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vokin – :
Hmm…I am not getting the beach vibe that others are getting. I don’t get any saltiness, no aquatic, etc.
If this is a beach scent, it must be the scent of the beach boardwalk after having years of melted ice cream, spilled funnel cake, and suntan oil on dirty feet residue caked on it.
I’ll give it another shot, but this stuff is awful. If I want a sea scent I will go to the Bvlgari Aqva line, or to the marvelous Epice Marine.
EDIT: I did give this another shot, and while it isn’t as awful as I first thought, it still isn’t my type of fragrance. I still get this vanilla ice cream vibe that makes me think of a dirty beach…like I’m on the beach trying to enjoy the smell, but the kids next to me have dropped their Good Humor bars in the sand an hour ago, and the smell overpowers my enjoyment of the beach.
bara bum – :
Wore this again today and oh my gosh. It’s practically intolerable for me. So much seaweed, and it smells horrible on me. What a shame!
Edit: I am giving seaweed all the flack, which isn’t totally fair. The sand is also extremely prominent, and also smells extremely bad on me.
sindrom-72 – :
Most of CSP’s fragrances that I’ve tested are very linear and straightforward. They all have their time and place, but I respect Aqua Motu for bringing some more complexity to their line.
I love the way this opens, it is very refreshing and lovely. Almost a fruity, aquatic vibe. As it wears on my skin, the salty seaweed starts creeping out and dominates the fresher aquatic notes.
This is a “like” for me. The saltiness/bitterness of the seaweed gets to be too much for me, so I wish it would just stay as it is upon first spray! It would definitely be a “love” in that case.
den125 – :
This is ocean spray in a bottle. Salty, marine and sand. When I want to think of the beach, this is my go to scent. It is very straight forward ocean breeze. If you want something a little less literal, then try Hemisphere Sud. It has more of a woody note. However if you want a salty ocean breeze, this is it. When I wear it, people comment that I smell like the ocean…in a good way!
udin233 – :
well, I expected something…different and more aquatic/marine
actually, while smelling it from the bottle – the smell is very fresh, aquatic and kind of “melony”, but on my skin this cologne turns into almost a feminine scent with strong “hot sandy beach” note paired with some flowers. I can´t see any use from it at the moment, maybe this will change after several wearings, we´ll see…projection is smooth, longevity is great on my skin (8 hours, more than expected).
Membx608Unlogrere – :
I’m surprised the Main Accords list on the top right doesn’t include Woods. Aqua Motu EDT is mainly a combo of immortelle x sun-dried Drift wood on my skin. If you like guaiac, you would love this woods-with-a-touch- of-sweetness. (Ex: IA’s Memoirs Of A Trespasser).
There’s a review down below about Calone. Even the most minute quantity of Calone gives me nausea, which is a shame because I enjoy its smell. There is *no* Calone so far as I can tell, in Motu.
Bought this sample to test against Oriza L Legrand’s Villa Lympia, and Motu wins. Bonus points- more of the Motu on the grey market.
If you know where to get a hold of the Motu Intense or Motu EDP, please message me.
Greml-IN – :
Some ppl told me they smell melon in it. Not sure why, because I cannot detect melon in this scent. Got a lot of compliments when I was wearing it. Very aquatic, not offensive. Reminds me of Givenchy Oblique FFwd (sadly discontinued). There is another version of Aqua Motu, a limited edition they released to commemorate fragrance’s anniversary. It has vanilla added and it ruins it, makes it sweeter and more mediocre. So I’d recommend the original fragrance.
sdwig – :
A strange one, I want to like this more but there is almost a sour algae or something similar note that makes it go a bit off. Its not bad, its like Dunes weird cousin. Doesnt last long on me..
2ASSA2 – :
Your search for a salty, marine perfume has ended. It’s on the same broad lines of its competitors but this is warmer and a bit dustier at the same time despite being a iodized/acquatic scent. In fact it’s very similar to Sandflowers from Montale but while that one keeps being very “opaque”, this is more sparkling and the seaweed note is more prominent. In my opinion this is the perfect balance within this style of perfume, and it doesn’t surprise me either: it was born before anything else (1993) while Acqua di sale is from 1996, salina 2010 etc.. .
Max318 – :
Bingo!
I was so curious to know what this smelled like that I blind-bought a 100ml bottle on eBay. It arrived today.
(almost all) The descriptions I’ve read of it are so true.
This a beach monster and I like it very much indeed.
I get every single note listed and then some (coconut, salt).
The initial opening wasn’t too promising for me. I got a very strong Germolene ointment kinda smell, which I wasn’t expecting at all. God knows what that is BUT, that smell fades in minutes and the heavenly beach just flows into my skin and through my pores.
Seashells full of water. Kelp, coconut, expensive sun-cream, sand and a hint of lily of the valley all emanate from my skin: a fresh, seaside explosion.
I can understand how some people might find this sickly but I find this pretty incredible. This REALLY smells like a beach and it doesn’t smell synthetic to me.
I had two compliments this afternoon when wearing it. Yay!!
On me the sillage is great and longevity is astounding.
I sprayed my neck and wrists at 3pm this afternoon, it’s now 11:30pm and both my wrists still smell beachy. It’s definitely a summer scent.
I’ve never experienced anything quite like it and it makes me smile whenever I catch a whiff of it. I smile because I’m genuinely puzzled how someone can make a fragrance that smells exactly like a beach on my skin – clever bar-stewards, lol.
I haven’t tested anything from this house before but on the strength of this fragrance, I’m definitely interested in what else they have to offer.
durka2121 – :
P.S. When this dries down and after a few hours, fades out….it REALLY REALLY smells like you just got home from the beach! Impressive!
valera41066 – :
Just a little update.
This was one of the first frags in my collection from about 3 years ago.
Bobbi Brown “Beach” was too expensive and upon further investigation…….
Well Aqua Motu- here we are. Lying on the beach hand in hand– in the afternoon sun on a turquoise colored beach towel as the sun begins to fade into that Indian Summer color…..
Our swimsuits are drying out and we just take a deep breath……….
Not a care in the world.
Ahhhhhhhhh………….
Aqua Motu hits all the correct “beach” notes : salt air, sun dried wood, coconut, salt water, etc.
This is done in a subtle way. Nothing overpowers. (I have had to dump other beach frags because that “calone” note smelled like cucumber frogs from a dissection class in junior high school) .
Nothing here smells cheap or chemical-y .
Affordable? YES! Unisex? YES! Longevity? OK- not great but not bad.
Believe me; I went through MANY MANY Beach scents over the past few years. This one beats them all.
(This one beats out Aqua Di Gio too!)
P.S. as a bonus – when this finally dries down and begins to fade– give your hand a sniff: it REALLY smells like you just got home from the beach ! Incredible!
SEVER2233 – :
It took me quite a long while to find a marine scent. This is the first I tried and liked. it is definitely a summer scent, and it defintely reminds me of tropical seas. Only defect, is definitely not long lasting. I would not buy again and I am looking for a similar – but longer lasting – scent.
klinoke – :
I find this to be an extremely artificial and unconvincing beach scent. Its Calone-kelpy-iodiney salt water accord is very similar to ones I’ve smelled in many other marine fragrances which aim for realistic ocean notes, but for some reason, this one is far less effective on me than others in the same family have been. While at first I can indeed smell what I suspect was the intended olfactory gestalt (“Oh, hey! It’s briney sea water!”), after a second or two that marine accord falls apart on me completely, fragmenting into a constellation of unrelated and not always pleasant scents: celery, hot vinyl car seats, black licorice, modeling clay, the fumes from melting plastic wrap…
The overall effect is rather sickening, and while I’m not ordinarily bothered by synthetic marine accords (the much-maligned Calone, for example, causes me no trouble at all), something about this one in particular leaves me feeling nauseated and headachey.
Similar fragrances that I’ve found far more successful at pulling off a realistic salt water effect include CB I Hate Perfume’s Mr. Hulot’s Holilday and Eternal Return, and Laura Tonatto’s Oltre. If money were no object, I would recommend any of them over Aqua Motu. There is, however, no getting around the fact that money IS an object — and quite an important object, at that! — for all but a very fortunate few of us, and the three more successful fragrances I just mentioned are all rather more expensive than Aqua Motu is. So I guess there you have it. You pays your money and you takes your choice.
grargeCheancy – :
I like other fragrances from this line but this one wasn’t for me. I was hoping I would after I read all the reviews of the “beachy” sea water notes people talk about it. But I can’t seem to find many aquatics that I like so far. I’m not even sure what notes I am getting but it doesn’t seem to be what everyone else is getting.
It smelled better on my skin than it did sniffing the atomizer. When I first got a whiff when I removed the lid it smelled awful, but I sprayed on my wrist and I liked it better, but not enough to wear it for a day.
kalyan4ik – :
I am fascinated as to how fragrance companies can recreate the smell of the ocean. I just bought Comptoir Sud Pacifique`s Aqua Motu and it is unbelievable how spot on the fragrance is in miming the smell of the sea! I am looking for some sort of common ingredient in such fragrances. Must be more than just seaweed, immortelle ,water lotus and water-lilly…?
bakulina nina – :
It’s a realistic recreation of beach scents and it will wash you with a wave of sea water complete with its seaweed and salty flavour.Of course,the background smells of sweet floral tones,but more on the wild side:flowers that grow in the salty environment in which you will feel emerged…The wet sand is present with a sturdy,pebble-like tone…It felt like I had a long swim in a deep and clear sea,laid on the sand,covered by the shadow of a sweet smelling blooming tree-The weirdest remark I got when I sprayed myself with this scent:”Did you go for a swim before getting to work?”
andub82 – :
Good scent! This is definitely for the summer! 🙂 This is the hot sand, seaweed and sea .. is relaxing, although the sillage is soft, longevity takes about 5-6 hours. It’s not one of my favorites of the summer, but … I think that in the future will buy this!
Sillage: 5/10
Longevity: 8/10
Scent: 7.5/10
Overall: 7/10
Braistwit – :
(EDT version)
Blind swapped for this: it really is similar to Acqua di Sale (from memory); herbal super-salty greenness and a dusty, dry quality that = sand. Too salty for me, not my 1st choice for a ‘beach’ scent as I find that I prefer the sunscreen-type scents to remind me of those days.
This one’s cool salty, dry, and dusty. I really don’t get anything aquatic. This should’ve been called ‘Desert at Night’ in my opinion. If there was a salt lake deposit nearby in said desert.
Not bad, it just makes me thirsty! Not quite what I want to smell like. I think I’d prefer it on a man.
[10.27.14]
inculpneirurn – :
This was another fragrance that smelled like absolutely nothing at all the first time I tried it. This time, it’s doing slightly better, with a weak plasticky opening that somehow does manage to convey a tropical scene in spite of itself. Disappointing as this stage is, I would still file it away with Bulgari Aqua for its ability to truly convey seawater, though in a much more temperate way than Bulgari’s tempestuous, bracing, winter sea air. After a while, a change brings hope: a mildly spicy, tropical, sun-baked varnished wood vibe appears under the receding spray, almost like a distant waft of Tommy Bahama. I happen to like the idea of TB and some of its notes, but find it too harsh and heavy in its implementation; this vague echo of it within Aqua Motu appeals to me. It allows me to live out my tropcal Margaritaville fantasy vicariously, as if through another man’s cologne. It’s the one time in my life that a scent has reminded me of root beer, and I’ve liked it. Just don’t expect an aquatic, and don’t expect much strength.
diablo19830 – :
Yes! I really love this. I received a generous decant as a gift from a fellow Fragrantican. A beautiful marine scent with salty air, sand and ocean. I also sampled the EDP and ironically, this appear darker. The drydown has a definite bitter-sweet, dry woody base, warm, sandy, savory, to the point of making my mouth water.
Сергей334 – :
This is absolutely awful. It’s kind of impressive in that it does capture the scent of a day at the beach: sweaty, sun warmed skin, sun tan lotion, wet sand, kelp, sea water. But why? Who would want to smell like this? Just because you can make something that smells like the beach doesn’t mean it’s a good idea!
wail – :
Absolutely revolting.
igor.folomin – :
This is Womanity minus fig.
FriendBrady – :
This is THE beach scent I was looking for! Contrary to most aquatics (Cool Water family) that have a very dominant cucumber-watermelon vibe to stand for freshness, Aqua Motu is all about sand that’s close to a real sea! It opens with a slight botanical-herbal tea like smell, that thankfully subsides quickly and gives way to the most amazing sand accord I have ever smelled. I swear I can almost feel the hot sand scalding my soles as I’m heading for a swim in the blue sea. I don’t know whether I would wear this everyday or alone, but it’s definitely a valuable addition to my perfume wardrobe. I only wish it lasted longer, maybe try the EDP next?
Edit: after I happily worn Aqua Motu on a few instances, I went to my local department store to try Womanity. Please note I hadn’t heard about a resemblance between the two beforehand. It is safe to say Womanity completely ruined my love for Aqua Motu. I simply cannot wear it any more, everytime I smell it I remember the rotting seaweed mixed with female genitalia I got from Womanity. Already got rid of it, so sad:(
Aleksan – :
Aqua Motu EDT is an unusual aquatic perfume, and I like that about it. It doesn’t have the typical “wet” fresh-water scent that aquatics often have; rather, I find this smells salty and oceanic. I get the impression of hot, dry sand in contrast to the more vibrant, green, and fresh “sea” notes.
This scent reminds me quite a lot of Womanity Taste of Fragrance. It has a sweet and comforting spice underlying it, intermingling with the saltiness, woodiness and fresh-air accords. Looking at the notes now, I’m not surprised that I find a similarity. Both fragrances have distinctive sea water and immortelle notes which contribute to the dusty and salty-fresh quality shared by both. Aqua Motu however, is much lighter than Womanity ToF, and I would suspect more easy to like and wear for most.
Pecherinbel_1991 – :
I don’t know what it is about this perfume that I can’t stand. The notes sound wonderful to me, but it doesn’t remind me of the beach. Maybe it’s my own body chemistry.
tav – :
At first, I thought “Aqua Motu” would be soft and weak on my skin. Gosh, what a surprise! By the way, it isn’t as aquatic as its name may imply. Instead, it’s marine… can you understand the difference (if there’s any)?
I believe there’s a really strong floral note that shines on my skin. I thought it would be frangipani, but it seems to be the immortelle. It’s almost nauseating! I can also feel a “sandy” vibe coming from “Aqua Motu” that doesn’t necessarily reminds of beaches and sun lotions, but hot days instead.
“Aqua Motu” is interesting but I think it’s way too strong for some hot days that we have in Brazil. I guess I’ll use it on cold days like today to remind me of my days on the sun…
ZessReula – :
I love Aqua Motu!!! 🙂 It smells like sunlotion and sand!!It travels me to beautiful islands!!!
avar – :
This reminds me so much of Profumum’s Acqua di Sale. Or should it be the other way around? I don’t know which was released first!
It’s cool, salty, watery, sandy, and the aroma of seaweed adds an organic touch to the fragrance, making it feel somehow more “alive” than the other aromatic aquatic fragrances I’ve tested. Even though it’s a “cool” type of fragrance, the notes seem to bind well with the warmth of skin, and rather than creating a sillage monster that floats in a cloud around me, it becomes an intimate skin scent that reminds me of walking along salty shores.
alexbelov84 – :
When I wore this one day..a shopkeeper said”Hmm you smell like…like..like….”like the Sea”? I said…”Yes! Thats it!! You smell like the sea..lovely!! I love it..just like a day at the sea with all it brings….
SeletiumBobi8_3 – :
Aqua Motu was a re-issue for the Eaux de Voyage line and was originally called MOTU when it was first released in 1992. Here are the notes from CSP:
ozone, iodine, rosemary, algae, moss, ylang ylang, pepper, patchouli, orange and cedarwood.
Daft_Punk – :
its the perfect summer smell, shame it lasts only for minutes!!! Exactly the same but with longer life on the skin is Etoile de Rem.
polikambus – :
Comptoir Sud Pacifique AQUA MOTU is a rather odd fragrance. Yes, it smells somewhat like seawater at the beach, mingling with sand. But it also smells like the plants that wash up on the shore, the green vines and leaves of underwater foliage.
The opening seems to have an extra note, similar in some ways to…well, to be honest, it smells not unlike masculine sweat, with just a touch of sourness. Fortunately, the opening fades fast, and the drydown is entirely inoffensive and even agreeable. In fact, it reminds me just a bit of BOIS FARINE.
I think that, all and all, AQUA MOTU is just okay. I bought a 50ml bottle blind, and I’ll use it now and then, sitting on my deck on days like today with the wind swirling about. I’ll look at all of the trees and listen to the birds and imagine that I’m in Jamaica or Barbados or Puerto Rico or Trinidad or Cozumel or somewhere else where sea and salt and sweat all mingle together peacefully under the sun.
9307a – :
It’s a tranquil scent I wear just for myself. When I smell it, I hear waves lapping at a lagoon.
Blaberus – :
Suntan lotion! This is just great, it smells so clean and light and not too perfumey. It would be great in the summer, though I’d wear it all year round.
NORD73 – :
I bought it just to try, but it did surprise me. I like to wear it for the days since it reminds of fresh water. The only problem I saw is that it´s not too strong, so, you can´t smell unless it toooo close.
-PUPSIK- – :
Every time I wear this someone says I smell sooo good. I mix this with Aquazur by Lancaster and even a little Aqua Alleagoria Anise for a longer lasting effect. Smells like a fresh breeze off the ocean. So refreshing and clean it just wakes you up.
ashotik – :
Hummm….,Yeah It’s has an image of summer and sea breeze in it,Fresh clean and watery,I don’t know why but some notes make me thinking of watermelon!The scent is so natural(maybe too natural),somehow,I didn’t feel that I wearing any fragrance,but feel like the scent come directly from my skin.I have some conflict opinion,I feel that this one has no sillage but it’s long lasting, sound weird?but it’s true.I think this is what its was designed for.Very skin scent,very discreet.Would be perfect for someone,who want to smell clean&natural,but not for anyone who love a strong sillage.For me? I love the scent but want a stronger one.
timirnator – :
I like so much this one , close your eyes and smell it, you will feel the power of ocean sun wind and sand. Too bad that is not long lasting one so u can try Rem by Reminesence , it’s the same fragrance
ElennaPrekrasnay – :
Yes, i smell salt and sand in this perfume ;o)
dokart – :
It’s a fragrance like a sea, very fresh and salty- so specific. One of my favourites.
vkareprost – :
Fresh watery and green, very pleasant, for hot summer days.