Remember that episode of Seinfeld where Kramer came up with the idea for "The Beach" fragrance and Calvin Klein ripped off his idea? Well, it looks like more than one perfumer might owe Larry David & Jerry Seinfeld some royalties, because "beachy" fragrances are now ubiquitous. It's Memorial Day weekend, the official start of beach season, so let's take a look at some of my favorite sandy scents:
Bobbi">https://www.gloss.com~G!03683FEE3FA1!Sh8A6k4NYYzi~~ws-nocache~~@https://syndicator.esteelauder.com/syndicator/Gloss/bobbibrown_us">Bobbi Brown Beach, the one that started it all. Straight-up suntan oil - a total guilty pleasure in the winter, and a perfect complement to your faux tan in the summer. I'm really loving the Beach body scrub, perfect for getting your bod beach-ready (before that faux tan application, perhaps?).
**Bond No. 9 Fire Island** is also firmly rooted in suntan oil, but this one's more specific. It's unmistakably Ambre Solaire - so much so that I found myself screeching "IT'S AMBRE SOLAIRE!" in **Annie**'s face the first time I smelled this, in Bond's official vehicle, the Bondmobile (I kid you not). Mixed in with all this delicious Euro-sunscreen goodness is the smell of warm sand and warm skin. This one is by far my favorite of all the "beachies."
**Michael Kors Island Hawaii** is similar to Fire Island, minus the tuberose note, and minus about $60. An excellent alternative if you and tuberose just don't get along, or if you're unwilling to shell out $120 for the Bond. Bonus: if you buy Island Hawaii from Sephora, you'll score a cute Michael Kors signature sarong!
Estee Lauder Azuree Soleil. This is the one that inspired such a frenzy last summer when it made its debut - in body oil spray form - as the anchor of the Tom Ford Azuree collection. My friends and I **used so much in the Hamptons last summer **that the wood floor in our room became an oily, slip-and-fall hazard zone (but it was shiny! and smelled pretty!). It's back this year in both the oil and a new Eau Fraiche version, which is already close to selling out. And you guessed it, both are limited edition - so act fast!
**CB I Hate Perfume At the Beach 1966**. This indie favorite is a dead ringer for old school Coppertone, with the addition of a "North Atlantic" accord created by the perfume genius Christopher Brosius. I love the scent and am a huge fan of Brosius, but I am terribly ashamed to admit that I have never stepped foot in his shop...and it's barely a stone's throw away from me in Brooklyn. Must get there!
What are your favorite beach fragrances?