Sex and The Sea Neroli Francesca Bianchi 2019 Extrait de Parfum

Some fragrances remind you of summer.

Sex and the Sea Neroli creates the entire scene.

The first time I smelled it, my mind immediately took me to a sunny Friday afternoon at the marina - wearing a short-sleeved button-down shirt, sunglasses, and a fragrance confident enough to be noticed.

What makes it so surprising is that it offers far more than the bright freshness its name suggests.

Neroli and coconut give the composition its sunlit, almost tropical character, while honey, benzoin and labdanum bring warmth, depth and a sensual richness that sets it apart from the typical summer fragrance.

The result feels luxurious, distinctive and beautifully balanced. It works wonderfully in warm weather, but I would never limit it to summer alone. There is enough density and character here to make it equally compelling on milder evenings and during the transitional seasons.

Performance is another major strength. Both longevity and projection are impressive, leaving a noticeable trail for many hours without losing the beauty of the composition.

This is not the kind of summer fragrance that quietly disappears into the heat.

It arrives with presence and leaves an impression.

It is like waking up on a morning at a hotel on the Mediterranean coast - a warm wind gently sways organza curtains and brings the delightful aromas of a blossoming orange garden. Serenity and relaxation - the morning could not be more beautiful and sweet.

This scent is the first perfume I have from this house!
The perfume opens with a strong neroli with a combination of coconut and benzoin that makes this scent very deep and very soft. My friend and I bought it together for our first time and are looking forward to wearing it in the summer with a short button-down shirt on the beach with a coconut cocktail

For me : 8/10

#coconut #neroli

Just when I was about to give up on Francesca Bianchi's work, this sunny fragrance came along and made me reconsider all that. Its carnal aspects are magnified to huge proportions, as usual with Francesca Bianchi. But where I tend to dislike the sticky, greasy effects when it comes to her leathery fragrances, I kind of like it in here.

Sex and the Sea Neroli is a rather classic neroli-coconut-benzoin formula including a little "ambre solaire" accord and is a close resemblance to sun tan lotion. Or more precise, to the sticky, salty skin sensation after a long at at the beach. There is an offensive amount of musk as you would expect from Bianchi, but that gets sorted out nicely after the opening. A carnal, musky undertone remains, though, without going really animalic. A good dose of salt keeps the sweet notes like benzoin and vanilla under control, also during hot summer days.

So I would describe this a proper summer scent with the usual beach and sunblock vibes, but a little less lotion-like and a little added carnality Bianchi-style. I haven't tried all of her work yet, but so far I think this is among the nicer ones, together with Freefall - Etruscan Water.

A lot of time when you see a flanker, the new fragrance will have one or two notes different from its original scent. Most of the time its not a notable change, its practically a clone of the original, and it feels more like a cash grab than a real exploration of the fragrance with different highlights.

This is not the case with Sex and The Sea Neroli. This fragrance starts with a strong floral that softens into sweet bouquet and hint of citrus. It has less coconut but is sweeter and more flroal compared to its "sister" Sex and The Sea. It retains the musk, slightly animalic, creamy dry down that you get from most of Francesca's fragrances. I cannot pick which one is "better" because while they are similar, they stand out from each other very noticeably. I will say I think the original scent is more beach and musk while this is more spring and musk.

The scent did last on my skin for over 6 hours and it didn't have strong projection but this is intended to be a skin scent. They offer 30ml for €108 and 100ml for €235.