July 2023 Favorite: Viral Sensation, “VACATION”
When I imagine scents that embody Summertime, daisy, fresh sea breeze, earthy wood, and lavender come to my mind. These notes remind me of cool Long Island evenings near bushes of wildflowers in my backyard where sunlight turns into a dusky shadow. Mornings on the Sound where the shoreline is dotted with dried driftwood along the water’s edge to the green forests hovering the bluffs. The lavender farm in prime bloom a mile away from my home.
That’s my sophisticated take though. I also think of glossy tanning oil reminiscent of banana, a fire pit coupled with burnt, carcinogen-ridden marshmallow. The, “I have to have at least one because it’s Summer” frozen coconut Miami Vice. The scent of plastic that has been baking in the sun as I unbox the new floats for the pool. These scents bring me back to core Summer memories.
While looking for a Summer signature, I truly wanted to find a scent that undoubtedly reminded me of the season. I have seen endless advertisements for the brand Vacation before in my Instagram feed. Although the usual monotomous and unceasing ad’s, (I’m sure we all witness) across social media typically irritates or bores me, the Vacation advertisements ignite the opposite. The brand’s atheistic is a love story to the 80’s, evident from their social feed, packaging, website — everything the brand produces. Yet, the brand effortlessly captures an allure of the decade without driving home into obvious stereotypes, say loud prints or constant neon flashes of color across their communications. The product innovation also intrigues me to the brand, as Vacation offers a foam-like sunscreen that is housed in a whipped cream like can. I have noticed its launch 2 years ago the eponymous fragrance that remains (for now) the sole fragrance in the Vacation line across social media and in Ulta. Viewing many influencer reviews, the commentary seemed to all follow suit. “It smells like Summer in a bottle”, “Your swimsuit, suntan, and salty air all in one”, “This is literally my new Summer scent”. I couldn’t tell if the scent was all promotional hype due to the attractive pull of the laid-back, cool vibe of the brand, or if the fragrance had substantial attributes. So, I finally decided to give it a shot to see for myself — if I was disappointed in the purchase, oh well. Then I’d just fallen victim to another hype wave on social media I’d suppose. I had to know.
And I am so happy to share, (at least in this case) I am not disappointed with my decision. I ordered the scent from Ulta and unboxed the package in a simple ivory colored box with metallic-gold inscription finely printed along the front. The glass bottle was small, however, I did not expect a large fixture to encompass 1 fl.oz — I appreciate the brand for not creating mischievous packaging eluding a consumer to possessing more product than they are in fact receiving. The simple bottle was sleek and still sexy complemented by a gold label and accent around the neck where the cap meets the nozzle. Simple. Now was the time for the moment of truth if I was either the sole living being who did not understand the intrigue and was suckered in to purchasing an over promoted product.
Immediately, I understood what all of the social media socialites were saying in their reviews with my first inhale. How was it possible for a scent to smell of sweet suntan oil, Lycra from my elementary Speedo days, a hint of sea, and fresh orange while remaining attractive enough to wear? I doused myself in another spritz or two and (probably) said out loud, “Yes this is IT” a couple of times. I first took note of coconut, followed by banana and pineapple, with the Lycra and marine flair following after wearing for some time. I had to research more as I was impressed — especially due to the fact that I have never experienced the Lycra-esque note in a fragrance before.
The creation was born thanks to the genius of perfumers Carlos Huber and Rodrigo Flores-Roux, as shared on the Vacation website. Other notes in the sensation include Petitgrain essence — offering a woody sultriness with a hint of the lively likeness of neroli — in the top notes, additionally coupled with one of my favorites, Bergamot — for a deliciously soft-and-fresh citrus touch — and a proprietary accord named Solar Musk in the middle notes. Sea Salt and Pool Water come together for an aquatic bubble in the base notes. When researching Solar Musk, I found a fragrance of the same name was created years ago, centered around the formulation of a cologne with an energizing beginning where fresh notes are followed by woods and sensual amber (Perfumo Community). Thus, I am under the impression the signature scent of Vacation possibly modeled their Solar Musk accord after this striking cologne — my guess is to balance the fruity sweetness of the pineapple, banana, coconut milk and coconut water in the start. The Pool Water note also intrigued me, as I wondered which aquatic-like ingredients the brand utilized to develop this part of the base — they must be fresh yet dainty as the accord does not come across piercing but rather softly noticeable. Overall, the scent screamed days by the pool and the boardwalk, basking in an endless desire for the shine of the sun to never cease. Easy-breezy, not immature yet fun and delicious.
After a week or so, I still could not get enough of the scent. I know I’ll want it in the cold months just to have a spritz to motivate me through winters demise or to take on a getaway. I definitely feel it is a casual, on-the-go daytime selection for me and depending on the outing, I may wear something more elegant in the evening afterwards. My one complaint is that the label adhered to the bottle, which I understand is cost effective for production, was placed on uncentered. Nevertheless, the scent truly surprised me as it utilized unusual yet fascinating and wearable notes and captured perfectly what Summer in a bottle would smell like — or dare I say, a vacation. Below are details on where to find my new Summer signature.
$60 USD 1 fl. oz
WORKS CITED:
Parfumo Community. “Colonias Intensas n.04 - Solar Musk by La Martina.” Parfumo, www.parfumo.com/Perfumes/La_Martina/colonias-intensas-n-04-solar-musk. Accessed 16 July 2023.