Perfume Review: Virgin Island Water by Creed
February 20th, 2007
Who wouldn’t want to go on a tropical beach vacation right now? Ah, what a lovely thought. I’ve always thought I wasn’t born in the right country – my body is just incapable of dealing with frigid winters. Yes, I’ve adapted and managed, with more emphasis on “managed”. That’s pretty much the state I’m in these days. We got an unexpected temperature jump this week, I shed my down coat and went skipping through the streets of Chicago. Chanel boutique was my destination, actually, but I also made an extra stop at Neiman Marcus where I kindly begged for a sample of Virgin Island Water by Creed. To be honest, I’m not a huge fan of Creed. I’ve tried most of their fragrances, my favorites being Angelique Encens, Vanisia, and maybe Fantasia de Fleurs, on a rare occasion. Virgin Island Water is their newest one, a very timely release I must say – it filled me with a sudden urge to hop on a plane to the Carribean.
Virgin Island Water features the notes of bergamot, Jamaican lime, Sicilian mandarin, Indian jasmine, coconut, ylang-ylang, ginger, musk. Now, I’ve never been to the Carribean (or any tropical place, for that matter) but that’s exactly where I ended up in my imagination upon sniffing the scent. It starts out with a bright and cheerful burst of lime and bergamot that immediately conjures up images of sweltering sun and bright beaches. Almost immediately there’s a thin layer of milky coconut with ylang-ylang undertones that to me translates into hot sand, warm skin, and sumptuous tropical drinks. Jasmine is more prominent in the heart notes, giving the scent a slight floral feel. The drydown is my favorite part so far – it’s soft and musky, with a nice little touch of ginger. In spite of being a tropical scent, it doesn’t have a distinct suntan lotion feel. It’s definitely more complex than most beach scents I’ve tried. Virgin Islands… I want to go there! NOW!
Virgin Island Water is available at Neiman Marcus.
Image source: neimanmarcus.com
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11 Comments
1. Marina | February 20th, 2007 at 11:06 pm
Ah, this sounds wonderful! I want to go to the exotic islands too! Lie in the sun, sip cocktails, read glossy mags, do nothing…*sigh*
2. chaya ruchama | February 21st, 2007 at 7:08 am
Ok, my Baltic Beauties…
Please check my DNA…
I resist coconut in fragrance- but this one REALLY works !
SO pretty- and, natch, so costly [those buggers at Creed- shakes fist at venture capitalists].
Where’s our hammock, garcon ?
3. Elle | February 21st, 2007 at 8:01 am
I’m w/ you – I can’t take winter temperatures. I’m not entirely sure I’ll love this one, but I am definitely sure I want to be in the tropics right now. Sun. Beach. Waves. Sun. Heat. More sun. If Virgin Waters can conjure that up, even if I don’t wear it, I think i want a decant on hand to sniff and let my imagination go to town until I can actually get there.
4. Leopoldo | February 21st, 2007 at 10:05 am
I’m sure I’m from southern Spain and my family stole me cos I was such a beautiful baby… (actually, I wasn’t. My mum used to delight in telling me how I had hair running all the way down to my tuchas and that I looked like a rodent..)
I’ll have to sniff this, but not any time soon or I’ll be aching for heat (not that it EVER gets mid-west cold in southern England, as you know, I).
5. Christina H. | February 21st, 2007 at 10:58 am
Hi Ina!,
I agree! I had recieved a sample of it and it is going to have to be in my summer collection! It smelled like a light citrus with a faint touch of coconut.Gorgeous for spring/summer! Thank you for the wonderful review.Makes me want it even more!
6. Victoriasown | February 21st, 2007 at 11:56 am
Sounds very nice, except the coconut. I don’t know, it might kill it for me. If it does I still have my Island Hawaii. :O)
7. Teri | February 21st, 2007 at 12:34 pm
After what has been a ridiculously awful winter in Denver (we nearly broke a 100-year old record for consecutive days with snow on the ground), I could certainly use an olfactory vacation to the tropics.
I shall definitely have to ferret this one out and see if it does a ‘Calgon’ (as in ‘take me away’) on me.
8. newproducts | February 21st, 2007 at 5:33 pm
I’m not ready for summery scents like this yet, but I *do* want to go to that tropical island. The sun, the beach, the warm breeze, ahhhhh.
9. Monkeyposh | February 24th, 2007 at 5:37 pm
Oh Ina–I feel the exact same way you do. I loved how this sounded before I got my sample in the mail—then when I tried it I was in LOVE. I am a huge fan of Creed though.
I get milky coconuts and fresh lime and sea water when I wear it. It reminds me of being in Hawaii and it takes me back there–as I sit here in the sleet and snow. Dammit.
My DH has business meetings in downtown Chicago this week so I have already asked him to get me a bottle at NM….pending it is out yet.
Thanks for the review.
Stay warm and have a lovely evening.
10. Ina | February 24th, 2007 at 10:40 pm
Jen, last time I was there, I was told it the bottles will arrive any day now. Your descriptions is right on! Milky coconuts, fresh lime, and sea water.
11. Aromascope » Azuree&hellip | April 2nd, 2007 at 11:17 pm
[...] Azuree Soleil starts out with the most sumptuous blend of Tahitian gardenia and coconut neither of each is overdone or excessive. For a light skin scent, it has a good amount of complexity and development. The heart is creamy and lush, with just a touch of jasmine and magnolia. On my skin, the drydown is all milky sandalwood with hints of caramel. Interestingly enough, Azuree Soleil doesn’t seem as tropical as Virgin Island Water by Creed. Perhaps it’s the absence of the aquatic accord in the former – Azuree Soleil is all about the sun and its interaction with skin. It’s the ultimate sunny, carefree, buoyant, an all around feel-good scent for summer. [...]