Maldives In A Bottle Ylang Coco | 20 Kayali 2024

Pleasantly surprised! Smells a lot like Daisy Wild on the drydown, though. It is beautifully blended between the sweet, the floral, and the aromatic - the rosemary is unique and stops it from becoming cloying. Like many other summer-specific fruity scents, I think this will be a big hit. If they release a big bottle, I won't buy it because Daisy Wild lasts longer and (besides the more refined opening here) basically serves the same purpose. Lovely!

Maldives is essentially a beachy floral, just like one would expect. The opening is quite fresh and spikey though. I don't get a lot of coconut at first. It's ylang-ylang, but mixed with a lot of lemon and rosemary, which makes the scent start out tart and aromatic. I'm not too sure about the banana flower note, because in my opinion ylang-ylang can often have a banana-like undertone on its own, but something like that is there. The starfruit note doesn't stand out to me.
After a while the coconut finally comes out, the aromatic top notes calm down and the scent turns creamier. The opening might be more unique, but I prefer the drydown of this scent. No surprise, I generally prefer soft, sweet and creamy scents over sharp freshness, especially in florals.

This is not bad, but my least favorite of the Kayali Vacation perfumes. I think Maui Sweet Banana does it better if you're looking for a beachy coconut, but of course, someone who is less into gourmands might see if the opposite way.
I think I would have liked this better if it was creamier right from the start. Maybe adding rosemary AND lemon AND banana flower was a little too much for my taste, the ylang-ylang and coconut don't have a chance to shine together until the drydown.

When I saw the leak of the Vacay In a Bottle set, I knew I was gonna get the 10ml mini bottle set and not the sample set. I was pretty curious to see Kayali tackling summer scents and the notes didn't seem bad for each of these perfumes. I decided to test them in their box order which is why this one is the last one up for a review.

If there is one perfume out of the whole collection that is more masculine-leaning, it's this one. It can be worn by anyone, but the rosemary and lemon combo (strongest at the beginning) makes it more masculine-leaning to me. My skin seems to amplify both of these notes above the others. The beginning is thus aromatic and herbal with that hint of citrus that makes it similar to a fresh men's cologne. After a few minutes there's the starfruit and banana flower that come through, adding tropical, juicy, fruitiness. Ylang-ylang adds another layer of tropical and floral accord to the perfume. Coconut milk is subtle, but I think it adds a slightly sweet and powdery aspect to the scent.

It's definitely a summer perfume and gives off vacation vibes. It's not the most original one and I gotta say I'm a bit disappointed as I was expecting something more. You probably already have a light citrusy and aromatic perfume in your collection that has better performance than this one. Probably wouldn't go for a full 50ml bottle if Kayali ever decides to release them in different full bottle sizes, but it wasn't that bad for a blind-buy.
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A note on the Vacay In A Bottle set:
While I do not regret my blind-buy purchase of the 10ml mini bottles, I recommend people try out the sample set before going for the 10ml. All four of them were lovely, but I don't feel like they were on par with older Kayali fragrances. Personal opinion incoming: I think Kayali should slow down on the releases and work towards solidifying their brand and their intentions. The Vacay In A Bottle feels a little bit gimmicky to me, like a cash grab. I would've seen them as body mists instead of perfumes. The perfumes aren't really unique and I've often thought of them as being a bit generic.

In order of preference: Maui In A Bottle Sweet Banana | 37, Maldives In A Bottle Ylang Coco | 20, Capri In A Bottle Lemon Sugar | 14 and Marrakesh In A Bottle Orange Blossom | 24. This is a little bit surprising as I thought the order would look like: Capri In A Bottle Lemon Sugar | 14, Maldives In A Bottle Ylang Coco | 20, Marrakesh In A Bottle Orange Blossom | 24 and Maui In A Bottle Sweet Banana | 37.

this was my favorite scent of the vacay in a bottle collection, which was my first introduction into the Kayali products. however, that's not saying much.

on first spray i thought this was gorgeous. the rosemary adds a fresh and almost minty quality to creamy coconut and ylang ylang, all lightly sweetened. later on I get the fruitiness from the starfruit and lemon alongside the ylang ylang, but the coconut milk note begins to fade. i agree with other reviewers who have said this smells like shampoo or body wash completely.

the problem with this scent is it keeps getting caught in my throat. i don't know if i would say it's cloying because it's not overpoweringly sweet, but it feels like i've swallowed it every time i go to take a smell. i don't think i could ever wear this, but I would look for something similar. i feel like i would really like it as a candle or a reed diffuser.

Out of the four scents from the Vacay in a Bottle collection, this one is in my opinion definitely the best. It smells like a vacation on a tropical island. It is floral, but not in a sharp way. Instead, it feels like lying on a daybed with white curtains on your private terrace, with flowers blooming nearby and freshly sliced fruit on the table. It is clean, beautiful, floral and sweet scent. There’s a tiny edible hint to it, but I wouldn't call it a gourmand…it’s more like the fruit is just lingering in the air around you rather than you eating it. A perfect, airy tropical dream that isn't overwhelming.