better the performance. So if your looking for an exquisite high quality creamy Coconut and citrus's fragrance, then i highly recommend you sample Gorse.

I’m testing a sample of this at the moment. It does smell a lot like gorse flowers - a creamy lemony coconutty smell, along with a floral note similar to mahonia. It’s just like walking down a Cornish lane between high banks of gorse bushes. The coconut note is slightly green, more like the actual flesh of a coconut than a suntan lotion smell. It lasted about 5 hours on my skin, longer in my hair. I added a tiny extra spritz to my wrists (one spray and pressed my wrists together), and it seems to have reactivated back to its original strength. It might be better in the summer, but just as gorse flowers all year round, I’m actually really enjoying the creaminess on this grey November day.

This is a happy scent! It's creamy coconut with citruses, fresh, sweet, inviting.. I've never smelled virgin island water and i don't even want because i am completely satisfied with Gorse. This fragrance feels like summer on a beach, like a pina colada coctail, suntan lotion and puts a smile on my face! Performance is good for the type of the fragrance, i get about 6-7 hours longevity and good projection in the heat. This is to me a hot weather fragrance, for every occasion. It's very versatile, very easy to like and completely unisex! Overall, if you are looking for a great coconut summer fragrance this is a beautiful, unique and affordable option. Try it!

If someone says this doesn't smell like Creed's VIW, they're probably butthurt from purchasing that overpriced, 1-hour-lasting, suck-juice (performance, not smell) instead of this gem. I'm fortunate enough to have both, and I have no hesitation in choosing this over Creed. Better performance, 97% identical scent and a quarter of the price. I will never buy a Creed Fragrance again. They simply aren't worth the money they're asking for the lackluster juice I've gotten the last few bottles I've purchased from them. Make no mistake - This IS Virgin Island Water, just for a much, much better price. Don't hesitate - just get it.

MMmm...very yummy. Perfect for wearing on your hols. It opens with juicy sweet citrus notes. The cardamom becomes evident. A little further along the timeline and you do get the similarity with VIW but it is very brief. I am sure there is a lot more to this fragrance than the two notes listed. There is definitely some coconut in the mix. Maybe even a touch of lime. It is a pretty good likeness to the gorse fragrance. It is in flower now all over the place. A simple and very pleasant unisex fragrance but sorry no replacement for Creed VIW. This is a very basic fragrance whilst VIW is much smoother and finely nuanced.

Yep, this is really really close to VIW. I tried VIW and o have to admit, that it is the one Creed I was tempted to get. Heard about Gorse, decided to blind buy and so far, I am not disappointed. The opening is definitely harsher and more lemon than lime unlike VIW, but in the dry down, it's very hard to tell them apart. VIW is definitely a little less linear and somehow fresher to my nose, and the coconut note is more herbal. Performance wise, I got a solid 8h, with decent projection for a good 4. I give this a 8/10. It's a good summer fragrance, and to my nose, it does have that tropical vibe.

My favorite hot summer day fragrance. Gorse plants grows in northern europe, where I live, you can spot it by it's yellow flowers, the oil from the gorse plant smells like coconut oil. I have never tried Creeds virgin island water, but Gorse smells like a tropical island in a bottle, a bit of fruity notes and coconut oil (Gorse oil). To me it's a fantastic fragrance for the summer, especially for very hot summer days, it simply smells amazing, if you like that tropical island coconut type of smell 😊 I get about 7-8 hours longevity with moderate projection. I love this stuff.

Yes this is reminiscent of Virgin Island Water by Creed. Gorse is a fresh and sweet fragrance at the same time, the citrus gives it that fresh feeling but the coconut balances it out and gives it a depth. Gorse is my favorite fragrance from Laboratory perfumes and would be perfect for Spring or Summer. the performance is average, not the best. the scent leans towards the feminine side more. I appreciate that they're cruelty-free and don't test on animals like all designers do.

This is an excellent take on Virgin Island Water. The opening isn’t as quite as good as it doesn’t have that super realistic in your face lime, but Gorse is still an excellent fragrance. Maybe a bit more synthetic initially than VIW, but the dry down is very similar. Much less expensive than VIW and still worth owning for the summer. Gorse and VIW are my go to tropical vacation fragrances. Nothing better for boiling hot summer days IMO. I own and wear bother often.

Excellent VIW style fragrance. I’d describe it as completely unisex. Refreshing, uplifting, light wearing, nice scent bubble, better longevity than VIW. The lime note in the beginning sparkles and is invigorating. Coconut/Gorse comes through more in the heart. None of the synthetic sharp obnoxious Ambroxen like Malibu party in the Bay. For a third of the price it’s a steal. Atomizer and cap are cheap but it’s a nice bottle. Great hot summer beach day fragrance.

It came out in 2012??? Wow, this one slipped thru the cracks for me. It absolutely smells very similar to VIW, it even has that awesome musk in the dry down. I love it. The difference for me is in the opening; VIW has pure lime and this has more like a lemon-lime. A great Summer scent. Very relaxing, not overpowering in any way and seems to have pretty decent performance. An easy 8.5 out of 10 for me.

I blind buy Gorse after asking seller for something could make me feel like standing in the winter sun. I got a 10-ml share and now im about to purchase the whole bottle. I love it, that's all. 2 notes only but surely not boring or synthetic. I think the citrus note is yellow lemon, not too acidic, just sharply bright. Combined with white powdery cardamom makes this scent perfectly uplifting.