Aquatic Scents 🌊

I have developed a bit of a love and fascination for aquatic scents since trying Mareld , which smells like the northern coast of the baltic sea in spring. Such a nostalgic and comforting scent for me.

I find watery scents so calming. Whether it's reminiscent of a vacation by the warm ocean, a humid spa, the cold coast on a spring day, a rose bath, a clear lake on a mountain, a pond with lilypads, the dew on the field on an early summer morning, a dark humic lake deep in the forest, the scent of water and shampoo after a shower, or even something fantastical like a mermaid.

So I am wondering: what are your favourite aquatic scents and why?

I'm an hill guy and a fugérehead, aquatics are not really my thing, I don't like much the blue fragrances or the algae things but there is a marine that I love, Ambre Suprême. There are some aldehydes in there but I think that for most of the people it is not even an aquatic, it is animalic, a lot. Not only the ambergris, but there are also castorium and hyraceum there (even if not declared to not scare customers lol), and my favourite flower: immortelle.

For me this is THE "marine" scent, not the party at the beach, not the staying at the sun feeling, not the woody-algae-amberwood Megamare style, and not the "tropical vibes" atmosphere, just a big thing floating in the sea. It gives me the sensation of beeing something enormous, and old, peacefully swimming on the surface of the sea, not caring about anything, covered in flowers, with seasalt sparkling over them.

My signature scent is an aquatic: Fischersund No_23, it smells like the biting cold air of Reykjavik harbor (one of my favorite places on Earth). They also have the one that smells like the waters of the Northern Sea, Flotholt. Both are to be worn during cold seasons, they are not summer-friendly.

For more summer-y aquatics, I got Heretic's Black Salt, THE goth mermaid scent. Or if you want a not-necessarily-gothic siren scent, try Atlante by Sarah Baker. I love its alluring saltiness!

I also love Zoologist's aquatics, Squid and Olm. Squid is a funky salty ink smell while Olm smells like a cave near the ocean.

I am also a big fan of chypres, and recently I stumbled across an aquatic chypre (which I didn't even think was possible!): Pictura Fragrans Aquincum

and the two final mentions that are not necessarily 100% aquatics but still fit the theme:

Dark Tales Black Pearl is the smoothest sexiest most atmospheric pirate scent ever

Francesca Bianchi Sex and the Sea Neroli is the only neroli I like, it's vacationing at a tropical resort without any inhibitions 🤣

Oooh nice, I coincidentally have a sample of Sex and The Sea Neroli Extrait de Parfum arriving tomorrow that I just added for free shipping, now I'm actually excited. Aquincum also looks very intriguing to me

Hi

Your question brought back good old perfume memories!! My first encounter with an aquatic/marine scent was in the late 80´s with Davidoff´s Cool Water. I was a teenager and I had never smelled something so truly aquatic and new, completely different from all the other perfumes I knew back then. CW smelled like fresh, ocean water. I remember talking about CW with friends at school and with my family. We were all in awe and asked each other "Have you smelled CW? You have to try it!" "How did they do it? How is it possible to capture this aquatic feeling, this freshness?"  It was magical. Decades later the spell was broken when I read that Mr Bourdon hat created this marine concoction using tons of calone. No magic, just chemistry. Because CW was first directed to male consumers I never dared use it myself but I often gave it as a present to brothers and male friends. I just loved the smell. Since then my taste for aquatic/marine perfumes has evolved. Today, I don't like marine perfumes with lots of calone in them nor with a prominent seaweed note. In this category the only marine perfume that I can still comfortably wear is "Sirena" by Floris. Nowadays,  what l really like are perfumes with the note of ambergris such as Ambre Levante, Sheik A, Walk the Sea, and 40 Knots. I love the note of ambergris bc it gives a marine and slightly salty feeling to the fragrance while lifting the heaviness of the other notes. 

Thanks for your question!

VG

Whether you could objectively call Earth aquatic is... debatable. But to me it smells like a picturesque little garden on a summer evening after a light rain. Lush and wet and incredibly peaceful. 10/10 aquatic fragrance in my book, no notes.

Then there's né il giorno né l'ora, which smells like walking through old streets of a coastal city in winter. Salty, damp, somewhat unpleasant, but very... lived in. Although I'm not sure if it's fair to count it as my "favorite aquatic", given that I love it despite the fact that it's aquatic, if that makes sense. The image it creates in my brain is so vibrant and realistic that I'm willing to forgive it for the strong marine note that envelops its composition.

When it comes to perfumes I enjoy for their marine notes, I adore Dans le bleu qui pétille. It... how to put it kindly. It stinks. It's cold winter air and burning reeds and putrid seafoam full of rotting organic matter. And once it settles and stops trying to assault you – it smells like smoked fish and mosquito coils. Needless to say, I find it super fun and absolutely delightful (ㅅ´ ˘ `)

Bonus mention: Olm. If you ever wanted to feel like an aquatic snail licking dirty aquarium glass – look no further. Olm will be perfect for you!

Eau des Merveilles Bleue is one of my favourite aquatic fragrances. it still today reminds me of a trip to the boardwalk with its salty seafoam and slight fruitiness. it also doesn't come off as piercingly unpleasant like some aquatic fragances do, which i always appreciate.