The Haunted Beach

[LiberAmoris]

Pale, moonlit musk, sea salt, and ambergris.

I couldn't pass up a perfume with a moonlit musk note. The sea salt and ambergris make for a classic aquatic, but that moonlit musk really makes this wearable for me. As it dries down, it gets sweeter and brighter, until it smells less like a wave and more like a moonbeam...like it crashes over and over until it thins out and gets lighter. This is a clean smelling blend, the kind that I think I could easily wear a dot of to even the most scent-averse workplace.

[Ashinros]

When I saw this one in the weenies I had to blind-buy a bottle. With the sea air/salt air of Calico Jack & Mary Read I was sure this would be a winner. Boy is it!

 

I'm not sure if it's the musk or the ambergris but I get a nice clothy/linen scent from this perfume. It reminds me of line-dried clothing left out in ocean air, but not "beachy" air, that salty somber beach air when it's early morning and everything's covered in clouds and fog.

 

I never thought I'd like the beach/ocean scents as I'm not a big fan of beaches in-person, but Beth captures the essence so perfectly and I love them.

[poofie]

I've worn this a couple times so far and have really enjoyed it, but I haven't really put much effort into thinking about it. I suppose that's because this scent isn't really a challenging blend; it's a lovely aquatic that is kept from getting screechy or soapy by the musk. I'm a late convert to aquatic type scents; A Vast Similitude Interlocks All from last year's Liliths rocked my world, and really, Haunted Beach is similar to it, but not similar enough to get away with only keeping one.

 

This is a low throw perfume without much staying power, but really lovely and light and clean smelling.

[Little Bird]

I feel like my Halloween reviews are very short this year, but I'm not having great success with them. Haunted Beach is soapy aquatic on me and that's it. Laundry soap. I don't get the musk or ambergris.

[LizziesLuck]

I hate aquatics. But musk and ambergris with sea salt sounded so amazing that I lost all sense and blind bottled it! That being said, in the bottle it doesn't smell like a typical aquatic at all (aka soap, to me).

 

 

Wet: Oh wow, that ambergris is gorgeous! With the salt, and the musk coming through...haunting indeed, and beautiful. But it's hovering juuuust on the edge of soap. It wants to go there. Hoping it doesn't. Currently it actually smells like the beach, not the "perfume" version of aquatic that never agrees with me. I think the salt is actually what's keeping it just out of soap territory - one almost never smells a salt soap...

 

 

Dry: I can't decide about this! It doesn't go soapy on me at all (a miracle, right there) and I don't hate it, for sure. It's such a far cry from those drug-store brand type aquatics. It genuinely smells of the sea, and I love it for that. But at the same time something in it seems to be giving me a headache. And I'm also having a hard time picturing wearing it, it's just really not me. But I think I would LOVE it as a room scent, and may use it in an oil burner. Or who knows, maybe I'll wear it in the summer? OR I may pass it on to someone who will love it like it deserves. Haven't decided yet. Either way, hands down, best aquatic I have EVER smelled. If you're an aquatic lover, don't pass this up.

[stellamaris]

This is a lot like My Mommy in a Boat, which is a good thing. It is aquatic but has a grounding sweetness to it on me. note though, I tend to turn things sweet, your mileage may vary.

[Jenjin]

I'm not getting much lunar musk or ambergris from this. It's mostly a salty, ocean air aquatic that is rings with a bright blue note. I'm missing more of a wet stone or wet sand beachy note that I think would ground this and keep it from being so reminiscent of fabric softener sheets, and room fragrance. It is very much like a more musky Sea Foams Milk without the cream and a dash more salt.

Edited November 8, 2016 by Jenjin

[puellacaerulea]

I got to sample a friend's bottle of this today to figure out if I want my own. I wasn't sure about this one at first -- in the bottle, it's very much an ocean-air sort of aquatic scent, but with some sour, funky undertone that wasn't working for me (not sure if it's the ambergris or the salt). Once on, said funky note amped up, but after a few more minutes it dies down and blends in as the light musk notes amp up. The end result is a really lovely aquatic -- more reminiscent of salt air than a typically perfume-y aquatic. It also has good staying power and throw; five hours and one workout later, I can still get whiffs of it. I'm either going to have to steal my friend's bottle or get my own.

[Haltija]

Classic.

 

This is a classic, simple aquatic and Beth does them right. The musk is smooth and the ambergris sparkles. Something in this is definitely bringing out some sort of a sweet note and I think it's so lovely. Honestly, out of all the aquatics I own, this is probably one of the best and I am definitely considering a bottle.

[Talizorah]

I am constantly on the search for a realistic aquatic and after reading the few reviews for this I had to try it. Alas, it is soap on me . I can't deal with even a hint of soapyness most times, and I washed this off and covered it with dc wither after a few minutes. I'm gonna give it some more time and hope it gets less soapy on my, if that's possible. The hunt continues.

[unxolve]

Fresh, blue-green beach soap that you'd use washing off sand in a wooden shower stall. Not a sharp, lyeish soap, just that fresh desirable beachy clean smell. Salty, fresh, cool, well-blended. I have had so many aquatic disasters I was going to give up hope, but this one is superb.

 

Love it, only happy feelings!

[Lycanthrope]

Oh bother.

 

It's a trouble that I love oceanic scents and marines, but now I think some of the 'beach' scents or anything with 'sea salt' does the dreaded tortilla on me. The corn-chippy like smell starts off amping on me and I can't move much past that. Eventually it becomes a sweeter, less corny atmospheric light sky-aquatic, which is nice, but I just have so much trouble with the 'sand' or 'sea salt' note... sadness.

[b00cat]

I'm not an aquatics gal, but between the beautiful artwork and the title I wanted to give this a shot.

 

It's musky and salty, but also goes a bit soapy. Moderate to strong throw. I really like the way it smells, but I don't think I will get a bottle. I think aquatics fans would love this though and I will keep my decant for days when I want to smell "beachy".

[zankoku_zen]

Soft blue green musk, and a touch of kelp. This smells oceanic, clean, and comforting. Like a beach at night. Medium throw, good wear length.

[SmilesSunshine]

source: lab direct bottle.

 

bottle: i agree with zakoku_zen, oceanic.

 

application: reed diffuser from Voluspa.

 

drying down: beautiful ambergris is evident for a moment then the musk... ultimately soapy

 

finish: a bourrique couture reed diffuser. ethereal as a bathroom scent or at the beach house, but i do not like it for me.

 

final verdict: i do not need another bottle and when i get around to it, this needs a better home.

[sunshinedaisybliss]

I honestly wouldn’t class this as an “aquatic” - aside from the name, there’s really nothing aquatic about it.. not to me, anyway. 
 

So what is it? 😊

 

First and foremost, it’s a beautiful creamy musk - clean and soft, but definitely ‘pale’ as per the description.. it’s got a beautiful silvery glow to it, but none of the screamy bitterness that I get from a white musk or skin musk. Second is the stunning ambergris - softly sweet and chewy, it lifts the musk into an almost linen-like cloud but without straying over into fresh laundry territory. Last but not least, the sea salt adds a crystallised feel with just a hint of actual saltiness. 
 

This is very evocative of nights by the beach, with a full moon reflected on the dark water. Very beautiful, peaceful and somewhat mysterious... just lovely 💗

[doomsday_disco]

I don't tend to do well with most of the Lab's aquatics, but I'm a sucker for ambergris, so I was curious to try this one!

This is mostly about the pale musk infused with sea salt. It's pretty salty at first, but the ambergris emerges after a few hours and helps smooth the scent over. It's a clean scent, but it hasn't managed to morph into soap or laundry territory on me.

 

I like this, especially after it has been on the skin for a few hours and the ambergris emerges, but I'm not sure how often I'd reach for it, especially over straight up Ambergris SN.

 

[Cali]

There's nothing beach about this on me! I'm guessing the ambergris morphs on me into something sweet, there's that moonlit musk - alltogether it becomes like something that reminds me of some nights in my childhood, outside on the open field near the forest. Odd.