— fragrance —

Ayala Moriel Sunset Beach Natural EDP Perfume Review

June 28, 2016

Ayala Moriel Sunset Beach

Ayala Moriel Parfums newest perfume, Sunset Beach, is one of those perfumes inspired by beaches that manages to not smell like tanning lotion or the sort of functional fragrances we’d associate with a day at the beach. For the most part, this is a rarity in the perfume world. So many “beach fragrances” rely on the sort of scents used in products, not the beach. Sunset Beach is a creamy, warm scent with woods that is like a never-ending summer.

Sunset Beach opens with bitter woods and earthy greens. The pandan leaf, which really should be a note used in perfumery more than it is, comes across like green tea leaves and steamed basmati rice. The woods are bitter like buttermilk – astringent but creamy, reminding me of sandalwood. As the fragrance wears, there’s an addition of cedarwood incense. Sunset Beach wears like a powder of finely milled precious woods with a subtle coconut milk-like sweetness and vanilla custard-like ylang-ylang. The dry-down really does remind me of sun-bleached driftwood and warm, sun-kissed skin. It’s creamy with a sweaty bitterness from woods like sandalwood and massoia.

This new launch has quickly became one of my favorites from the brand (my other one being Musk Malabi). It’s bittersweet, warm and I’m smitten by the pandan leaf¹.

Marisa Mell

Notes listed include pandan leaf, milky oolong tea tincture, cedarwood, champaca, coffee, nutmeg, ylang-ylang, orris butter, Indian sandalwood, Hawaiian sandalwood, chocolate, coconut and massoia bark. Launched in 2016. PERFUMER – Ayala Moriel

Give Sunset Beach a try if you like woodsy or sandalwood fragrances. Or perfumes like Slumberhouse Pear & Olive, DSH Perfumes Mysore Sandalwood, Diva by Pure Natural Diva, House of Matriarch Coco Blanc and/or Hermès Hermèssence Satanl Massoïa. 

Projection is average and longevity is above average (for an all-natural perfume).

The 1/2 oz EDP retails for $120 at Ayala Moriel Perfumes. Samples are also available for purchase.

Victoria’s Final EauPINION – Warm, milky woods. It’s a summery, beachy fragrance that isn’t “tanning oil”. Yay!

¹Pandan cake is one of my favorite desserts. This perfume has a little bit of a “pandan cake” thing going on that I absolutely love.

Want more reviews? Try…

Fragrantica – Ida’s review

Nose Smell This – More info on the fragrance.

*Disclaimer – Sample provided by the brand. I am not financially compensated for my reviews. My opinions are my own. Product pic from the brand. Marisa Mell pic from www.fanpix.net.

8 thoughts on “Ayala Moriel Sunset Beach Natural EDP Perfume Review”

  2. Yes, please!!
    I personally don’t like the suntan lotion reference in the typical beachy perfumes. When I was young, my family was not the type to go to the beach and sit in the sun, so I have no fond associations with suntan lotion scent to make me want/enjoy it. The first time I smelled Bobbi Brown Beach, I was so utterly confused. That’s not a beach smell!!!

    I tried a sample of Tirrenico by Profumi del Forte based on Judith’s description on her blog (The Unseen Censer) and that was definitely more of a true ‘smells like the wind sweeping across vegetation near a water mass’. Although I didn’t get much ‘salt’ from it, so I associated it with wind across The Great Lakes. I appreciated it even though I wouldn’t wear it. It might be a little drier than this, although I don’t really have a frame of reference for ‘pandan’ so that could be totally wrong. (Maybe the word ‘cake’ is what I’m keying off of)

    So to date, Bronze Goddess has been my only ‘beach’ scent (and I love it!) and mostly because I made it that by buying it just before a trip to Hawaii. I can see how the tropical flower notes conjur ‘beachiness’ but I don’t think I would have made that conclusion without the Estée Lauder marketing and perfume community to tell me that’s what it meant. 🙂 I chalk that up to my non-traditional immigrant upbringing that was not anti-beach, per se, but possibly just anti-outdoors!

    1. These days suntan lotion is dying because we’re wiser about protecting ourselves from UV rays. So, I often wonder if in the future will the “beach” perfumes smell like sunscreens or zinc?

      I spent most of my youth raised in a landlocked place and the other half wasn’t a beachy-beach. So, the references were mostly lost on me EXCEPT my grandmother and mom wore Bain de Soleil and I saw those commercials growing up and was like “that’s what the beach smells like!” And it doesn’t…oh, well.

      I need to try that Profumi del Forte. I like anything salty! So, this one think of the pandan like boiled basmati rice that is a little sweet, starchy but with a bit more vegetal/greenness with this one. I can’t compare but I’d say this one is all dry and maybe like that driftwood that gets bleached white on the shores of The Great Lakes 🙂

      I love Bronze Goddess but mainly because I associate it with a vacation too. Regardless, it’s a pretty fragrance that smells warm without being overwhelming. I think EL did a great job with it.

      Haha, well, I was just anti-outdoors growing up! Why would I want to venture out into things like snakes, biting bugs and plants that can give you a rash? OK, I’m still a bit anti-outdoors :S

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