Seaside Woman Toni Gard 2015 Eau de Parfum

Sitting in the beach bar or by the lake - refreshing lemon wafts around me, juniper berries in the background. When I wear seaside, I am catapulted into a world where blue and white are the predominant colors, the sun is shining, and the wind is blowing around my nose. I cut open a lemon - the essential oils of the peel spray out... I only hear the rustling of the water, it is not hot but pleasantly warm, the wind blows through my hair from different directions.
I am not in the south but in the north... it is only spring by the sea - not summer.

My mood is relaxed and at the same time, I feel fresh and in a good mood. I read a book and drink water with lemon, ice cubes, and a few mint leaves, enjoying life, ready for the moment when the sun might be covered by clouds...
I wish this day would never end. I enjoy and am in the here and now, captivated by my impressions.

Will always remind me of my vacation by the sea in March.

Nose: Oh, this is a great scent!
Brain: No, too citrusy, we don't like that!
Nose: Yes, come on! It smells so fresh!
Brain: Are you losing your mind? We only like gourmands!
Nose: Yes, yes, but this one is different, wonderfully aquatic!
Brain: You're getting on my nerves!!! One more time, slowly for you to write down: If a scent is sweet or gourmand, we like it; if it’s not, then we definitely don’t like it!
Nose: But I like it!
Brain: Nonsense!!! If I don’t like it, you can’t like it either! And now, get it away from the wrist!
Nose: No, I’m staying here! It smells like summer and vacation and a bit like the sea and heather rose and ...
Brain: Now hold on a second! It just smells like citrus...
Nose: ... and blackcurrant juice with a splash of lemon and ...
Brain: Good heavens, stop it already, it’s just citrus ... and maybe a bit of vacation feeling... but that doesn’t count at all!
Nose: Aaahhh, a fresh breeze of summer by the sea ...
Brain: You’re driving me crazy!!!! That little bit of sea breeze... okay, yes, I can smell the aquatic now too. It’s quite nice.
Nose: I can already taste the slightly salty air with my drink by the sea, I’m just saying.
Tongue: Me too, me too!
Brain: Not you too!!!!
Tongue: What can I do if the nose is making my mouth all watery?!
Brain: Do you see what you’ve caused?!
Nose: Whatever, I’m already totally chill!
Ears: Do you also hear the gentle sound of the sea and the cries of the seagulls in the sea breeze?
Brain: This can’t be happening!!!
Eyes: I can almost see it right in front of me, nearly tangible! Wonderful!
Brain: No, now wait! NO! I said no!
Hands: And I feel the sand beneath me and the salt crusts on my fingers from the seawater dried in the sea breeze...
Brain: Is anyone even listening to me here?!?!?!
Everyone: Nope!
Brain: Then do whatever you want! Go to your imaginary scent beach, with the oh-so-wonderful sea breeze and your zesty citrus-blackcurrant drink and all that ... (and very quietly to itself) I’ll just sneak along, it really does smell like more sea, it might not be so bad.

"Seaside" landed in my (small) collection purely by chance. My stepdaughter brought it along on our summer vacation and offered me the half-full 15 ml bottle because she had gotten tired of it. The combination of "never heard of it," the mentioned origin ("contents of an Advent calendar"), and the rather cheap-looking bottle brought my expectations down to zero.

But thanks to my relaxed vacation mood and in the midst of a "Jolly game" (we even had time to talk about perfumes during that), I boldly and fearlessly sprayed some on my wrist. Hmm, what can I say? LEMON! I was pleasantly surprised by the fresh, pleasant scent that wafted towards me. And even after four hours, I still liked what I smelled - then the scent faded quite quickly, but I can forgive it that...

The verdict from my better half during the following scent presentation (a ritual with every new fragrance of mine) dampened my enthusiasm a bit: I was pointed out with a rather unenthusiastic look to a supposed similarity to the "yellow toilet duck." I must say, however, that my (very scent-sensitive) husband generally rejects - all! - citrus scents and has mercilessly kicked out about 10 previously appreciated lemon fragrances from the shortlist in the months before, all with the same (toilet duck) fate. But "Seaside" didn't have to be purchased anymore, as it was already there (thanks to my stepdaughter)... ;-)

In the top note, I smell fresh, sour lemon for a while, mixed with a hint of bitterness from grapefruit or melon. After a while, the lemon becomes less sour and fresh, but creamier - the lemony impression remains until it "evaporates." This is a big plus for me (usually, the "lemony" in other citrus scents doesn't last long, but then gives way to an indefinable woody note on my skin).

OK, I admit it. One shouldn't expect the result of the highest and noblest perfumer art in this cute blue bottle...

But: "Seaside" is fresh, cheerful, and uncomplicated. It fits best on sunny, warm days. On days when you meet your best friend and look forward to pizza & red wine or an ice cream sundae. On days when you already know in the morning that you won't let anything or anyone ruin your good mood today.

And for these days, it can stay with me - my little lemon.

As a Gothic lady, I neither have a natural affinity for summer heat (I would love to ritualistically dismember radio announcers who proclaim temperatures of 36 degrees in the shade with jubilation in their voices, if only it weren't so exhausting in the heat!) nor for aquatic-citrus fragrances.
The former triggers in me an irresistible urge to hide with my noble paleness in the shade as quickly as possible and to move as little as possible, while the latter can smell quite pleasant, especially in summer, but absolutely do not suit me. After all, I also enjoy the scent of Christmas spices or freshly cut limes, but I still don't want to smell like that. The same usually goes for aquatic fragrances, which I prefer to leave to others.

So summer is not really my friend. However, what prevents me from passionately and unconditionally hating it are four special weeks: the weeks we always spend in our holiday home on the North Sea during the summer holidays. This island has its own charm, which is not for melatonin-hungry sun worshippers. The wind is rough, the sun shines but does not beat down from the sky, the sea is wild, and even in summer, you should always have a raincoat and a warm knit piece with you. For anyone who thinks that every summer day under 30 degrees is a lost day, who cannot appreciate a cool summer rain and a fresh breeze, they are out of place here; they should rather retreat to the Spanish beaches.

That is exactly what 'Seaside' embodies. The 'coast' or 'beach' that 'Seaside' alludes to by name is not a Spanish party beach nor a subtropical surfer paradise, as a fruity-fresh, sweet mainstream summer fragrance would embody. 'Seaside' is an English promenade or a wooden plank path lined with wind-tousled beach grass and beach roses leading down to a North Sea beach. No 32 degrees in the shade, no tight rows of towels where Central European bodies sizzle in the heat like sausages on a grill, in a desperate attempt to become chocolate brown instead of lobster red.

'Seaside' has nothing sweet about it, no forced, squeaky-fruity good-mood freshness. A spicy, slightly bitter citrus note mingles with an aquatic component that reminds me of a sea breeze, of a day at the beach. The scent cools and refreshes immediately; on a hot afternoon that has already worn you out quite a bit, a few spritzes in the crooks of your arms and on your wrists make it feel about 5 degrees cooler.

I had a miniature bottle in my Advent calendar; otherwise, I probably would never have come across this scent. It simply does not fit into my usual prey pattern. Until the first day over 25 degrees, it sat scorned and ignored on my nightstand; I was already thinking about giving it away. But higher temperatures require desperate measures. I have no joy in my heavy treasures like Poison or my Gothic favorites from the devil's kitchen even at 35 degrees, so I increasingly sprayed a cooling dose of 'Seaside' on my skin as the thermometer rose, while Poison & Co are on summer vacation and, like me, long for cooler temperatures. Until then, 'Seaside' will accompany me through the summer, at least on all days when the temperatures dare to rise above 27 degrees. ;)
For anyone who usually relies on heavy hitters but simply cannot stand them in sultry summer heat, I recommend 'Seaside' for such days, as well as to all who enjoy aquatic scents on any other summer days. The mini bottle will carry me well through the (hopefully few) hot days of this summer. If I must temporarily mothball my heavy favorites in favor of a summer fragrance, then at least not for a painfully cheerful mango-strawberry fruit salad. I'd much rather take 'Seaside'.