Sunset Beach and Lost Lagoon by Ayala Moriel.

We were in Italy recently, and this is one of my favorite shots that I took on the trip. It’s from Francavilla al Mare on the Adriatic coastline and it truly embodies the relaxed nature of our time there. We had such an amazing trip, and if you follow me on instagram, you have probably seen the places we visited in this region as well as Siena and Rome. Incredibly beautiful and such delicious food of course!

On my trip, I brought two new releases from Ayala Moriel with me, Sunset Beach and Lost Lagoon. After reading about the two perfumes, which are purely botanical, I knew I would more than likely love Sunset Beach. I am a devoted coconut fan when it is well crafted and Sunset Beach did not disappoint. It is based around essences that have coconut in their scent profiles like pandan leaf and massoia bark as well as coconut itself. It is also composed of sandalwood, cedarwood and Oolong tea which also have special places in my perfume heart.

First off, I can reassure you that Sunset Beach does not possess that all too familiar synthetic coconut quality. It is milky, smooth and fresh. The overall impression of this fragrance is of creamy woods, gentle spices and a laid back floral flourish. Champaca and ylang ylang reveal themselves in a light, tropical manner that lends a beachy vacation vibe to this perfume, perfect for those of you who love woody florals, but don’t want anything too heavy.

Lost Lagoon is just as beautiful as Sunset Beach, but very different. Lost Lagoon is in the chypre family which means it is based around bergamot, ladbanum and oakmoss. Some notorious mainstream chypres are Chanel Cristalle (an old fave of mine), Clinique Aromatics Elixir and Dior Diorella. Chypres can be hyper green, icy crisp, or down in the dirt earthy. Lost Lagoon strikes a nice balance, probably because it does not make use of synthetic aldehydes so the initial citrusy-green opening melds gently into its lovely floral heart. Violet is another one of those notes that can make me swoon when blended with an expert touch, and Ayala has done just that with Lost Lagoon. The violet in the heart and the iris (reminiscent of violets) in the base are earthy and powdery which move seamlessly into the musky, dewy, and somewhat inky depths of oakmoss.

A common complaint regarding chypres is that they are not “wearable,” but Ayala and other natural perfumers are changing that with their more nuanced versions. Along with Lost Lagoon, Mandy Aftel’s Bergamoss, Roxana Villa’s GreenWitch, and Ayala’s previously released Komorebi are all examples of 100% all natural chypres that most certainly  “wearable” and well worth exploring.

Ayala Moriel Parfums come in a variety of sizes including a 15ml EDP bottle ($120) and a 5ml perfume oil travel roll-on ($69) at AyalaMoriel.com

Disclosure: Samples were provided to me by the brand. All opinions are my own and I am not financially compensated for my reviews. Photo of Italy is mine.