California Love Memoirs of a Perfume Collector 2026

Although the name and the notes promise sun and sunsets in Las Vegas, the perfume smells more like a car air freshener than that magical vibe they boast about.

It opens with a sharply synthetic green citrus that makes you raise an eyebrow like Ancelotti.

As it dries down, those musks drag the scent into the abyss, landing in a kinda Lattafa territory, flat and pungent, musky and synthetic, almost celery like, as in Zanzibar, reminiscent of low-cost perfumery. And it wouldn’t matter if it didn’t cost what it does (€3/ml).

They wanted to evoke Malibu, but to me, they’ve ended up closer to the Grand Bazaar of Istanbul.
And it’s not the first time with this brand.

Sorry for that.

He leaves the house wearing a - for his standards - daringly colorful outfit. Hidden in his pocket is a green, yellow, and red checkered pocket square made of Indian wild silk, which he bought many years ago at Harrods on Brompton Road. His tweed jacket hangs in the closet, as it's usually too warm here in L.A. But when the wind from the Pacific blows a bit stronger late in the evening, he throws it on. He can't help it. And sometimes, when he feels the longing for a long, quiet walk on a cool day through dew-soaked greenery, he smells the dark, preserved moss from Cornwall that he brought from home to California, which scents the small frame in his hallway. He is an Englishman in L.A.

Play of Contrasts

Even though various influencers keep telling us that "Tales From Zanzibar" and "California Love" from the house of MOAPC are totally cool summer scents practically for everyone and completely easy to wear, one must be aware that these are niche fragrances that were definitely not created with the mission to launch mass products.

Both fragrances play with two supposed contrasts in a way that I would call quite bold: On one side, an exaggerated, scalpel-sharp fruity freshness, and on the other side, a rather edgy form of - let’s say - bitterness or spiciness. The compositional multiplication of such scent accords reacts extraordinarily differently on various skin types and in differently shaped noses - ranging from "Wow!" to "Oh no!". It is not exactly a tropical paradise for everyone where these types of fragrances grow. For perfume tourists or TikTok/Instagram victims (which we all are in some way), who want to smell harmony or seek fragrance satisfaction in the style of a blockbuster, this trip to the sunny shores of niche quickly becomes quite exhausting.

The contradictions and extremes that one sometimes reads in user comments about "Zanzibar" will certainly not be heard regarding "California Love." This Californian love is a slightly lighter and dreamier offspring of its proud father "Zanzibar." However, I would not describe this fragrance as simple or even universally appealing.

Fragrance Development

The bright California sun shines at the beginning with full force and, like a magnifying glass, intensifies hesperidic notes of bergamot, lemon, and orange. Shortly after, the Pacific wind loosens everything up and blows juicy fruity notes onto the field: The passion fruit (not maracuja!) in all its ambivalent splendor. One perceives it as slightly sour, while another finds it rather herb-creamy-sweet. The herb-spicy accord of blackcurrant or cassis also quickly makes its appearance. Depending on one’s own fragrance experience, one might perceive this as a mishmash or as a tropical fragrance pyramid that continuously rearranges itself. But no matter how one feels about it: this strong wind with an additional hint of mint creates wonderful, ethereal vibes in the overall composition. I haven't smelled every tropical "summer fragrance" on the market, but I have smelled quite a few and can say: I have rarely encountered such a fragrance profile with such a confident presence and this fearless display of citrus and fruit notes while maintaining total lightness. When you spray "California Love," for example, into the air and waft it towards yourself, it's simply "Wow!".

Then the mint takes on a bit more structure (keyword "Mojito vibes"), which had only been perceived as a light hint until now. Everything blends into a bright, tropical delight, over which a few slightly bitter clouds occasionally drift, dimming the sun. At this point, we would be in the status of the sunny subtropical dream that many expect from a fragrance with this pyramid of ingredients and such a name - and in that moment, they indeed receive it. And that’s full on the nose, so to speak.

However, those hoping for linearity and planning to chill on the beach will be surprised: At some point, slowly and steadily, a transition sets in, and then it becomes as exciting as "Tales From Zanzibar." While there, something mossy-spicy-vetiver-oud-like jumps out from the dune grass, which some might find quite shocking, here in California, the southern English oak moss stretches upwards, meaning: something slightly but noticeably green or herbal. And it reminds you, at the moment it mixes with the passion fruit, that we are not dealing with an all-around pleasing fragrance. But rather with an olfactory construction of diverse and beautifully but not entirely uncomplicated compressed scent memories, which I would simply call "typically British" in its outcome. With this construct, one aims - as is not uncommon with Memoirs Of A Perfume Collector - to create quite a bit but definitely not just to please or gently lull.

Good Advice, Because It's Expensive

Don't buy this blindly; if you're interested, try to get a sample or decant somehow, forget about waving test strips, and wear it consciously for 1-2 days in summer temperatures on your skin to experience the fragrance's development in the context of your specific skin chemistry and especially your personal olfactory imprint. I am sure many will get hooked and gaze longingly at a full bottle. But there will also be some among you who will honestly say after this experience: "OK, truly an extraordinary summer fragrance, but for me: No, it just doesn't work!" However, if this fragrance combination fits your nose and mood, "California Love" is a major win.

Longevity, Comparisons, and Presentation

I find the longevity to be above average for a summer perfume: While some summer classics have already faded on me, the love of California fearlessly sits on my skin and whispers with every approach: "Hey Darling, I'm still here!". The sillage is quite high at the beginning (depending on one's own spraying behavior), but after the transition and in the second half of the drydown, it noticeably decreases, especially when moving outdoors. But I find this very pleasant given the notes of this fragrance composition.

The fragrance is unisex; different people and genders will find quite different emphases in this scent. And they will also react differently to these emphases.

As a comparison: The lightness, carefreeness, and ethereality of "California Love" appeal to me personally more than "Tales From Zanzibar." And the undeniable hint of British weirdness is, from my personal perspective, better kept in check here.

One more word about the presentation: I find the MOAPC bottles really beautiful due to their clear structure and stylish understatement; they remind me a bit of those from Nishane and Roja. When viewed from the back, the bottle of "California Love" reveals a small Californian still life with palm trees, skyline, and beach on the inside. Really cute.