Midnight Sea

I tend to flee from fragrances lumped into the 'aquatic' category, as I strongly dislike the melon-y, ozonic, and water-lily vibes that most of them carry. I went for a sample of Midnight Sea several years ago in an order from Neil Morris, largely because I was drawn by a promised salt note that intrigued me (Fleurs de Sel was an early love of mine). Despite my apprehension about the water lily note, this one didn't look like the run-of-the-mill aquatic fragrance, given the presence of patchouli and vanilla, which are not your standard notes for this genre. That sample several summers ago turned into a near-immediate purchase of a full bottle. Midnight Sea is aptly named, as it conjures the ocean shoreline of the night: a dark velvet sky, the salt-tinged air, the seaweed-strewn sandy shore, the salty musk of ocean water drying on the skin, and the slightest hint of night-blooming flowers. I hesitate to compare one fragrance to another, as it tends to be subjective, but this one feels to me like Jessica Simpson's Fancy Nights at the shore. If you're not a fan of the patch-vanilla heart of Fancy Nights (one of the few standout celebrity fragrances, IMHO), you probably won't like Midnight Sea. Also, there's no 'Coppertone effect' to Midnight Sea, so it's definitely not At the Beach 1966 or Bobbi Brown Beach. I really like this fragrance, and break out the bottle every summer. The salty aspect keeps it light enough to enjoy in the hot weather, despite the patch-vanilla heart. It's definitely a summer scent to me, though; the salty muskiness just doesn't work once the days and evenings turn cooler. It works great as a day to night scent in the hot weather, and is a really easy fragrance to wear. Long lasting, but not overpowering in its sillage, it garners compliments each time I wear it.