(Beauty)

This Luxurious Fragrance Is Summer in A Bottle

Maison Margiela’s Beach Walk can instantly take you back to the breezy, sunny days of years past.

by Deanna Pai

Ever catch a whiff of a smell, be it a fragrance, flower, or food, and instantly get transported to another time and place? That’s the beauty of scent, which has a tight-knit connection with your memory—and therefore the ability to bring back the past in a single sniff.

And while it might feel like magic, it’s actually a matter of science. Research has found that your olfactory network—a.k.a. your sense of smell—has a tighter relationship with the hippocampus, the part of the brain that’s key to learning and memory, than other senses like taste and sight. That means that when it comes to making memories (and, of course, hanging onto them), nothing beats the nose.

And therein is the thinking behind Maison Margiela REPLICA Beach Walk, a fragrance that isn’t a summer-ready scent just because it’s inspired by a relaxing walk along the shore. Instead, the bright scent uses that close scent-brain connection to make it worth spritzing all season long—guaranteeing in the process that it’ll help you make the most of every moment for years to come, too. Here, what sets it apart.

Unique notes

Super-fruity florals, step aside. The top notes of citrusy bergamot and pink pepper are intertwined with lemon for an uplifting feeling at first spritz—think standing in a swath of sunlight after a long winter. It then dries down to coconut milk and heliotrope (a flower known for its sweet scent) to elicit sun-kissed skin, a feeling that sticks with you during the day even if a beach trip isn’t in the cards.

Super-fresh scent

Inspired by the brine of the ocean and warm sunlight, this one-of-a-kind fragrance proves both comforting and refreshing — you know, sort of like summer itself. With that said, if you’re someone who tends to be partial to light, yet balmy scents reminiscent of gorgeous summer nights, then Beach Walk was definitely made to be your new year round signature scent.

Nostalgic vibes

Ever wish you could go back to the easygoing days where you’d spend all day at the beach, relishing the warm sand between your toes and the scent of salty air mixed with sunscreen? Well, this fragrance can you take right back to that spot — regardless of the season. That’s right, you can don this scent during fall, winter, and spring to get your summertime fix, because it works (and garners complements) no matter what.

Easy layering

The eternal question: Why not both? The scents in Maison Margiela’s REPLICA collection are light enough to be layered without ever being overpowering. If one of your best memories is a bonfire on the beach, try pairing Beach Walk and By the Fireplace to get the same transportive effect of the cool sand, warm fire, and twinkling stars. It makes for a scent so good, you just might wind up wearing it every day of the year.