Aquatica by Rayhaan

I tried it because I loved the notes (citrus with coconut are my favorites), even though they said it was for men. I sprayed it on my wrist and thought, ‘If I like it once it dries, I’ll come back tomorrow’. I returned to the perfumery before even reaching the corner. I LOVE IT! It’s by far the richest Arabic perfume I’ve tried. Super unisex, fresh, and while I like the opening more, the dry down is also rich and super soft. It’s gone straight to my favorites list.

Wonderful! Virgin Island Water at a great price? Creamy, bright, and long-lasting. I think I like it even more than its inspiration. Perfect for summer, but even better for winter: it brings the Caribbean to any cold, gray Tuesday. A must-have.

The scent is extremely similar to Creed’s Virgin Island Water, with the added bonus of lasting much longer. It’s not a fragrance with extreme projection, but it has good longevity; after hours, it stays close to the skin but remains detectable. Yesterday I applied it once on my arm, and 13-14 hours later, when I woke up, I lifted my arm and thought, ‘What smells so good?’. I looked around and realized it was my own arm. The scent was very close to the skin, but I was surprised it lasted recognizably for so many hours. It doesn’t project much, but people do notice it when they come close to greet you. Lime citrus notes (the classic green lemon for us Mexicans) with an exquisite creamy coconut depth that creates a complex and charming fragrance. It feels like a battleship, with that rum note, giving the sensation of having a drink on the beach. Simply perfect for the heat, an incredible fragrance.

A very well-crafted fragrance. Citrus at the start, lasts only a few minutes (should be longer) before enveloping you in a rich, sweet coconut that makes you want to sniff. The sillage is moderate to low; it fades quickly in open areas, and longevity is its weak point: max 4 hours on me. Since it’s affordable, you can reapply without worry, although you don’t always have a spray bottle handy (you have to organize yourself XD). The presentation is like the rest of Rayhaan: nothing extravagant but well done. If you like fresh and sweet scents for warm climates, you’ll love it. Scent: 9, Versatility: 8, Sillage: 6, Longevity: 5, Total: 7. Greetings from Córdoba!

An incredible scent to enjoy with the heat. However, right out of the bottle, it seemed to me that it didn’t last or project at all, despite applying quite a bit. I’m a bit disappointed; I hope performance improves when summer arrives, because if not, I’ll have to carry the bottle in my pocket…

1. Scent: lemony, creamy, and coconutty. 2. Could be unisex. 3. Smells slightly synthetic (more than it should). 4. For vacations, shorts, sandals, sun, and youth. 5. Those over thirty should abstain, this is for millennials. 6. It’s a pleasant scent, though not for me. Overall, it’s not a bad fragrance. 7.5/10 In summary: it smells like the typical sparkling coconut lemonade with a lemon slice you get with lots of ice at a beach bar.

I don’t know what season this perfume could be for. At the start it’s super citrusy like the first half hour, but as it dries down it turns into a very sweet perfume and has that damn smell that Arabic perfumes have, which makes my head hurt. I feel it smells almost like the vintage Radio by Lattafa.

It’s a very good fragrance, subtle and without that synthetic touch that bothers others. When opened, it smells fresh with lemon and a very light coconut, ideal for summer. It’s sweet and citrusy, but not harsh or projecting for two hours; it requires many sprays (10 or 12) for people to notice it. It smells expensive and delivers on its price. As it dries down, the coconut takes over with a very controlled floral touch; in my opinion, it’s quite masculine. It’s not a loud fragrance, it makes itself felt but up close. You won’t get noticed from ten meters away like with beast mode scents; this is fresh summer to the max. It suits all ages. I don’t understand why some talk about sunscreen; it’s illogical. The projection performance is poor, maybe 30 minutes of strength and moderate sillage. My opening is strong for ten seconds and then settles. Maybe I should wait a month for it to oxidize and improve. It’s spectacular but lacks power, it fades quickly, which doesn’t happen with other fragrances from this brand.

I’ve updated my review because after some time I started to like this perfume. At first it seemed bad with a very synthetic and strong lime, but over time I started to like it. Fresh and sweet perfume with a soft coconut. It’s addictive, pity it doesn’t last long. They should release the elixir version, please.

Totally honest: I had high expectations with this perfume since I hadn’t tried the brand. The notes seemed attractive and many reviewers exalted it excessively (now I suspect several might have been paid). However, upon trying it, the experience was disappointing. While it’s not unpleasant, it feels too synthetic. A very loud and sharp lemon dominates, similar to the smell of a floor cleaner. The coconut appears in the background but doesn’t stand out or feel realistic; rather, it reminds me of a coconut-scented sunscreen mixed with an artificial lemon. Curiously, I had read the same thing in another review and, unfortunately, I totally agree. For the price, I consider there are much better citrus options. It’s not ugly, but it doesn’t deliver on all its promises.

Good citrus opening, lemon. As it dries down, a somewhat creamy but citrusy synthetic coconut scent comes out. It’s sweet. Longevity and projection aren’t bad, nor was that what I expected; I wanted a richer sunscreen smell, like Australian Gold. It’s not a terrible perfume, but there are better Arabic scents for summer or citrus.

It’s a citrus perfume with a rich lime, but underneath you feel a somewhat powdery coconut, so I don’t see it as great for extreme heat; it bothered me.

Perfect for heat. The opening is super citrusy, almost just lime, very natural and rich. After about 30 minutes, the coconut emerges, dry and powdery, like dehydrated candied coconut. Then comes the sweetness of sugarcane alongside hibiscus; the rum is light, like a less woody white rum. It’s not perfectly balanced because the lime lingers for a while. It doesn’t smell like Le Beau, but rather recalls Qaed Al Fursan Unlimited, just less synthetic and creamy, with a fresh tropical vibe far from sunscreen. Good projection (1-2 meters) and lasts about 6 hours close to the skin, but on clothes it lasts up to two days. If you overspray in the heat, the powdery coconut can get tiring, so next time I’ll apply less. It delivers what it promises, giving it a 9/10.

Rayhaan, congratulations. It’s a very well-made perfume, capturing the idea of the original. In aroma, it gets close, with no synthetic Arab notes or loud stuff, everything balanced between lime, coconut, salt, and sugar. The lime opening is high quality and blends with bergamot and tangerine. This citrus part dominates for several minutes, even half an hour. As it dries, a coconut similar to the original appears, slightly salty and dry. I can’t quite identify the jasmine, hibiscus, or gardenia well, unlike the original. I think the sugarcane and tonka bean give it creaminess and sweetness without making it dense. The back-and-forth between coconut and lime found in VIW is here too. In the final dry down, the rum, tonka bean, musk, and patchouli blend and lose projection (maybe they’re just testimonial notes). Overall, it achieves the magic and idyllic evocation of the original, but they aren’t identical. The original has a special note, a ‘new’ plastic-like pleasant smell that Aquatica has but is almost imperceptible; that’s why VIW feels higher quality and more aquatic. In short, Aquatica is more gourmand and VIW more landscape-like. They say Rayhaan’s version resembles the 2007 formula by gaining sweetness and creaminess against the current one (which they say is bad). Performance is decent for a freshie; you can’t ask for more without the typical dose of ambroxan or synthetic musks that ruin Arab perfumes. Considering recent VIW batches last 45 minutes on skin (a bad joke for a $300 perfume), we can’t complain. Projection is moderate, felt with the wind and movement, but over-applying lets you go full bomb for a few hours. I’ll wait to see how it evolves as it oxidizes; already after a week I notice it sweetens and highlights the coconut more. The first time I only smelled lime and bergamot, now it’s more balanced.

Got it for about $30, blind and breaking my promise to avoid Arab scents. The opening is a juicy, fresh citrus without that synthetic note you usually get at this price point. Reminds me of a sparkling lemonade; then a ‘shredded’ coconut appears, nothing like Le Beau. I don’t smell much rum or florals, but it doesn’t bother me. I’ll let it settle for a couple of weeks because the projection is short (30 mins) and then it sits close to the skin, though it still smells if you get close.