Sea Of Gray

This is such an interesting scent. The ice cream parlor vibe is very real. This is the scent of walking down a pier at the ocean, and catching the whiff of a nearby ice cream shop's waffle cones drifting through the air. The aquatic note is almost more absent than present, but it's still there, if that makes sense (I know it doesn't). It's like you've been walking along the pier for the last twenty minutes with a loved one, taking in nothing but the salty ocean air and the scent of the wet sand on the beach, but then those scents are instantly pushed out by the scent of an ice cream parlor which you're approaching. The constant presence of the sea is still there in your nose, morphing the way that you perceive the vanilla and other notes, but it is almost defined by its absence at this point. Leans slightly feminine, to be honest, even more so as it dries down, but I'm still rocking it as a dude. This is also my most complimented fragrance by far, with Tres Oros being in close second. Granted, must of those compliments were from old ladies who come into my library, but one also came from a cute waitress at a steakhouse, so you know. You take what you can get 😅 For the price, the artistry on display here is just stunning. The only problem I have is when exactly to wear this thing. Most people have marked it as a summer scent, which I agree with, but only to an extent. This is an *extremely* sweet fragrance, and I probably wouldn't wear it at around 90°F or above. And I don't know if it would really fit the winter time all that well, either, because it isn't exactly a warm scent. It's a bit of an enigma in that regard. I just end up wearing it when I'm feeling it and it seems to work out.

Another hit! I've been revisiting a bunch of Solstice samples that I purchased years ago, and they have aged beautifully! Now I want a full roller of this one too!! Amazing for summer. This really does conjure up scent memories of being at the beach on a rainy day, plus a yummy vanilla note just for fun! I really love this, because it's unique. Most beachy summery frags use coconut and white florals, sometimes other fruits. They can smell great, but also are reminiscent of suntan lotion and Vegas casinos. They have their place, I enjoy them at the beach or the pool, or in Vegas in warm weather, but this is something different. More refined, addictive, and a bit sexy. Salty ocean, seaweed, vanilla, sandalwood, ambers, what's not to love. Especially since I'm a person who REALLY loves the ocean. It's a healing place for me, I'd live where it smells like this if I could. I've been whale watching multiple times, and find it incredibly exhilarating, especially when you can ride on the bow as a pod of dolphins ride the wave from the boat! This scent reminds me of being there, it is self care. It is another skin scent, and I'd prefer better projection, but as with other amazing blends from Solstice, it's good enough that I'd buy it anyway. I think I have a problem with these. 😄

i was unimpressed with my other two solstice oils and all but forgot i owned this until i started looking at another marine vanilla (Namba Fantome) and all of a sudden i wondered why i didnt ever wear this....well ive been wearing it all day (two applications and easily lasting 11 hours) and you know what!! this is some incredible niche masterwork. i cannot confirm or deny that it smells like the sea because i havent been to the ocean or even a lake in years but from my frame of reference...its giving dank basement. mildewy-ass basement. i dont even dislike that on its own as i have plenty of basement nostalgia (i was always playing in various basements, at my house or relatives house or friends houses, loved the coldness) BUT this basement smell is beautifully tempered by the vanilla, like a beauty and the beast situation going on, i bet you vanilla never in her life thought she'd get matched with mildew and fall in love but here they are together!!! love wins!!!!!!!! the vanilla does indeed dominate in the drydown as well roughly 20 minutes after application but you can still smell the dankness when you sniff hard. in case you were addicted to it. like me

When I lived in CA I got a sample of Solstice Scents Sea of Grey and tried it. A few days later I was at the beach (not wearing perfume) and sitting on the sand a few feet from where the waves came up and I vaguely thought 'something smells familiar', then I realized it was Sea of Grey that I was thinking of, that's how authentic the ocean note is, it smells like the ocean water! I've tried so many ocean scents and this is the only one that actually smells like the ocean to me. Her Cliffside Bonfire has that same ocean note only with the bonfire element mixed with it. I would love if she released something that just had the ocean scent by itself (Sea of Grey has vanilla mixed in with the ocean scent, so it smells like the ocean only with vanilla mixed in)

Sea of Gray is a cool atmospheric experience at the ocean. Its a overcast cold winters day with the pacific ocean lapping on the beaches near the pier and an ice cream shop stands deserted after the summer crowds. You walk by and he frozen steel air from the coolers rush outside with the scent of vanilla from the waffle cones they are freshly making for the weekend visitors. The ambergris/salt accord lends a realistic marine note to the composition. You must like ambergris to pull off this scent successfully. This is exactly what you get in the copy above. It reminds me of my days in Pismo Beach, California on the pier. 5ml oil reviewed.