Monoi de Tiare

I purchased this on Mother's Day in May and I have never gone through a bottle of perfume so fast. Firstly because it smells amazing, but secondly because it doesn't last very long. I got compliments EVERYWHERE I went. Cashiers, people in doctors offices, etc. I am going to buy another bottle!

With my decade-long quest for theperfect beach scent, I was an easy mark: 50% off MCMC limited edition fragrances at Anthropologie. Coconut + sea spray + tiare + rave reviews lauding its beachiness was all it took; a few clicks of the mouse later, it was on its way to me, an unsniffed wish. I own several 'beach scents', and though I like each one, I nevertheless experience a twinge of regret that none is The One: heavy on the coconut, but tinged with salt, sand, Tiare, and a hint of rummy vanilla. At the Beach 1966 is the perfect Coppertone; Beach Walk a restrained white floral that merely hints at the seaside; Bobbi Brown Beach, another Coppertone; Jen Aniston an inexpensive thrill that vanishes too soon and misses the coconut note; and Sarah Horowitz's Perfect Coconut, divine, but lacking the sand and tropical notes I also want. Monoi de Tiare sounded like it might be The One. Alas, it is not. The opening minutes are dominated by a harsh, synthetic white musk, tinged with a briney note and an indistinct white floral. It settles down considerably after a few minutes into a pleasant Coppertone vibe with a slightly stronger floral note. Most disappointing, the coconut note I crave is merely hinted at. I don't get Maui so much as I do Ocean City. It's nice, summery, and mostly inoffensive (after the initial shrillness), but it's not the tropical beach I still dream about. It is improved for me by light layering with Perfect Coconut, so it's not a write-off by any means, and this is the way I'm going wear it, but had I the opportunity to have sniffed it before purchasing, I probably would not have succumbed to the temptation.