Hi there Olfactoria’s Travelers,
Portia with you today from Australian Perfume Junkies and Perfume Posse.
I know you are all heading towards Winter and Autumn has gripped the north but still Autumn can be sunlit and warm during the day. I have finally discovered The Different Company’s 2013 L’Esprit Cologne releases that added to the subset. Having really enjoyed Tokyo Bloom and After Midnight I was hoping to get to these sooner but as in all things they had to await their time.
South Bay was created by Emilie (Bevierre) Coppermann for The Different Company in 2013.
Photo Stolen Fragrantica
Fragrantica gives these featured acords:
Top: Grapefruit, mandarin leaves, tamarind
Heart: Woody accords of grapefruit tree, freesia, eglantine (Rosa rubiginosa)
Base: Sandalwood, vetiver, suede
South Bay offers a sweetened grapefruit, though still quite remarkably like a grapefruit, and there is definitely some citrus leaf but to be completely honest I have no idea what a tamarind smells like so I can’t give you a heads up on that.
Talk about fresh and sweet, a lovely citrus wash that could make even the hardest heart smile. A beautiful, bright, fizzy citrus that really does have a devil may care feel and makes me put all my worries aside and just to breathe in the beauty. South Bay is also delightfully smooth, and very comfortable. This is not what I was expecting from South Bay at all, for some reason (no I didn’t read the notes when I was spritzing before) I was expecting a salty seaside fragrance.
Photo Stolen Flickr
When the woods appear they don’t overwhelm the citrus but play very nicely and I get a distinct apple smell too, a crisp, dry, freshly picked apple cut into slices and served with the citrus. This is no cool citrus though but a warmed one, warmed with woods and it says freesia but having been out the front to smell my lovely freesias I can get no resemblance really, just a nod, it smells more daffodil than freesia to me. I have lovely daffodils, jonquils and freesias this year, a great show.
Through the heart my skin maintains the citrus at front & centre happily in charge till the vetiver comes through, quietly creeping in till it is the main attraction. All of a sudden you really take notice of its green, slightly brackish earthiness and it plays a lovely counterpoint top the citrus and woods. Imagine the picture below is of citrus dropping into a salt water pool.
Photo Stolen DesktopWallpapers4
Though South Bay is sold as a cologne, it is a boundary pusher. It hits all the right high points for a cologne but does it so much more sophisticatedly and gives a good deal longer frag life than most colognes.
A lovely refreshing citrus based fragrance that will keep all of you lovers of the genre happy, and could well introduce some new fans. I thought I had enough citrus fragrance bottles in my collection but South Bay may just have changed my mind…
Further reading: Colognoisseur
LuckyScent has $125/90ml
Surrender To Chance has samples starting at $4/ml
Are you a fan of The Different Company? Do you know their work at all? Is a light frothy citrus something you would wear much?
Portia xx
Olfactoria's Travels 
I’m not a big freshie fan but this does sound great Portia. I’ll have to add it to the test list 🙂
I actually don’t think I’ve tried anything from this company either save the one you annointed the Bangkok bathroom with – which one was that again?
HA! That was Oriental Lounge. that First Class Lounge never smelt so good.
Portia x
Excellent, I need to try that one too!
It smelled great.
It’s still extremely mild here in the UK during the day Portia, so this review fits perfectly.
The idea of citrus fruit dropped into salt water really got this fragrance across for me. I need more light fruity frags in my collection. I think I only have Eau de Mandarine Ambree.
I don’t even know where they stock The Different Company in London, so haven’t tried many sadly. Jasmin de Nuit wasn’t for me and Osmanthus – while lovely – was too literal and not a patch on Osmanthe Yunnan.
Ahh but the Hermes is lovely too Tara. I can see you spritzing with abandon and flicking your hair, smiling with the sheer joy of smelling so divine and it still being mild and comfortable in London. Didn’t it used to be arctic by this time of year?
Portia x
Portia, I am going to try and re-create that image next time I wear OY 🙂
It is unseasonably warm at the moment – 22C – but it’s all set to change next week. Hope you’re having a lovely Spring.
Spring was SUMMER today. I came home from work, got out of lady me and jumped in the pool. BRRRRRRRISK. Heavenly.
It has been a lovely day.
Portia xxx
Portia you make this sound wonderful! I too am not one for most citrus scents but I am willing to try. Thank you for the heads up.
Hey Sandra,
Lovely to see you.
Pretty, this is very pretty and still interesting.
Portia xx
One can never have enough good citrus scents imo! Thank you Portia, will try that very soon.
Cheers
Safran
Hey Safran,
I am glad to find a citrus lover. Hopefully your chemistry loves this too.
Portia xx
Hi, my chemistry does not love citrus all that much. When I feel it the mood for it, I reach for YSL’s In Love Again or Eau de Patou. That’s pretty much it for me. I’m more of an oriental and spicy fan. o
Hey AnitaThePianist,
I like In Love again, it’s fun and fresh. Good choice if it’s one of your go-tos
Portia xx