This May Sound Crazy, But Is There A Cologne That Smells Like The Florida Air?

ciderguy said:

Consider:
Bulgari Aqua pour Homme (somewhat oceany)
Bulgari Eau Parfumée au Thé Vert (perhaps a stretch, but I think worth a sample)

Something that is overall light with citrus, vetiver, & violet notes. Perhaps others can suggest. I've always felt that Florida air smells faintly of citrus blossoms, vetiver, violet, and algae.

Heeley Sel Marin might be worth a sample, but it is $180/100ml. Many consider it the only aquatic worth owning.

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dpm802 said:

My memories of the smell of the ocean are completely different, and not pleasant at all.
But then again, I live in New Jersey.

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Hot Sauce said:

Some have said that the cologne should have neroli in it - that I am smelling citrus blossoms and twigs - the plant smells of citrus. Neroli and orange blossom.

If Heeley Sel Marin is exactly that, I won't mind paying that much. It would be like my childhood in a bottle. Have you personally tried it or are you just suggesting it as something to consider?

Thanks!

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Deacon Frank said:

The scent you're recollecting is probably the salt marshes. They have a particular fecal aroma.

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Now if someone could come up with a soap/cream/aftershave that captures the scent of the Pine Barrens in the middle of summer I'd buy it up! Dry pine needles, the green of the sassafras and huckleberry bushes, the mineralic scent of the sand...

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dpm802 said:

Fecal aroma ... that describes it perfectly. I couldn't quite think of how to phrase it without resorting to language that can't be used here.

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Go West Young Man said:

The jokes write themselves here!

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dpm802 said:

Fecal aroma ... that describes it perfectly. I couldn't quite think of how to phrase it without resorting to language that can't be used here.

I'm on the Western Edge of the Pine Barrens, right before it starts to turn into what passes for Civilization here in SNJ ... the only time I get that far into the area you're describing is when I drive through it going to Atlantic City.

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alex2363 said:

I'm from NJ too, is like lite rotten egg smell..the salt marshes smell

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ciderguy said:

I've smelled Heely Sel Marin on cotton, but I've never sampled it. I remember it being more lemon, bergamot, melon/ cucumber, and beach (algae / iodine). It is somewhat light and I didn't find it exciting enough to ask for a sample, but I've not a fan of most light scents. It smells very much like the beach, but it smells nothing like Florida to me, and nothing like neroli or petitgrain. I've smelled Heely Sel Marin on cotton, but I've never sampled it. I remember it being more lemon, bergamot, with some algae & iodine. There is probably some gentle vetiver hiding it it too.

I lived in Florida for many years, on both coasts and in the center of the state. What part was your condo in?

If I was to design a scent pyramid of coastal Florida it would look something like this (most noticeable listed first)

Top: driftwood, petitgrain, algae, neroli, sweet orange petitgrain, lemon petitgrain, grapefruit petitgrain, clary sage
Mid: sea grass, cyclamen, burley tobacco (similar to the tobacco note from The Dreamer), cypress, green tea, iris, violet leaf, pine needles
Base: vetiver, oak moss, iodine

Florida doesn't smell much like flowers or citrus fruit to me. It does have a sweet and slightly fetid / rotting scent that shares something with iris, violet leaf, green tea, and vetiver. I think that plus the petitgrain would set the stage. I searched by note on Basenotes and nothing really came up. Everything has lavender or too much sparkling citrus fruit in it.

Your best bet is going to be to sample. Everyone's nose is different.

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dpm802 said:

Yeah ... that's a good description, too. You're closer to the ocean than I am, so I think you know that smell better than I do.

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Hot Sauce said:

Fort Lauderdale - my grandparents owned a condo at Wymoor Village in Pompano.

So if someone had a gun to your head and said pick a cologne that most captures the Florida air since you have lived there and I guess per the notes that you indicated above, which cologne or colognes would you pick?

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ciderguy said:

I'd tell the person to use a generous amount of Heeley Sel Marin layered over a light spritz of a vetiver that they liked. I'd recommend Guerlain vetiver, Comme des Garcons Vettiveru, or Encre Noire by Lalique if they didn't already own a vetiver.

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