South Bay The Different Company 2013

According to the manufacturer, the fragrance is marketed as a party scent for places like Miami… South Bay, South Beach in Miami. Additionally, the Art Deco style of Miami (from at least some of the buildings there), which I think is a beautiful style direction from the 20s and 30s. It not only looks good but can also be nicely combined with steampunk, which I also like, but just a side note…

Of course, now that I'm already digressing a bit, I must also mention that the Art Deco style was the main style direction of the 90s Batman animated series… and be quiet, I can always mention Batman, hee hee :D

Well, a fragrance that is summery always sounds good to me, so let's see how the scent is!

The fragrance starts citrusy fresh with a fragrant grapefruit and a bit of (sweetish) mandarin. The background is barely noticeable floral, but perhaps the floral notes will become stronger over time. The grapefruit is really well done here, and I think the top note is the greatest strength of this fragrance.
The citrus notes are still well detectable in the heart note, but the floral scents do not become particularly stronger; instead, a nice woody note comes in that leads into the base and forms a good foundation for the rest of the fragrance, although this is still quite weak at first (and only unfolds well over time).
The indicated suede can only be faintly smelled; if it weren’t listed in the fragrance pyramid, I wouldn’t have picked up on it at all.
At the very end, it still mainly smells sour-citrusy (and as mentioned now with a wonderful, slightly stronger woody note), which I find good, as the fragrance stays fresh for a long time.

Even though the fragrance is labeled as a party scent, the sillage is unfortunately a bit weak. The beginning is still okay, but then you have to get closer to smell the fragrance on someone.
The longevity is better; the fragrance lasted about six to seven hours on me.

Ooohh… somehow the bottle seems to shine beautifully summery, at least a little :D
The bottle is rectangular and filled with a nice yellowish fragrance liquid. On the front, there is a label with the name of the fragrance, with the word "South" in a classic 30s look, which is also typical of the Art Deco era.
The chrome cap is characteristically tiered (but rounded instead of angular) and looks unusual but great. A beautiful bottle.

Batman,… na na na na na na na na Batman, na na na n….. oops, I got a bit distracted! Um, back to the fragrance! Yes, South Bay has something great and spritzy about it that works damn well on hot days. And yes, it could actually be used as a party scent on hot days, despite the slightly weak sillage, because you can spray the fragrance on multiple times a day if you fill it in a small sample spray bottle, for example.

Otherwise, it is of course also good as a daytime fragrance, both just on hot days and on vacation. It feels incredibly refreshing, smells natural, and anyone who generally likes citrus notes should check out this fragrance.

Even though the fragrance doesn’t offer anything new, it is solidly made and, as mentioned, quite spritzily refreshing at the beginning and with a slightly warm base (due to the woods) at the end. It is one of those summer fragrances that I could definitely see myself buying someday, as the citrus notes last relatively long (hmm… my cat is looking at me strangely right now, because he hates such scents, that weirdo… :D).

So, give it a try!

…hmm… Batman in his leather suit must be sweating quite a bit in sunny Miami!...

South Bay is anything but a typical cologne; it is a full-bodied fragrance with a distinct base and at least somewhat better longevity. Nevertheless, one does not have to compromise on the refreshing, natural character of a cologne, as the grapefruit in the opening is almost outrageously authentic. Sour, slightly bitter, zesty - and totally delicious. Indeed, it truly smells like a freshly squeezed grapefruit, which thankfully has not been sweetened or softened in any way. As it develops, I notice a lot of sandalwood coming through. This makes the fragrance very soft and velvety, but also noticeably quieter as the notes progress. This works well, because after the refreshing opening, a soft, slightly fresh, but also velvety skin scent remains. A wild leather impression, that actually fits. In the background, I also still notice a fruity note that, together with the sandalwood, appears quite soft; like an unsweetened rose hip jam.

For my feeling, South Bay thrives on the zesty, refreshing opening and then retreats to a pleasant, noble skin scent that is not too opulent, complex, loud, or annoying, but lasts long enough. A great fragrance to accompany you in summer, to provide refreshment, and later not to become bothersome in particularly hot temperatures.

I ordered South Bay as a sample from AlzD because I urgently needed something light and citrusy. I thought it could be interesting.

Especially right after spraying, I perceive an absolutely wonderful bitter grapefruit. I could stay in this moment for hours, as it is really extremely fresh and suitable for summer.

Unfortunately, the scent quickly becomes quieter, the usual problem with most fragrances of this type. However, in this case, it's not really a problem. This fragrance can be forgiven for that. As it moves towards the base, I also pick up the vetiver, and it becomes a bit woodier and warmer.
Directly on the skin, it feels quite sexy to me, similar to warm skin after a day at the beach with a hint of sunscreen scent lingering.

Overall, a great fragrance that is neither feminine nor masculine. Therefore, definitely unisex.

The Different Company Colognes (though labeled "Cologne" at EdT strength: "Esprit de Cologne") have been exceptionally well done by Émilie Bevierre-Coppermann so far, and I will keep an eye, or rather a nose, on the Symrise perfumer when she ventures outside of the usual brand commissions for fragrance creation, as she does here. She knows her craft.

The expectations for a Cologne are different from those for other perfumes: The composition should not be so complex, densely woven, and multi-layered that it occupies the foreground, middle, and background, clogging the (air)space. A Cologne must always have a refreshing effect and, ideally, maintain a revitalizing, youthful, natural, and often cooling character beyond the top note, all the way to the end of the fragrance experience.
It must be light and have a relieving effect.
When the Different Company creates Colognes, there is also the expectation that, despite the obligatory freshness requirement, the fragrance should be exciting and modern, not just blend into the 0815 Aquas or 4711 variants.

Mission accomplished in every way:
I have experienced all Different Company Colognes as genuine, summer-friendly, and particularly suitable Eau de Colognes that delight the nose and mind with interesting, worthwhile, and unusual scent arcs that are not demanding (and thus not exhausting), but rather uplifting, stimulating, and invigorating. One of them has enchanted me so much that I can’t wait to try it at over 25°C and have placed it as a top candidate for summer 2014 on my wish list: South Bay.

South Bay begins with an extraordinarily natural grapefruit note. Not the one that is often encountered in top notes and has been part of the canon of contemporary citrus openings since TdH, but a hyper-realistic one: Not embedded in context, but immediate, the grapefruit note (according to the pyramid supported by sour-bitter quasi-citrus tamarind and herbaceous mandarin leaf, which I can well understand) evokes a direct taste memory of the first sip of freshly squeezed grapefruit juice in the early morning. And it has exactly this effect olfactorily: it awakens, shakes you up, and brings the senses to life.
The bitter note slowly recedes, but the sourness remains, and what then emerges is floral. However, it does not correspond to any known floral accords and does not fulfill any familiar summer flower cliché: A well-recognizable, super-charming freesia cheerfully scents alongside something sweet-sour, lively, that is a bit woody and rosy, and under the impression of enormous vitamin C-rich freshness brings an idea of fullness, density, and ripeness. I have no idea how this was achieved, but the name "Hagebutte" fits perfectly! On their website, the Different Company calls it "Églantine," which could mean "wild rose," or its fruit "Hagebutte"... although the accord certainly has something rosy about it, I am sure that "Hagebutte" is the exact translation. This rosehip note is astonishing and striking; it constitutes the main appeal of this Cologne for me. Not sweet-floury like rosehip puree or extra sour like rosehip tea (which is actually a hibiscus-rosehip tea), but like rosehip flesh around the many small seeds when you have just picked the fruit from the bush and opened it up.
This rosehip-floral heart shows an astonishing longevity for a Cologne and lasts long until it gradually transforms into a bright, light woodiness that then fades away and integrates into the skin scent. In this final, woody chapter, the fragrance becomes balanced and calm, yet not denser or less permeable. The suede aspect here does not imply any actual leatheriness with a sneaky animal note, but rather a lifting of the woodiness to a soft, caressing lightness.

An attractive, very enjoyable fragrance - fresh, initially bitter, then sour, then sweet-sour, finally bright-woody, light, and despite all its lightness, still powerful and characterful, an antidote to heat fatigue and warmth lethargy, full of liveliness… it makes me SO eager to wear South Bay in summer. It needs sun, sun, and more sun to unleash its full potential of energy and will surely bring a lot of joy.
Bravo, Émilie!