Sea, Sud & Sun Versȧtıle 2023

After 15 years of perfume enthusiasm, a sense of disillusionment set in a few months ago: it’s hard to keep up with the new releases, quality is declining, prices are rising, everything seems and sounds somewhat the same, and I no longer wanted to make exceptions regarding the ingredients.

However, I didn’t give up and explored organic labels and smaller brands that meet my requirements. My hope was to discover something new that is beautiful and exciting while also aligning with my values.
I was convinced by very little, as something usually didn’t fit.

That changed in Southern France, where I found the small perfume oil bottles from Versatile in a boutique. Versatile is a young, transparent brand that uses both natural and synthetic ingredients while omitting all the substances I consider questionable. I usually never wear perfume oil, but the scents seemed interesting, especially the new Sea, Sud & Sun.
The scent is described on the Versatile website as follows:

"Fresh. Pastis. Fig. Iced. Neroli.
Musky. Tropezian. Salty. Marine."

I have rarely read a better description.
It really starts off fresh, a bit like Cologne, and then smells of green, salty fig. I categorize the fig similarly to that in Diptyque's Philosykos (in terms of green, fruit, creaminess), but it is enhanced with Fleur de Sel, making it feel cooler and less woody.
After a few minutes, an icy Pastis joins in. It doesn’t smell alcoholic, but a cool anise note cannot be denied. It fits surprisingly well into the picture and doesn’t dominate the scent. However, it remains a guest appearance, as the fig then asserts itself more strongly and becomes increasingly creamy.
Fig is often associated with coconut, but in Sea, Sud & Sun, I perceive it only slightly. Instead, a light dessert note emerges towards the end. "Tarte Tropézienne" is a dessert pastry from Southern France, and although I enjoy it as a dessert, I’m glad it doesn’t take over the scent. The fig remains until the end and is then complemented by sweet brioche on a sandalwood board.

As a perfume oil, the scent doesn’t project as strongly as a spray. However, it lasts forever on the skin and makes me think of the South of France for hours.
Overall, Sea, Sud & Sun is a creative, wearable scent from a likable brand, of which there should be more. It’s not a masterpiece (and that’s not the intention), but it offers a small, fine scent journey to the South that also makes you eager to try the other Versatile perfumes.