Negative
Reviews of
Sex and the Sea
Francesca Bianchi (2016)
Average Rating:
2 User Reviews
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Reviews of Sex and the Sea by Francesca Bianchi
Oh dear, this was the big fail that I didn't see coming. I ordered samples of all Francesca's fragrances after reading glowing reviews of her latest scent, Under my skin here on basenotes. I was expecting good things.
What I got was a thick, intrusive wall of something indescribably off-putting. My brain seems unable to break down what's going on because all my instincts screamed "abort mission!" whenever I put my nose to my wrist. At times I got whiffs of things that, in and of themselves, are inoffensive or even pleasant: coconutty sun tan lotion, something sandalwoody, something fruity, something salty, but the sum of these parts repulsed me in a way no other scent I've tried so far ever has, including my nemesis Angel with it's putrefied dishrag accord.
I agree with gimmegreen's description of the scent's clagginess; it has an unpleasantly thick, oily texture that becomes more and more prominent over time. I had a spray of Angel's Dust on my other wrist when testing this, and even though it's less offensive, it has a similarly off-putting dry down. I think may be a house style.
What I can say in its favor is that this fragrance is unique; I truly know nothing else that smells like this. It is also very long lasting; 1 spray to the wrist lasted all day, and resisted several attempts to wash it off. The remnants of it even managed to overpower my liberal application of Azuree.
Perhaps I should give this scent a second try, but I don't think I'm brave enough to do it. My aversion to this scent is so strong that I now dread retesting the two remaining samples I have of this house, even though I already tried them briefly earlier this week and didn't hate them. Oh well, you win some you lose some, and I'm sure there will be people who appreciate this scent more than I did.
What I got was a thick, intrusive wall of something indescribably off-putting. My brain seems unable to break down what's going on because all my instincts screamed "abort mission!" whenever I put my nose to my wrist. At times I got whiffs of things that, in and of themselves, are inoffensive or even pleasant: coconutty sun tan lotion, something sandalwoody, something fruity, something salty, but the sum of these parts repulsed me in a way no other scent I've tried so far ever has, including my nemesis Angel with it's putrefied dishrag accord.
I agree with gimmegreen's description of the scent's clagginess; it has an unpleasantly thick, oily texture that becomes more and more prominent over time. I had a spray of Angel's Dust on my other wrist when testing this, and even though it's less offensive, it has a similarly off-putting dry down. I think may be a house style.
What I can say in its favor is that this fragrance is unique; I truly know nothing else that smells like this. It is also very long lasting; 1 spray to the wrist lasted all day, and resisted several attempts to wash it off. The remnants of it even managed to overpower my liberal application of Azuree.
Perhaps I should give this scent a second try, but I don't think I'm brave enough to do it. My aversion to this scent is so strong that I now dread retesting the two remaining samples I have of this house, even though I already tried them briefly earlier this week and didn't hate them. Oh well, you win some you lose some, and I'm sure there will be people who appreciate this scent more than I did.
Dense doughy iris, doll plastic and old make-up rubbery sweetness, and reminders of castor-oil-laden lacto-calamine do not an enticing perfume make not in my book. I struggle to get beyond the general clagginess of Sex and the Sea; it wears like something that will block your pores. The rich slather of vanilla-benzoin in the base doesn't help things either.
The suggested evocation of the sea or our carnal commonality passes me by here there's none of the salt tang or the skin comfort or arousal I would associate with such things. Instead I get caked powder, several greased layers deep which makes me long for nothing more than a thorough cleanse.
The suggested evocation of the sea or our carnal commonality passes me by here there's none of the salt tang or the skin comfort or arousal I would associate with such things. Instead I get caked powder, several greased layers deep which makes me long for nothing more than a thorough cleanse.
