Today I’m talking about Pacifica perfumes. This line is located here in the Pacific Northwest and was founded by Brooke Harvey Taylor and her husband, Bill. The company website says that the line contains skin-safe ingredients and that the line is cruelty-free. There’s a huge focus on sustainability and “botanicals”. I think the line is over 15 years old, but I’m not certain. I emailed their PR years ago and never received any information. You can read the “Our Brand” on their website and get more info. And really, that’s enough info for me. It answers most of my questions.

I was first introduced to the Pacifica line by my grocery store. Yeah, my grocery store. My grocery store carries the solid perfumes, candles, soaps, body products and alcohol based perfumes. So instead of picking up the things on my grocery list, I’m sniffing solid perfumes and buying candles. The line has since grown over time adding more products and expanding the fragrance library. You can now find most of the line at Sephora and the low price point makes it an easy impulse buy. This price point is what I feel has made the company grow.

The Solids: The solids come in little tins with cute art. The formula is a bit waxy but once blended in with your fingers, it blends in. The tins are easy to travel with and can be layered with other perfume mediums or with other solids. The solids aren’t very long-lasting and don’t have much sillage. However, it’s no worse than other solid perfumes. The price is really good at like $9 a tin. Here’s reviews that I’ve done before: Avalon Juniper, Malibu Lemon Blossom, Mediterranean Fig. If you like solids, give these a try. There are many fragrances and I’m sure there is at least one that you’ll like!

The Alcohol Based Perfumes – Sprays and Roll-Ons: I like a few of the solid perfume fragrances so I decided to try the alcohol based perfumes. I prefer alcohol based perfumes over solids (more why here). I also really liked some of the solid perfumes, especially Mediterranean Fig. The sprays are inexpensive. Here’s my warning: Test the mediums before buying! Just because you like Tuscan Blood Orange as a solid does not mean you will like the alcohol base. They are completely different! So, I have been burnt a few times switching from solid to liquid and vice versa. The alcohol based perfumes aren’t very long-lasting but they aren’t bad. I recommend trying Mediterranean Fig, French Lilac and/or Malibu Lemon Blossom. Here’s some of my review of Tuscan Blood Orange. Prices of the alcohol based perfumes range from $12-$22 depending on size.

The Body Butters: I really love the rich and easy to rub-in formula. Actually some of the body creams are more fragrant than the perfumes! If you find that you love a Pacifica fragrance and want it to last longer, layer it with a body cream. Saying that, not all of the body creams smell like the perfumes. But, it’s my opinion that they “enhance” the perfume by adding a complexity. And they should smell “louder”. These retail at $18, more than the solid perfumes and roll-ons.

The Soaps: I love the bar soaps. They are highly fragrant. Not as drying as other bar soaps. Here’s my review of French Lilac. They retail for $5 and I think they’re worth it.

Candles: I prefer the Soy Candles in the glass instead of the Pillar candles. The soy ones are more fragrant in my opinion. The pillars seem like a waste of money. Some of the candles that I like include: Nerola Orange Blossom for summer, Spanish Amber for autumn, Tibetan Mountain Temple for winter, and French Lilac for spring. Prices vary from $25 to $6 depending on the size.

The line has added lip products, home fragrance diffusers and a few more body items. I haven’t tried them all. I would like to try the home fragrance diffuser, especially in Mediterranean Fig. 

Overall, the line is very simple. They are all “soliflores” and not complex. But, a few of them smell really good. I always recommend Mediterranean Fig when someone asks about a fig fragrance. It’s the “poor man’s” Diptyque Philosykos. And when people ask about a good lilac soliflore, I always recommend French Lilac. If you like citrus, I recommend the solids in the citrus scents. The price is right with this line.

One thing that I like about this line because of the price, it has exposed more people to a better fragrance. What else can you buy for $9 that doesn’t smell like Love’s Baby Soft? I’ve had many people tell me that this line helped them understand that perfume isn’t always “perfume”. It doesn’t smell like the Exclamation that gagged on in middle school. Perfume can smell “simple”. I know that many of us like to smell like perfume, but sometimes we like fragrances that are more realistic and smell like an actual orange peel.

I recommend this line for those that want a cheap thrill, want “soliflores” or for people of any age looking for a “starter” fragrance. If you want a more complex and longer wearing fragrance, you won’t be interested in the perfumes but you may like the home fragrances. The line can be found at Pacifica on-line boutique, Sephora and where I buy groceries 😉

*Sephora is an affiliate link. If you watch my video, ignore my watch tan line.