Parfums Andre Gas Ensoleille Moi

Expansive secluded beaches, white sand, blue skies, crashing waves, warm temperatures and suntan oil - all of the images I anticipated conjuring through this fragrance. Created by Mathilde Laurent, the nose of Guerlain for ten years and now the nose of Cartier, Ensoleille Moi is described as sunshine in a bottle and a "sunny floral". This fragrance was designed to be a more sophisticated monoi oil, a widely available suntan oil in Europe featuring the Tahitian Tiare flower. I adore the Tiare flower and other scents created in its honor such as Comptoir Sud Pacifique's Aloha Tiare and Montale Intense Tiare. The tiare flower's true scent can be described as hypnotic, sweet, heavy and indeed tropical.

While the initial burst of tiare, a little citrus and a slight hint of coconut is pleasurable enough, its promise of more sunshine and beaches is broken as the fragrance dries. What I am left with is a dusty, earthy smelling tiare, as if the flower itself has disintegrated into dust and blown away, or worse yet, has been buried by the earth from which it grew. Ensoleille Moi possesses none of the headiness or intensity of other tiare fragrances. I imagine those liking "barely there" scents could enjoy this, but for my tastes, the fragrance is simply too short-lived and undetectable. Unfortunately, it remains a disappointment in my book.
Top notes: Bergamot, tiare
Heart: Ylang-ylang, coconut
Base: Vanilla, white musk

Parfums Andre Gas Ensoleille Moi is available at beautyhabit.com. A 50mL bottle retails for $65.

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