Is This What Hawaii Smells Like?: Bora Bora 3.4 oz. EDP Spray

We all have pre-conceived notions about certain exotic locales - one of the pre-conceived, and definitely naive, pre-conceived notions that I have about Hawaii in particular is that once I step off the airplane, I will be greeted by the exotic scent of gardenias and other flowers. Yes, I will have a lei around my neck and will feel like I am in paradise.

OK, OK!! I'm naive! I know this! But, the minute I smelled Bora Bora, I got that picture in my head once again - standing in Hawaii, with the scent of exotic flowers all around me! This is actually what made me purchase this fragrance - the exotic, very feminine scent that made me feel like I wasn't in Ohio, but in Hawaii!


Product Details:

Bora Bora is brought to us by the fine people at Liz Claiborne. The bottle measures about 6" tall and 3" wide. The bottle is made of glass, and the cap is white plastic.

The scent of Bora Bora smells like exotic flowers to me. If I had to name them without knowing the actual scents contained in this fragrance, I wouldn't be able to, but I would be able to say that the scent of gardenia is definitely present. However, gardenia is not even one of the scents in this fragrance! This scent can be described, according to Perfumania.com, as follows: begins with a crisp top note blend of water lily, iris, orange flower, and rose which quickly fade to reveal a lush base of jasmine, lemongrass, ginger, orchid, violet, and bougainvillea.

Bora Bora comes in a 1.7 oz. Eau de Parfum spray, and a 3.4 oz. Eau de Parfum spray, as well as in several mini sizes, an Eau de Toilette spray and a body mist. There are many matching products, such as body lotion, body cream, shower gel, soap bar, body powder and scented tealights. There are also many gift sets containing smaller sizes of several of these products along with a full-size EDP spray.

There is also a Bora Bora for men, which I'm dying to smell, but haven't yet.


My Experience:

I've been a fan of Liz's scents for about ten years - from her signature scent, Liz Claiborne, to Realities, Vivid and Curve. I've since stopped purchasing and using three of the aforementioned four in search of more modern scents, or scents that are more of a reflection of who I am at this time.

As I stated earlier in this review, the thing that really attracted me to Bora Bora (after being spritzed by a clerk in a store!) was the exotic and sexy scent. I pictured the Hawaii scene, and I also knew that men would like this fragrance. I'm sort of newly single again (although still somewhat involved with my ex-boyfriend) and so far I have received several compliments from guys on this fragrance.

I do have one major complaint about this fragrance - the scent does not last long at all. I feel like I need to constantly re-apply it in order to make it even a little bit noticeable. I have not yet used it with the other products that I'm going to purchase (body lotion, shower gel, etc.), and I'm hoping that the layering has a positive effect on this fragrance.


Who Would Like This Fragrance?

Any woman who likes light, exotic florals (with no vanilla, fruit or other scent!). This is not a sharp, floral fragrance that is going to hit you like a ton of bricks. This is a softer fragrance that I think will do the same thing to you that it did to me - make you think of Hawaii!

I wear this fragrance to the office all the time. It somewhat seems to me to be more of a vacation or casual fragrance, but I wear it to the office because it's summertime and because I have a very casual work environment.

This is also the perfect fragrance to wear on a date. It's soft and not over-powering.


Price and Purchasing Information:

The cost of the 3.4 oz. EDP spray is about $43 in any high-end store such as Dillard's and Kaufmann's. If you visit Perfumania.com, for just about $2 more you can purchase a gift set that includes the 3.4 oz. EDP spray, a .5 oz. perfume spray, a 2.5 oz. shower gel, a 1.7 oz. body cream, and a 4.2 oz. body mist. This is a great deal that will be hard to match at any high-end store.