Malibu - Party in the Bay

I could picture wearing this in spring/summer/on holiday very citrusy and clean. It smells like the loccitane lemon hand cream. Not something I would typically wear but nothing necessarily bad about it either

The lime in the opening is too strong. But in the dry down its smooth coconut. Kinda similar to Hawas Malibu

Very nice scent profile. A citrus heavy VIW DNA. Not my cup of tea but solid 8/10

Strong lime, mid coconut with a rawness to it, equal parts of water for lightness and rum for the easygoing attitude, little bit of sugar to even out the edges. As with citrusy/lime scents i usually label them more masculine than feminine...but to each their own. Take notes Creed, this is how you should have done Virgin Island Water. Good vacation scent.

For the first 20–30 minutes, this smells like a lemon that has been sitting in a bag just a little too long—right on the edge of turning bad, but somehow in the most delicious way imaginable. It’s intensely tart, slightly fermented, sweet, and incredibly realistic. It sounds strange on paper, but it’s exactly what makes this fragrance so addictive. As it settles, the sharp citrus softens and blends beautifully with creamy coconut, sugar, and a touch of rum, creating the impression of a tropical cocktail enjoyed by the sea. It feels bright, natural, textured, and full of life rather than synthetic or overly clean. This isn’t your typical tropical fragrance. It has character, originality, and enough weirdness in the opening to make it memorable without ever becoming unpleasant. The dry down is smooth, sunny, and comforting, leaving behind a vacation-like aura that keeps you coming back for another spray. For me, it’s simply wonderful. 9.9/10

Does anyone else get HANNAE Mori on the opening?

The lime is extremely powerful, its all i smell. Once it dries down it is mid asf and sits on ur skin for a good bit. Would not recommend at all for the price tbh.

So y’all go crazy for the orange pez? I did too when I was 6

Wish the lime wasn't so strong. Overpowers the other notes for me .

This is MOSTLY better than Virgin Island Water. Why? 95% identical smell. But VIW is perfect for that “natural calm serene” feeling other creed fragrances offer. However. This cost half as much and last the entire day! VIW might as well be a body mist that’s gone in 30 minutes.

to my nose it smells almost identical to VIW but with a more realistic lime in the opening, very good

I hardly lean towards green & citrusy fragrances, but I absolutely love this scent! It starts of with a slightly sharp lime note & bitter green accord; the sugar does get a little cloying as well. But after a few minutes, the coconut & sandalwood come forward to calm all the sharpness down, making it the kind of fragrances you want your skin chemistry to play with. I cannot wait to wear it in the Summer later on in the year! Yummy!

#124 of My Fragrance Journey - Simone Andreoli Malibu - Party in the Bay: It doesn't smell like a beach party. It smells like the exact moment the lights come on inside one. Not daylight. Something stranger. Neon green off wet concrete, lime-coloured light flickering across bare shoulders, salt drying on warm skin. The air is charged and close, colours louder than they should be. The lime hits first - sharp, electric, almost fluorescent. It doesn't ease in; it hums, changes the shape of the air around you immediately. And then you notice it - that artificial edge underneath the brightness. The lime skirts close to something synthetic, like catching the wiring behind the fantasy. But the current holds. Just. Coconut comes in as it softens - not the thick sunscreen kind, something more intimate than that. Warmth rather than cream. Then rum and sugar folding in underneath, the whole thing darkening slightly, going warmer, gaining some actual depth. This is where it genuinely works. Bright and indulgent at the same time, unisex in a way that feels effortless rather than designed. For a while, it's genuinely transportive - the air feels closer, warmer, more charged. Then the ambroxan takes over. And that's where honesty requires a moment. What started as airy and tropical gradually narrows into a persistent ambroxan and synthetic musk structure. The rum dims. Coconut recedes. The illusion doesn't collapse exactly - it just reveals its framework. The charged intimacy of the earlier stages flattens into something more mechanical. Still present, still projecting, just less emotionally alive than where it started. Eight hours of longevity, though. Solid projection throughout. For the price point that's genuinely hard to argue with, even if the landing isn't as interesting as the take-off. It's a fragrance that earns its best moments honestly - and earns its limitations honestly too. Vibe: Neon green on seawater. Rum on warm skin. Electricity moving through humid night air before the crowd thins out. Performance: Strong projection, exceptional longevity - ambroxan carries it well past the party. Just know the later hours are flatter than the first. Fit: High summer, open collars, late evenings where the heat hasn't gone anywhere. Is the synthetic landing a dealbreaker - or does the neon lime and coconut opening buy enough goodwill to forgive it? More scent stories and visuals on Instagram - @lavendercloudsjd

Nothing like Creed's Virgin Island Water and WAY too shouty and sharp/synthetic. Hard pass as someone that loves VIW: loud tropical sweetness shouty projection party-fragrance energy synthetic tropical brightness coconut/lime that feels amplified rather than elegant “fun” tropical scents that lack Creed’s relaxed softness

If you want to walk around smelling like lemons.. this is it.

Yes, this is just what the name on the bottle advertises! I get a refreshing lime, some minty freshness too amongst other green notes, coconut (not of the sunscreen lotion kind) and a note of sugary coctail drinks, that sweetens the scent (this is making my mouth water constantly). The sweetness is perfectly balanced with tart lime, giving a feeling of fresh and sweet. Kind of like children's sour candy. The coconut gives it a nice body, and a slightly creamy feel. The mint is green, not toothpastey, and is done perfectly to give that refreshing and energizing impression. I love lime notes, green notes, and non-sunscreen lotion coconut, so this is really right up my alley. However, I think this is too youthful for me to wear, to be honest with myself (a man in his earliest part of 40's). I'm nit that guy anymore. But, for a 20-30 year old, this would be an awesome summer scent for late nights and happy days (not that older people can't wear it). Time of year: Definitely late Spring, Summer, early Fall. I'd say night time wear, but could work for daytime too, if the occasion is right. Perfectly unisex, In my opinion. Personal score: 9/10. It's lively and fits the name pretty well. It does have sort of "young people having a party in the bay" vibe. In Malibu, apparently. I would have Loved wearing this 20 years ago, even 10 years ago, maybe even 5 years ago. But, I'm feeling too old to wear this now. Otherwise, this would be a full bottle purchase right away.

The opening is like being squirted with an uncanny citrus- kind of synthetic but trying to be realistic- this is weird and takes a while to peel away. It calms down to a softer sugar-coated lotiony coconut with some tart- kind of tasty. I do not really get the 'rum', but that's fine. I immediately prefer this over VIW. This is an affordable alternative that actually has longevity.

Malibu Party in the Bay Longevity: 8.7/10 Silage: 8.5/10 Scent Profile:9.5/10 Party in the Bay is another fresh masterpiece. It starts off with a sparkling lime and slight herbal coconut accord, before the lime fades, revealing a sweet coconut, which stays that way for the rest of the fragrance. This fragrance is if you took parfums de marly sedley and creed virgin island water and forged them into one bottle. This is a great daily driver fragrance, and will find it's way into my rotation. 9.5/10

I don't agree with below comments, I hated VIW because I don't smell any coconut in that it smells like lime only to me. Malibu party does not have more citrus than VIW, it's got less citrus and even more coconut and last even longer. That's perhaps why it's better than VIW because it's actually got coconut you can smell and better performance

Not my favorite parts of VIW. Bought a Gorse candle 5 years ago then immediately bought the fragrance. read on here it was a bad dupe of VIW. So I sampled VIW and I loved it as well. Then read here that this one was a great dupe and bought it. I found some similarities but unfortunately this one smells very synthetic and much sweeter than VIW. Turns out VIW resembles both but just different parts of it.

absolutely hated the initial spray, straight up lemon scented cleaning product especially because of the artificial notes. the dry down was much more boozy + sunscreen-y. might be purchasing a full bottle :)

better and longer lasting version of VIW

This is VIW with less coconut and lemon instead of lime and a bit extra booze. I don't prefer it; if I am trying to save up my VIW I'll go with Aquatica over this... if you like lemon over lime it will probably please you though.

This is a pared down, more unisex (i.e. less masculine), version of Nishane’s Fan Your Flames. I love this fragrance! It’s a little sunscreen-y, and has SOME rum but not overbearing. That combination can create a sort of heaviness to it, which I feel like is alleviated by the lime. Great summer scent

Compared to VIW, party in the bay is very similar at opening, maybe more citrusy where VIW has more coconut softness. performance is very similar as well, disappointingly short. Key difference is dry down after 2-3 hours party in the bay smells like cheap lemon perfume. While Creed VIW fades more, but doesn’t have that cheap synthetic smell. Just a softer version of how it started. Here linear performance wins.

Not VIW but close, would I take it over it? Nope it does last longer but the smell creed offers is hard to beat. The sugar lime is very heavy and sits for hours and uplifts all the other notes. It gets close about 80%

I absolutely hate how much I love this fragrance, and that alone should tell you how good it is. It’s deceptively complex, and the way it unfolds over time is genuinely addictive. What starts out simple quickly reveals layers you don’t see coming, each phase better than the last. The opening is sweet and slightly burnt, lifted by a bright, zesty lime, but crucially, not in a harsh, cleaning-fluid way. It’s vivid and energetic without feeling sharp or synthetic. About ten minutes in, a faint camphorous note appears, hovering in the background alongside a soft impression of green vegetation, adding freshness and intrigue rather than medicinal bite. After an hour, things really get interesting. A toasted sugar accord emerges, turning almost marshmallow-like, cushioned by that same sharp, luminous lime. It’s playful but controlled, and I say this as someone who hates sweet fragrances. Truly. The word “gourmand” gives me hives. And yet… here we are. By the five-hour mark, it settles into a gentler lime scent, threaded with an aromatic trail you can’t quite identify but don’t want to stop smelling. It’s restrained, smooth, and strangely comforting. This was a total blind-buy surprise and is now something I reach for constantly, so much so that I already know I’ll need a second bottle. It’s completely unique within my collection, and honestly? It’s special. I love how it leans masculine while remaining effortlessly wearable for anyone. It’s office-safe if you go easy on the trigger, but it’s also versatile enough for anything else you throw at it: date night, boardroom, gym, it just works. And yes, you can still smell it the next day. Reluctant love, but love all the same.

Realistic citrus triumph of rare beauty: Malibu - Party in the Bay by Simone Andreoli is probably the definitive answer. It's not just a perfume, it's a liquid "mood" that transports you straight to a beach club at sunset with a frozen drink in hand. A masterful Lime the structure of Malibu is deceptively simple, but executed with a quality of raw materials that distinguishes it from the commercial "solar" classics. The Solar Energy Booster The absolute protagonist is Lime. It is a hyper-realistic, sparkling and almost pungent explosion. The green accord supports this freshness, preventing the fragrance from being too sweet right away. A Gourmand soul in the heart: This is where Coconut Nectar comes into play. Please note: This is not "sunscreen" or synthetic coconut, but sweetened coconut water. It is a watery and transparent sweetness, never cloying. The Dry down is the fulcrum of the party: Rum and Sandalwood give body to the fragrance. The Rum is not heavy, but recalls the aroma that remains in the glass of a lime Daiquiri, while the sandalwood fixes everything on the skin with a creamy softness. Despite being a citrus fragrance (notorious for not lasting long), Malibu surprises with its persistence over time. Malibu is vaguely reminiscent of Creed's Virgin Island Water, but with one fundamental difference: Andreoli has created a "stronger" and more party version. While Creed is more aristocratic and calm, Malibu is more vibrant, sugary and persistent.

There were a bunch by SA i wanted to try but have spent a lot on samples lately so ended up getting the one I had wanted from the start, and it did not disappoint. I had read reviews about how Malibu was held in high regards as a good substitute for VIW with better longevity and found this to be true. As a long time fan of Virgin Island Water but not an owner, just one that’s always sprayed it whenever I’ve passed by it at my local Saks, it’s one I’ve wanted for a while. Malibu has the wonderful parts I like the most in VIW; the lime, the coconut and sugar. It’s mixed well and smells expensive, just like VIW, both are winners. Each have similar notes, but due to the various reformulations of VIW, I’d prefer to own an older batch which would be more expensive of an already pricey bottle, and may not even be worth it in the end if a 2013 batch smells identical to a 2023 bottle. Therefore, it’s a bit of a head trip, but have a recent decant of VIW from the newer bottle from my local Saks that I haven’t tried yet. When I do, I’ll know for sure, as I’m a bit dubious after I’ve read mixed reviews on the newest (updated bottle) reformation with some saying it’s the same juice just different packaging, and others mentioning how the newer has more citrus notes which isn’t my thing. Malibu is aquatic without steering into marine territory and perfectly unisex. Its tropical vibes aren’t ruined by refraining from having the same old tiresome note often used in “beachy”/way too many frags in general - (the unnecessary bergamot), allowing for lime and coconut to shine without taking away from the ripeness you can smell in the lime, and the slightly boozy laced coconut and swirl of sugar to seal the deal. Projection is decent, it may be stronger if you spray more, I didn’t try that but do tend to be more generous on lighter frags, despite it not being a skin scent. It’s got about 5ish hours of longevity before it began to fade (smells lovely on clothing too). It’s $60-100+ less than VIW, value wise it’s a better deal. Both are great scents but I’ll be saving up for a FB of Malibu next spring. It’s an ideal classic scent for warmer weather and not something I’d tire of. If you want a bit more sweetness particularly at night, I think a quality coconut/vanilla scent sprayed first with this over it would be a nice touch.

this is the first fragrance tester i've ever thrown into the trash and scrubbed off after applying. i'm not sure if i received a bad sample, but it smelled like a stink bug fresh out of a chemical plant. the lime note is VERY artificial, reminiscent of cleaner. the sugary coconut underneath is lovely but it's smothered by the absolutely repugnant stench on top of it. unfortunately, the sillage and performance is wonderful. projects well and lasts a good while, even after scrubbing with mild hand-soap. i would be willing to give this another try, hopefully with a larger sample size, but as of right now i would not ever go near this again.