Vents et Marées

I personnally enjoyed very much the aquatic/marine scents trend that started (and ended ?) during the nineties. Dismiss them all you want as too boring fresh and clean compositions that pale in comparison with more traditional fragrance genres, but they did offer a welcome alternative to usual citrus or light floral fragrances that had been the only options for outdoor activities, chill out moments or simply for those who favoured an understated, airy sillage. It cannot be denied that, however short lived (from a fragrance lifespan angle !) this trend turned out to be, the fragrances belonging to it and which managed to make it to the top are still here today, winning over new adepts who sometimes were born years after they had been launched. I was all the more curious about Molinard Vents Et Marées since it was released in 2007; Did this late comer to the marine/aquatic category introduce anything new ? Well, I wouldn’t call it groundbreaking but it certainly seems to be a different take on the genre in that it has neither the melancholy/meditative inclined quality of l’Eau d’ Issey, nor the outdoors enthusiast vibe of Davidoff Cool Water. Oh, and it doesn’t transport you to a tropical island (CSP Aqua Motu)or a Mediterranean beach where suntan lotion is being lavishly used(Reminiscence REM). The salty sea notes are very realistic here ; it is in the same vein as L’Eau d’Issey ‘s, whose detractors sometimes compare to the smell of oysters. They are in stark contrast to the dominant notes of sweet, juicy, even mouthwatering citrus fruits. Marine and fruity notes don’t mix, they remain so to speak on parallel tracks and this adds to the impression I get of being by the sea side while a lightly swirling breeze is alternately carrying the sea’s smell and that of a nearby orange grove to me. I don’t pick up any jasmine, but a light floral aura is definitely noticeable, as well as something mineral, sand like ( ambergris accord ?). I am pleased with the lasting power, which is about 5 hours on me. Projection is very good for the first 2 hours (it can be overpowering , two sprays are enough in my case).