Never-ending Summer

I was able to try a sample of this in store, and although it seemed pleasant at the time, I did not think much of it. I went back to the shop on a different occasion and tried it again, as I was thinking about it a little bit. This time I decided that I would get a bottle, specifically for a holiday to Portugal coming up in a few months. Notino happened to do a 10ml bottle for this, perfect for travel. So I ended up going with this option. Alongside this fragrance, I decided to pick up Acqua Di Parma Arancia Di Capri (EDT), as it also had a similar vibe – bright, summer, fresh. The more I smell them together, I prefer Never Ending Summer, and although I can appreciate the Acqua Di Parma, the Replica fragrance is a little bit nicer. It opens up bright an citrusy, with a very slight hint of sweets (candy) at the top, but not enough to being annoying or exactly like any particular sweet. It has a fair amount of body for such an airy fragrance. It isn’t effervescent like Bohemian Lime by Goldfield & Banks, and is thicker than that fragrance. Never Ending Summer has a beautiful Orange note to it all the way through, it remains warm and slightly sweet on the dry down. It projects well for a short time, then becomes a nice skin scent. When worn in high heat radiates off the body. I have to say, it is the stand out from the replica line for me, although Jazz club, and by the fire place are cool scents, NES pips a lot of fragrances aimed at a holiday in a bottle, and remains a very easy reach in hot weather.

This is genuinely one of the best scents to me. People around me think it smells good, but it doesn’t really stand out to them. For me, it does. The orange note is the star here. In many fragrances, orange smells like juice. Sweet and fruity. This one is different. It smells more like orange peel. When you bend the peel and that oily mist comes out, that’s exactly what this reminds me of. There’s also a slight bitterness, which I personally love and don’t often find in similar fragrances. The scent does develop a bit over time, but the main character stays consistent. I really like that the orange note doesn’t disappear after the opening. It remains present throughout, which makes the fragrance feel more complete. The mid and base notes are good and last reasonably long, but they don’t feel particularly luxurious or perfectly blended. It almost feels like less attention was given there, although I am being a bit picky. The price is okay, but €120 for 100 ml feels slightly expensive for what you get. Still, this is definitely a fragrance I could see myself buying. It’s very versatile and works best in spring and summer. I’d consider it fully unisex. If it were sweeter, it might lean feminine, but as it is now, it stays nicely balanced. I do think that for most people this will come across as simply “good” rather than amazing. For me, though, that realistic orange peel note is what elevates it and makes it special.

As spring approached, I found myself desperately craving the live fruit essence of orange. Spiced orange, creamiscle orange, and orange rind need not apply. I want the genuine scent of the mist of an orange segment as you sink in your teeth. No other scent I sampled could compare - Never-Ending Summer won by leagues. Fits my bill precisely. It opens with a primary bright and blaring blast of true juicy orange. A perfectly perfumey realistic orange with a soapy undertone. As it dries down, the piquant orange falls from focus - as citrus notes do. What remains on my skin in the end is a gloriously gorgeous, soft, warm, alluring, aromatic, citrus/woods/amber chypre-feel blend of aperol, earl grey tea, cardamom, vetiver, cashmeran, and peru balsam. I am in love, from start to finish. Sparkling, refreshing, clean, dynamic, and uplifting. Fortunately, on me, this one projects well and it lasts and lasts. Psyched to have free rein of this and Hermes Eau Des Merveilles Bleue for summertime this year.

I once told a very perfume-savvy friend that I was desperately looking for a scent that smelled like a Negroni: citrusy, bitter, slightly boozy. She immediately pointed me towards Never-ending Summer, and while it’s not exactly a Negroni in a bottle, I’ve completely fallen for it. The Aperol note is honestly so well done, bright, juicy, and with this unexpected alcoholic twist that makes it feel grown-up but still fun. As it dries down, it turns into this lovely, tea-like scent that clings to the skin in the most addictive way. It’s fresh and citrusy, but not your typical cologne citrus. This is summer energy without being basic. Easy, wearable, and very much gender-neutral. The longevity isn’t amazing, but the projection is solid, and I genuinely don’t mind reapplying, it’s the kind of scent you want to spray again. Basically, it smells like sunshine, aperitifs, and a summer vacations.

This smells exactly as described! Must try on skin. It’s a fruity woody scent with a bitter orange rind, juicy citrus fizz with tea and cedar/vetiver. The initial blast is a strong bitter orange. But quickly the other notes set in and mellow out the bitter orange. The vanilla really rounds this out and makes it sweet as it settles. But the tea and cardamom notes make it smell a bit green yet slightly warm. This performs beautifully in the heat. I’m glad it’s not very sweet which makes it wearable even when it’s 90+ degrees here in FL. I find it very bright and refreshing. Definitely a unisex scent. I can picture this being nice for a summer day outing. When I tried this scent last year during the Winter I picked up more intense tea, bitter orange and vetiver. So I think this, like many perfumes, will smell differently to some depending on the weather.