Surfing Puerto Escondido Zara 2023

Surfing in Puerto Escondido is one of the biggest reasons visitors visit Oaxaca, Mexico. Even if you have no desire to test your balance as a 20ft wave curls over your head, Mexico’s ‘hidden port’ is a highly desirable place, a small mellow town where Mexicans, ex-pats, and world travellers intermingle. The south winds hit the coast between May and August, generating great waves and breaks at Playa Zicatela. And Surfing Puerto Escondido recalls huge waves crashing on Playa Zicatela, with sour and balmy notes mixed with flowers and rounded out by sweetish musk at the end.

When I tested the four elements of the new Chapter No. 2 collection right from the start, this was the one I should have noticed despite it firmly deviating from the other three. Then, as the hours wore on, it glistened on my skin, catching my attention to the point of making me want to have it in my spring rotation. Puerto Escondido is very floral, I would say the most floral of the collection. It smells very similar to a creamy white blossom, the presence of coumarin and jasmine are remarkable.

Let’s talk about Surf Puerto Escondido. First, the bottle is the same one used in chapter n.1, this time with clear coloured glass, yellow for this one, so simple but nice. ZARA classifies the fragrance as amber-floral, unfolding sunny, warm, and slightly sweet. To my nose, I perceive the fresh citrus note of the sweet mandarin that gives a sparkling slant. The saffron is more flowery than leathery; the artemisia is just a breath, while the greenish and balsamic aspect of the cardamom is hard to recognise. Thus, the opening is slightly harsh with a massive floral background.

The heart reveals a bouquet with a watery green tone, composed of bitter lily of the valley and magnolia-like subtleties, with the initial sweetness of the gooey ylang-ylang, the chief actor in this perfume, a semi-bitter orange blossom, and all the dry radiance of the spicy and racy immortelle. The latter also evokes the sun, the beach, the sea, and the scents of the Corsican maquis. Creamy, a creaminess arises in the heart that grows and continues for the entire duration of the perfume.

In the dry-down, Puerto Escondido pursues the sweet path with a clean musk, an overdose of Tonka, and shades of resinous and balmy benzoin. Besides, there is a so-called solar note, so the perfume smells like a sea breeze, and sun-warmed skin is rubbed with Monoi oil. What remains on the skin is a musky amber redolence.
Despite the flowers riot, the fragrance stays in the masculine area. Still, I see it as unisex, neither too virile nor too feminine. Without terms of comparison, the fragrance sometimes recalls Eau de Soleil Blanc without being a clone of it. It's a bit like when we customize a recipe and we change the quantity of ingredients as we like, we remove some and add others. Indeed, a more virile version while maintaining the same accords.

Ultimately, Surfing Puerto Escondido is an ideal fragrance for late spring and summer mornings and evenings, safe for the office and for going out with friends but mostly for leisure time, so relaxing and soothing. I don’t have enough data to judge the performance, which I would say is moderate at the moment.

I'm basing my impressions and review on a bottle I've owned since March 2023 (BC 30130)

-Elysium

I am not a huge fan of tuberose fragrances. I love white florals like jasmin... But usually i can't stand tuberose.

To my nose this smells very similar to Neroli Nostrum from lunio and/or Seda from somens.
Similar... but ligher... in fact... It smells more similar to Gozo from jeroboam.

This smells to white florals, more specifically, tuberose. But not the usual tuberose I hate... Here you can smell a tuberose "light", perfect for those who are not fan of this note but don't hate it either.

And for 16 euros... it's perfect for spring.

Here I am again. The one who loves fragrances with a sensational price-performance ratio and appreciates niche scents. This time I grabbed a (new) one from Zara: Surfing Puerto Escondido. Although, it's not that niche at all, but more on that later. The name already suggests summer, sun, sunshine. Pure Caribbean flair. The yellowish color of the fluid adds to the effect.

But first, let's talk about the bottle. Typical of Zara, it is kept minimalist, here as a glass cylinder with a simple label and a chrome cap. It feels solid yet comfortable in the hand. The sprayer and cap are easy to handle. I've experienced much worse quality. The upper surface of the cylinder around the spray cap is also "chromed," making it visually appealing.

As we know, it's the inner values that count. The fragrance direction is captured here with five attributes: creamy, floral, spicy, woody, and fresh. In my opinion, all but the wood apply. The top note delivers a wonderfully fresh-creamy symbiosis at the beginning with cardamom and mandarin. Simply dreamy. It doesn't get much more summery and beachy than this. Quickly, saffron joins in, harmonizing very well with cardamom and mandarin, adding a slight (non-perishable) spiciness to the composition. In my opinion, saffron even brings a peculiar freshness that belongs right there. Also, the flowers from the heart note quickly emerge, subtly highlighting the cream from the top note. Orange blossom and co. don’t push themselves too much into the foreground. The top note pleasantly dominates here, lightly floral, continuing on. In the base, musk and tonka round off gently sweet without disturbing the creamy-fruity-floral overall impression. It's interesting to wonder how the solar note might smell? Regardless, the head and heart notes harmonize perfectly; I don't want to rack my brain over how the sun smells. No one needs to, as the scent simply smells like summer!

The longevity and sillage could definitely be stronger. But given the affordable price (currently €16 for 100ml), that doesn’t bother me much. And every skin is different, after all. The Escondido is said to be tailored for men. However, I find that due to the top and heart notes, it is definitely unisex. Anyone looking for an uncomplicated and affordable summer fragrance can do a lot with the Puerto Escondido (what a great name)! There are three other "Surfing" scents in the line, which I have not yet tested.

Surfing Puerto Escondido is a creamy-fresh summer fragrance with floral undertones.

The price-performance ratio here is truly fantastic. We have a lovely DNA, the longevity was actually really good for me, and it reminds me of a Soleic Blanc by Tom Ford. I don't think I need to mention the price difference here. In my opinion, the Zara fragrance is a bit more zesty, especially at the beginning. I actually prefer that.

Towards the end, it becomes sweeter again, the zestiness of the fragrance is practically gone, and the creaminess is still there. However, the floral touch is, in my opinion, still present.

The fragrance is wonderfully unisex, even though it might lean a tad more towards the feminine side.
This zestiness in Surfing Puerto Escondido makes it a bit more unisex than, for example, the Soleil Blanc by Tom Ford. At least, that's my opinion.

All in all, a really beautiful fragrance that deserves to be tested and is truly worth considering due to its fantastic price.

There are fragrances that simply smell good. And then there are fragrances that create images in your mind. Surfing Puerto Escondido definitely belongs to the second category.

Just the first spray catapults me to a sunny beach. Warm skin, salty sea air, sunscreen, and a light breeze carrying the scent of exotic flowers. The fruity mandarin provides a fresh opening, while cardamom and saffron give the composition an elegant spiciness. As it develops, creamy white flowers merge with a warm, sunny base of musk, tonka bean, and benzoin to create an incredibly harmonious overall picture.

What makes this fragrance so special for me is its aura. It feels relaxed, high-quality, and at the same time incredibly positive. Not loud or intrusive, but like a perfect summer day that you wish would never end.

For a Zara fragrance, the quality is impressive. The scent DNA feels distinctive and significantly more expensive than the price suggests. I keep reaching for this bottle in the summer because it simply spreads good vibes and perfectly captures that carefree holiday feeling.

Anyone looking for a summery fragrance that doesn’t just smell of citrus but combines creamy, sunny, and slightly exotic facets should definitely try Surfing Puerto Escondido. For me, it’s one of the most beautiful summer fragrances Zara has ever released.