Pacifica Malibu Lemon Blossom (2009): For Lemon Fiends {Fragrance Review}
Malibu Lemon Blossom by Pacifica was released in 2009. There are not too many lemon-blossom perfumes available on the market. A more upscale and well-known version is Serge Lutens Fleurs de Citronnier. This relaxed jus presents the further interest of being "100% vegan and gluten-free." Brook Harvey-Taylor, the founder of Pacifica, explains on the brand's website,
Notes: litsea cubeba, lemon and lemon blossom...
"When I am dreaming of California, of dreamy surf and lemon blossoms scenting the salty ocean air with their sweet perfume, of long warm summer days at the beach - this is the fragrance of my memories. An olfactory ode to the sun, surf and flora of Southern California beaches - from Rincon Point to Malibu. I set out to capture the magical moment of surfacing - coming up out of the saltiness of the Pacific ocean waters into the morning sun and clean California air."
Malibu Lemon Blossom is not a classic marine scent at all, unless you are speaking figuratively - it does not smell of the sea per se - but it is certainly optimistic and sunny, subtly evoking clean sun-kissed skin but without being coconutty. It is a lemon lover's scent.
It opens on a delicious note of very lightly custard-y lemon - think just a hint of cream. The scent is mostly sparkling and even a bit effervescent, like an intensely flavored fresh fizzy lemonade. It reminds me of smells of lemon I love like Pond's Lemon Cold Cream, now discontinued, and even more so, Turkish Limon Kolonyasi - the traditional lemon cologne that gets passed around all the time as a gesture of hospitality in Turkey. The blend is fruity but never heavy and offers a mouthwatering quality.
Malibu Lemon Blossom is a great little citrus scent. While its personality is casual, my sense is that this blend smells better-balanced than those of some more label-conscious houses. I don't mean Lutens Fleurs de Citronnier, which I would need to re-smell to be able to do a comparison of.
I like the fact that Malibu Lemon Blossom eschews the obvious white-musk-detergent reference, which would have made it smell more banal. After the intense lemony accord has receded a bit, the floral character becomes apparent thanks to a heart which smells of linden blossom, with nuances of mimosa and blond hay. The drydown is subtly powdery.
If the perfume suggests the beach and the sea, it is through the perception of light, balmy air and thanks to an understated yellow and blond solar quality.
Price: $22 for 1 fl.oz. of eau de toilette
