Francesca Bianchi Sex and the Sea Extrait

Description

Sex and the Sea is warm skin after a day at the beach: coconut, salt and sun. Francesca Bianchi released it in 2016, built from childhood memories of seaside holidays and the smell of her own sun-warmed skin. Mimosa, pineapple and coconut open it, immortelle, rose and iris sit in the heart, and sandalwood, myrrh, labdanum, benzoin, ambergris, civet and vanilla make a salty, human amber base. Reviewers mention piña colada, sun lotion and sea water, with the fruit fading to reveal myrrh, rose and vanilla. It is sensual and more animalic than a typical beach scent.

Fragrance Pyramid

• Top: Mimosa, Pineapple, Coconut
• Heart: Immortelle, Rose, Iris
• Base: Sandalwood, Myrrh, Labdanum, Benzoin, Ambergris, Civet, Vanilla

Performance

Longevity: Long. It is a 25% extrait and the house quotes around 12 hours on skin.
Sillage: Moderate.
Projection: Arm's length at first, then a warm skin scent.

An honest note: the civet and ambergris give it a salty, skin-like warmth. If you want a clean, aquatic beach scent, this is not it.

Best Occasions & Season

Spring and Summer first, and warm early-autumn days. Holidays, weekends and summer evenings. Unisex. Skip it for a formal office.

Concentration & Provenance

Concentration: Extrait de Parfum
Perfumer: Francesca Bianchi
House: Francesca Bianchi Perfumes, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Launched: 2016, with no reformulation on record. A later flanker, Sex and the Sea Neroli, followed in 2019

Try Before You Commit

Coconut and civet together are worth testing on skin. A hand-poured 1mL decant is $5.99 and a 5mL is $24.99. Our 1mL samples come in a 2mL vial filled halfway, so the vial will look half full. That is the correct amount.

100% Authentic

Every Venba sample is decanted from a factory-sealed bottle, never diluted, never mixed. We have filled 200,000+ orders and hold a 4.9★ Trustpilot rating. Free U.S. shipping on orders $100+, with hassle-free returns.

FAQ

What does Sex and the Sea smell like?
Coconut and pineapple with salty skin, then a warm amber of myrrh, rose, vanilla and ambergris.

Is it an aquatic fragrance?
Not in the usual sense. The sea comes through as salt on warm skin rather than a fresh, marine accord.

How is it different from Sex and the Sea Neroli?
The Neroli version, from 2019, adds orange blossom brightness. The original is warmer and more animalic.

Is it men's or women's?
Unisex.