Porthole

Masculine fruits-forward fragrance with a lot of hype behind it this summer. Worth it in my opinion if you can find it for a good price. I have honestly struggled all through my "journey" if we call it that, to really enjoy fruity fragrances - no citrus, but fruits/bowl of fruits for better description. While Porthole is not necessarily a basket full of various kinds of fruits, it does have a fruit-forward aroma, especially if you are really acquainted with the smell of passionfruit juice. Tinge sour, and when sweetened can cause this sensation that I pick up when smelling Porthole. After Pacific Chill and Limonata, both of which I own, I wasn't really looking for another one. A restock for Porthole happened and I went all in - knowing I had already tried a decant and through it was a bit overly synthetic, but given my past experiences with decants not really being super representative of the actual fragrance, I still did it. I was pretty skeptical with the called out resemblance with Limonata, and as soon as my bottle came in I tasted both side by side. VERY redundant in a small-medium collection (20-50 fragrances even). They perform similarly, but Limonata is the fleshier, more succulent fragrance. Porthole smells both more sour-salty and masculine by a small margin but really do fill out the same place in a collection. The profile is very attractive to me, and even easy to pull off year-round if you live somewhere that doesn't really get super cold. More fun than formal, I will keep both because I do see enough differences to have both in my 30 frag collection, because of the mango-forward versus this passionfruit-forward contrast - and because I found fruity fragrances that actually resonate with me. Most will likely just keep one or the other. 5-6 hours of performance with 1-2 hours of good projection. Presentation and all really give you what you paid for, which is a premium, and thankfully, unlike many fruity fragrances that smell like a scent for a house/hand cream, this really does smell like cologne/perfume/fragrance to apply on one's self. Not super nuanced/complex but rather linear with notes popping up more or less as it dries down, but distinguishingly Porthole (or could be mistaken for Limonata honestly by not having them side by side) all the way. Worth the hype to me.

Porthole Porthole is one of my favorite fragrances of all time. I am a Fall/Winter type of guy, but I have at least 6 summer/spring fragrances that will always be in my collection. Out of those 6, Porthole battles for the number 1 spot, going back and forth between 1st and 2nd. This fragrance opens with a blast of pineapple, passionfruit (though it’s a mid note), salt and what I assume to be iodine. The beauty of this fragrance lies in how unique it is. Fruity, citrusy, spicy and woody?!?! PORTHOLE IS A VIBE and a standout fragrance. It has personality, it’s bold, sweet, invigorating... it’s provocative, it gets the people going. As the fragrance begins to settle, the bergamot, though lite, begins to peek. It’s almost as if the bergamot and passionfruit switched places. The bergamot does not become prominent, but it is recognizable. The ginger and bergamot gives balance to the sweetness, while the white florals add a kiss of elegance. Porthole is a very versatile fragrance. It’s primarily a summer fragrance, but can be worn in late spring or early fall, night or day type of fragrance. It is date night, beach, movies... the only place I would not wear this is to the gym, maybe. The sillage and longevity are top notch for a summer frag. No fragrance is perfect, and I recognize that even some mass appealing fragrances will have people who don’t like it. This in my opinion is a safe blind buy “IF” it fits your scent profile. Grab a sample, now, go... do it. Thanks for checking out my review. In my writeups, I prefer not to talk about cost. Most fragrances are too expensive at retail, but between the gray market and second hand “buy and release” options, price is totally subjective. My honest rating: Overall Aroma: 9/10 Longevity: 9/10 Projection/Silliage: 8.5/10 Quality of Ingredients: 8.5 Overall Rating: 8.75 If you have a moment, please subscribe to my YT, Insta or TT @Fragrantology101 ~Aloysius Theosebeia (When your nose knows, it knows!!)

I'm going to provide some clarity here. Yes it's a very great tropical fragrance. Absolutely not is it the best smell out there. It perhaps might be the best tropical out there, but certainly not the best overall fragrance. Much better than god of fire. I think god of fire smells very artificial. Porthole smells much better in my opinion although they are similar. Pacific chill? They smell nothing alike. I love Pacific chill even though I don't have it. It's too expensive for what you get in my opinion. Just for the brand? Give me a break. There are thousands of fragrances that are of higher quality and are more luxurious. However. If I had to pick by smell only between pacific and port, I would pick pacific! Sorry to break it to you guys. All of this being said, I still think port is a very very good fragrance. If you are in the mood for a tropical that does not have any coconut in it, something that is bright and fresh without going aquatic or piña colada, this is the perfect fragrance. One of the reasons why this is so special is because of what I just said. It's not beachy or suntan lotion that includes coconut or vanilla or anything that may turn it into some kind of tropical dessert. It also does not contain anything aquatic even if they might suggest it. The name made me think it was going to go that way even though I read the notes and there was nothing there. So I was very surprised when I put it on and it was just bright tropical goodness. So I agree with everyone else that this is very good. But give me a break if it's the best fragrance out there. Like I said I might even prefer Pacific chill just because I like the combination a little bit better. But if you are looking for a beautiful pineapple passionfruit tropical but not citrusy or coconut, this is absolutely beautiful. I highly recommend everyone try. Even my mother likes it and she doesn't like anything.

Creamy, salted passion fruit with a coconut base. A blockbuster summer beach baby, effortlessly fun, quintessentially bright, and guaranteed compliment getter. The owner of ZGO (a niche perfumery in San Francisco) recommended this out of the hundreds at his disposal, which speaks volumes as to how stand out from the crowd yet instantly crowd pleasing this gorgeous, slightly tart but beautifully smooth powerhouse is. It smelled amazing on him, and smells amazing on me, so is definitely unisex. Longevity and projection are fantastic for a fresh citrus, and the dry down is superbly salty. It also reminds me of Thai mango sticky rice (plus iodine) in the most delicious of ways. The ginger and white flowers add to the overall tropical vacation vibe, appearing here and there. I couldn't help but grab a full bottle, as this has the calgon-take-me-away magic power to transport you to Bali, bikini and all. What I think makes this so unique and deserving of its stellar rating is the smoothness of the composition. Usually salt, ginger and passionfruit all come with a sharp tinge that makes some noses scrunch - the perfumer here somehow managed to perfectly blend these tart sensations with rich coconut, caramel, clean musc and white woods to evoke an overall effect of softness and serenity. (My only gripe, and it's not really a gripe, is the bottle, which is a bit misleading, as it looks like it should contain a nautical sailing day cologne, which Porthole isn't. The bottle is a beautiful blue actually, but the contents inside give off a very different vibe.)

Man I'm in love with Porthole. I usually don't like salty notes, passionfruit, pineapple and caramel. Buying a decant of this was like a dare to me. When I got the small decant bottle, I could smell coconut which is not listed in the note breakdown and I really hate coconut. When I sprayed it on my wrist, I was quite amazed. It is really different than I thought. It was so good but I never thought about getting a bottle because the coconut base was prominent throughout the opening to the drydown. Today is the first time I fully wear this fragrance and my god it just checks everything I want in a fragrance. It has a salty topical vibe, feels like I'm in a deserted island staring at the sea while enjoying a fruit punch. The smell is really unique but at the same time still mass appealing. The coconut is not as strong as the first time I spray it. This time, the coconut is hiding in the background giving it depth and enough creaminess. The pineapple mixing with salt and passionfruit is heavenly. The performance is perfect for me, I want a fragrance that lasts a long time but don't project so heavily that it causes headache for other people. This is it. This is the fragrance I'm looking for, a hidden gem that challenges every belief I have about fragrance notes. I'm looking for this to be restocked in my country, and this is gonna be my favourite signature scent when I finally have it.