FRAGRANCE | Sex and the Sea EDP by Francesca Bianchi: Where a sea of sweetness (almost) drowns everything else

halfwhiteboy - Francesca Bianchi Sex and the Sea EDP 01

I've tried Francesca Bianchi's Sex and the Sea at a sniff sesh with fellow fragheads and was instantly smitten. We soon got a bottle but it seems quite different from how I remembered it.

Anyway, Sex and the Sea opens sweetly with an underlying creamy coconut, the latter lending the scent some quasi-tropical character. It's bordering on cloying, to be honest. It's not entirely vanilla but not totally resins either. There's also something fruity and floral to it alongside a camphorous-like accord, but which all go away after only several minutes. Too bad because it's a really lovely combination that somehow manages to cut through all the saccharine syrup. I get pineapple, too, but it's readily drowned in a, well, sea of sweetness.

Later some saltiness starts to appear in the background but to my disappointment, it never manages to really break through. Although it's there, it's almost easily washed away by the waves of sweetness that dominate this fragrance. It's struggling to stay afloat, working really hard to balance the scent and pull it away from falling into cloying territory. I might have to wear this again some other time because in my memory it was this perfect balance of sweet and salty that made me love this Bianchi release in the first place.

halfwhiteboy - Francesca Bianchi Sex and the Sea EDP 05

As to projection, this fragrance is quite deceptive as it starts out okay, so much so that you might feel the need for a couple more sprays. But then it sneaks up on you as it only grows stronger by the minute, revealing itself gradually as a roaring monster. Caution on the sprayer then or else you'll drop a nauseating bomb, more so because it just goes on and on. If it's any indication of how concentrated it is, the juice leaves an oily consistency on my skin, something akin to what I'm getting from Nishane fragrances.

In hindsight, I'm a little let down with Sex and the Sea—personally. No, it's not a bad fragrance per se but I just don't get much of the sea, or even the sex. It's still worth sampling, though, because it could work for you, especially considering its spectacular performance given that it's not that expensive (a little over a hundred USD).

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

LOOKBOOK | Barong Tagalog and sneakers for 'Buwan ng Wika'

Image
Looking oh, so dignified here. Although the celebrations are normally concentrated in elementary schools, August is Buwan ng Wika (Language Month) in the Philippines. Along with dressing up in various traditional Filipino costumes, schools usually hold programs and contests showcasing the national language and traditional Filipino songs and dances. Our department decided to join in the fun by designating a special day yesterday where everyone was required to wear a traditional Filipino costume reinterpreted for modern times. Two years ago when we first held this event, I found myself wearing an ethnic-designed shirt with a malong . This year I decided on a Barong Tagalog , considered our national formal wear for men. But no one wants to go all formal on a Friday, so I wore my Barong Tagalog with sneakers . I thought, if a full-on suit works just fine with sneakers, a barong would be just as perfect with this type of footwear.
Read more

FRAGRANCE | Green Cedar EDT by Bench: An environmentally-conscious offering from the Philippines' premier retail brand

Image
A few weeks ago, I found myself wandering inside Bench Powerplant Mall. And what else would catch my eye but two fragrances by their lonesome twosome, positioned far away from the rest of the brand's scent offerings. They're Basil & Neroli and Green Cedar , both EDTs and part of the  Bench Better Made line . The frags are purported to be vegan and cruelty-free. They come in 125ml dark brown glass bottles and brown paper cylindrical boxes. Nice packaging there except for the cheap, plastic cap. No big deal, though, since they're just Php 428 apiece. 
Read more

FRAGRANCE | Rajo Uno EDT by Bench: An inexpensive local gem

Image
Philippine retail giant Bench has been many a high schooler's go-to shop for cheap colognes, myself included. And even during my college years, Bench has remained a staple. I remember  Bench Ei8ht was very popular with many people back then although my favorites were their body sprays Cielo and L'Amoureux . Through the years their roster of fragrances has only grown by leaps and bounds, with a lot of them made in collaboration with celebrities and fashion designers like Rajo Laurel .
Read more