I don’t hate Michael Kors Island, if there is one thing that I have learned; it is that I have gotten kinder with age. I may of hated this a few years ago, throwing mean words out at it. But I mean really, this is no worse than any other mainstream fragrance made to sell, sell, sell.

It isn’t offensive. I think that I don’t like it because I am not a fan of “aquatic” fragrances in general. For an “aquatic” and “airy” fragrance, this isn’t too bad . It opens with a bit of “fruit”. I can’t tell what fruit, just an accord trying to be juicy and fresh and a little sweet. (For the record, the company says that it is kiwi; I imagine that is a hard scent to replicate). It is floral and I do pick up on something honeysuckle-ish, but strangely the honeysuckle isn’t as sweet as honeysuckle should be. It is much more hissy and quite heady and piercing.  I dries down to a  floral , very modern rose with  sand and warmth, super humid. There is a certain heaviness on a “white” or a “dry” wood. It isn’t a dirty wood note but a super clean wood. I believe Michael Kors is calling it “driftwood” and I can see that, an aquatic wood that is drying out in the sand. This fragrance is a bit hard to explain since everything is very lab made. It can’t be picked apart. It is all or nothing.  It is a certain generic juicy fruit, a blend of “classic” florals with lots of warmth from wood. But, the entire time it is still really aquatic with heaviness on the “sea breeze”. For most of the wear on me, it smells of wood and water. It wears for a good half of the day. The company claims that this is a blend of such things as “Chinese kiwi, hydroponic honeysuckle, parrot tulip (which doesn’t have an odor), champaca flowers, Bulgarian rose, white bark accord, driftwood, and rice fields accord”.Hmm, rice fields, very interesting. There is also, “Kauai waterfalls and oxygenated water”.  So obviously this is a mood fragrance, a fantasy fragrance with lots of made up things to create atmosphere since many of the things listed really don’t present an aroma or at least a pleasant aroma. I have to give it credit. It is a fantasy fragrance, not very original, but it is trying to create an escape, trying to make us think of exotic places. Far from Michael Kors homeland island: Long Island. So this fragrance may not be as nice as an exotic island vacation, but it sure is trying with all of those lab created accords. I would of loved to be the chemist working on the “hydroponic honeysuckle” or “Kauai waterfalls” team.

The bottle is pretty but feels awkward in the hands. It is glass, a sheer turquoise to represent crystal clear water. The shape is just too chunky. The 1.7 ounce retails for $60 and the 3.4 ounce for $75. I would say that you would like this if you like Issey Miyake, Demeter Rain, Giorgio Armani Acqua di Gio, Bvlgari Omnia Green Jade, Calvin Klein Eternity, Giorgio Blue, Calypso Marine, Chaps for Women, Estee Lauder Beyond Paradise, Davidoff Cool Water, or if you like “aquatic” fragrance. There are many of these types of fragrances on the market. I can keep going: Elizabeth Arden Mediterranean, Jennifer Lopez Deseo, Carolina Herrera 212, OK, I’ll stop now.

Update: Fragrance has been discontinued.

*Product purchased by me. Product pic from Amazon.