Look at Tarifa on the map. It is on the southernmost tip of Spain, literally a short swim from Morocco (which is #1 on my travel wish list at the moment). I really wanted to see Tarifa's beaches. The photos looked beautiful but it was too far off our route as we traveled from Ronda to Granada. Plus there was the added complication of finding a room. When I went on Booking.com their little meter at the top of the page was registering 98% full occupancy. The rooms that were showing up as available looked like something I shared with friends back in the days of college spring break and they were going for 500 Euro per night. Evidently everybody goes to the south of Spain in the month of August. So we didn't make it to Tarifa, instead swinging by Marbella for a few hours then making our way on up to Granada.
I suppose I'm a bit of a beach snob. I've lived in Southeast Asia for so many years and it's so easy and inexpensive to get to tropical beaches in the South China, Andaman, and Java Seas. Plus my husband is Australian and really, their beaches are stunning. Minus the sharks, of course. So the whole idea of renting a beach bed for the day with the strangers next to me being mere inches away seemed a little weird. Plus the water is cold! However the egalitarian nature of the experience appealed, and I would not have been any happier had I been on the beach of one of those expensive, out-of-my-budget resorts sequestered behind their unwelcoming guarded gates. Honestly! Power to the people, and all that. Beautiful views, though, and I did like my umbrella! And with the touts walking around selling fake purses and sunglasses, I thought I was back in Bali! Anyway, the photos of Tarifa looked more like the beaches I am accustomed to and I didn't want to miss the chance to review this perfume that Keiko Mecheri dedicated to this particular beach in Spain.
Keiko Mecheri Tarifa is one of the perfumes in her Dreamscape series, seven scents inspired by travel. Tarifa is situated on a cusp of land overlooking the Strait of Gibraltar where the Mediterranean and the Atlantic meet. Morocco is a quick ferry ride away and the Moorish influence is strong. Tarifa opens with orange blossom and petitgrain and in the first moments demonstrates a slight bit of bubbly soapiness but it is very understated. To up the citrus meter is Tunisian orange blossom and Calabrian bergamot. I can smell orange blossom but it is very fuzzy and hazy, like it is encased in a white musk. There is no fruity orange smell; instead the woody aspects of the petitgrain take front and center. The base notes are amber and spices and whatever spice notes are used, I can't pick them out. The amber adds warmth and a bit of "lying in the sun" beach vibe. The whole thing is sunny and pleasant but it fails to rock my world.
I like many Keiko Mecheri perfumes and I don't not like this one but it's not my favorite way to wear orange blossom. When I wear orange blossom I like it to be realistic, like the flower, or showy. My favorite I own is a bottle of L'Artisan Fleur d'Oranger realeased as a limited edition in 2007. I also love Elie Saab which is all glamour and pizzazz. Tarifa is unisex but leans more masculine and it emphasizes the petitgrain and bergamot notes. The orange blossom gets somewhat lost on my skin. It is nice, certainly inoffensive, but not different enough for me to want to add it to my collection. Anyone looking for a less floral, more woody orange blossom perfume may find this is what they want and I also think it will appeal more to men.
For more stories on Spain and the perfumes I wore go to Part One, Part Two, Part Three, Part Five, and Part Six.
Top photo Google map image. Perfume sample my own.
1 comment :
I usually spend about 40 minutes at a time at a beach: 5 minutes to undress, 30 minutes in water, another 5 minutes to pat myself dry. After that I retreat from the sun. On good days (read "not extremely hot") I can repeat that twice - once around 10 a.m. and the second time at 4 p.m.
I do not dislike orange blossom but I do not love it either, so with less than glowing review I probably won't be seeking out this perfume. But still it was interesting to read about it and especially about your trip.
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