Smell that sea air!

Hi, BBB readers! I've just returned from a (very) brief beach holiday with my Mom (which was lovely, btw). Whilst there, I noticed that almost all the little shops and boutiques touted the same item over and over again. It fell under the "beauty and cosmetics" heading, so obviously my curiosity was IGNITED. Naturally, I had to try it. 

The product?

It was Inis, a unisex cologne/perfume that is manufactured in Ireland and is said to capture "the energy of the sea" (quick lesson: inis is Irish Gaelic for "island" and is pronounced "inn-ish" not "inn-iss" as we would Americanize it). I had to spray some of it, because I'm always looking for perfumes that transport me--that's probably my biggest requirement when looking for a scent. It has to remind me of something or somewhere, and I absolutely love anything tropical (my favorite go-to scent is coconut anything, often resulting in me smelling like suntan lotion...I REGRET NOTHING!). 

Inis is absolutely unique in my opinion. The opening is spicy, but not in an overwhelming way, and it quickly dries down to more "aquatic" notes, with this constant undercurrent of spicy-citrus flavors (neroli and bergamot, not sweetened lemons or oranges) and the sea (don't ask me how they bottled it, I think it's pretty darn magical!). The result is this mystifying, unusual combination of smells that would be ideal for either sex, and leaves a lingering impression of the ocean. 

It does not smell to me like "the beach." As aforementioned, the beach to me smells like coconut, maybe some citrus, and tropical flora. This perfume smells like the sea, the actual physical ocean. They somehow managed to capture the essence of sea water, with its changeability from serene one moment to tempestuous the next. This doesn't smell like the clear waters off the coast of the Islands. It's like the moodier waters of the Atlantic. It was conceived in Ireland, after all. They were working off the Irish sea, not what we here think of as pristine still waters with white sands. 

And the smell does transport me! It's like they captured what you smell like after spending a day in the salty sea air (only minus that sticky salt feeling and bad hair). I love love LOVE this smell, and will repurchase when I'm out. 

I'm not huge into "marine" smells, but this one is fantastic (and I think if I had a boyfriend, it would smell awesome on him too!). The lasting power is pretty good on me. By a couple of hours in, it's not very strong but every once in a while I'll get a whiff of it and it's like, "WHOA, what's that amazing fragrance? Oh yeah! It's ME!" It just smells very fresh and clean, and mildly like the ocean, so naturally, that's an A+ from Miss Mary! 

You can get it on Ebay for around $10-$20. I'd suggest getting a small bottle first to try and see if you like it as well as I do--perfume is so highly individualized. The only other place I've seen it physically carried is in Irish shops and at the Scottish Highland Games they have here in Winter Springs each year, so I think getting it online would be almost necessary. But for the price and the uniqueness of the smell, I think that's definitely worth it! 

-Mary