It's full-on summer in my part of the world, and this Friday's community project is "wear something beachy, or anything you think of as 'a vacation in a bottle,'" so here I am with two reviews of fragrances that fit this description. As I noted around this time last year, I'm not much of a summer person, but I'm very fond of the sub-genre of beachy perfumes. Here are two I've been enjoying in recent weeks.
I bought a bottle of Sunspel Sea Moss at the legendary Liberty department store in London back in March, because I hadn't been there in twenty years and the exchange rate was very much in my favor and I learned that Lyn Harris (formerly of Miller Harris, currently of Perfumer H) had created this fragrance. The fact that I'd never heard of Sunspel, an upscale British sportswear brand, didn't really enter into the decision. Sunspel describes Sea Moss, its third fragrance (launched in 2022), as "redolent of wildflowers, cedars and a salty-sea breeze. . . as dynamic as the coastline that inspired it." That would be the British coastline, which I haven't personally visited, although I can believe that it does indeed exude aromas of lavender and rose and cedar and salty sea breezes (the notes of this fragrance) at various locales.
I'd describe Sea Moss as a "marine Eau de Cologne," with a quick note of lemon introducing its herbal, mossy heart. It evokes sea grass and driftwood and mossy stones under a cloudy sky, and there's some kind of sneaky ambergris-like note in the base that provides a bit of grit and the faintest hint of sweat. It's definitely a lightweight fragrance that wears more like an Eau de Toilette than an Eau de Parfum, so it can be applied liberally; it's definitely gender-neutral. For all these reasons, I'm wearing it regularly during a very warm and rainy week when I need something to counteract the humidity but I'm not feeling cheery enough for a more traditional citrus Eau de Cologne.
For something a little brighter and warmer, there's Un Été, the latest fragrance from Obvious Parfums. Un Été was developed by perfumer Meabh McCurtin and was reportedly inspired by matcha latte and by sunscreen on warm skin after a day at the beach, with notes of ginger, tangerine, mandarin, matcha, orange flower, maté, vanilla bean, tonka bean and Peru balsam. I'm not really a fan of matcha in "real life," but I do appreciate green tea as a note in perfumery. Here, the matcha accord is combined with citrus (more bergamot than tangerine, to my nose) and creamy notes in a way that feels casual and smooth.
In its longer dry down, Un Été is a very sheer summer gourmand with a nutty-sweet tonka note and a perfect "summer vanilla" finish. It works well as a fantasy of an ideal beach-vacation day (a "sacred interlude," as Obvious calls it), and it would be perfect for cocktails on a summer evening, but it definitely does not need to be restricted to summertime wear.
I'm looking forward to reading everyone else's beachy and/or vacation picks soon!
Sunspel Sea Moss is available as 100 ml Eau de Parfum ($175) via the Sunspel website. Obvious Parfums Un Été is available as 100 ml Eau de Parfum ($140) via Luckyscent and the Obvious Parfums website.
Oh interesting that Sunspel has a perfume. The company is definitely migrating across the pond. With a husband and two adult sons among my list of folks in regular rotation for presents, Sunspel at some point crossed my path. Now I am getting emails and updates on all my social media platforms on Sunspel products.
Thank you for the reviews! But, can we all agree that there should be a moratorium on perfume houses using the words “redolent of” for at least five years?
So funny! I’d literally never heard of this brand, but Liberty had set up a little table for their scents, and when I heard Lyn Harris was involved, I sniffed all of them. And…just a few days ago, I spotted a Sunspel boutique in Manhattan. It must be a new arrival because it’s on a street where I frequently window-shop and I can’t remember ever noticing it before…?
Ah yes, “redolent” sounded very sexy and fresh a while back but it has ended up everywhere lately. You are right. 😉
Sunspel started as a high-end men’s underwear brand then branched out. Lyn Harris is always busy & also produces the fragrances for another currently trendy UK brand Vyrao
PS. Estée Lauder bought a minority stake in Vyrao a couple of months ago so i expect that, like Sunspel, they’ll also be undergoing some rapid international expansion in the near future.
What wonderful descriptions, Jessica, Un été appeals very much.
I really do wish they offered smaller bottles! I would purchase a travel-size bottle in a flash. :/
Thanks very much for reviewing these, Jessica! I tried some scents that Lyn Harris did for another UK brand a few years back. They were fine but a bit bare, presumably due to the budget.
I enjoy Perfumer H Rose Oil. It’s not an oil, but rather an EdP centered around a particularly beautiful rose oil that she obtained to make her other rose perfumes. If you every want to luxuriate in a pure, slightly old-fashioned rose, that’s the one.
Ah thanks! I agree that budget can make all the difference. These Sunspel scents feel like good-quality sportswear, as opposed to the more fashion-y (but not frilly) Perfumer H line! I need to try Rose Oil when I get back to a Perfumer H shop someday. I love Powder and Suede and I was intrigued by Dust…but I didn’t have a chance to sniff the entire collection!