Creed Virgin Island Water: I got a couple official Creed samples of this. This is a very linear scent, and has a very obvious natural coconut dry down. The opening has a bit of lime scent on the sample I have, but not very obvious. This almost smells like some sort of coconut tanning lotion, but completely natural. Venturing outside of the Tommy Bahama universe for your signature summer scent is another option. There are plenty of colognes that could be great alternatives to St. Barts. Here are a few of my favorites: I wouldn’t wear this to work, unless it was at a more informal team event. Maybe an outdoor picnic or a friends and family day. Tommy Bahama is nothing if not consistent with their aim of giving a slice of paradise for the working stiff. Like Banana Republic, their clothes aim at the middle-tier entry-level white collar person that would have enough cash to take a vacation to Virginia Beach, but not an island getaway like their boss takes yearly; Tommy Bahama therefore fills the gap with aesthetic via their products. With Set Sail St. Barts for Men (2007), a part of the "Island Getaway" oeurve of fragrances, the brand seeks to go outside the usual realm of aquatics by infusing some elements of the vacation experience into the scent. This roughly translates to sand, surf, and libations infused with the aquatic DNA of the perfume itself. A lot of people online erroneously claim this to be a downmarket clone of Creed Virgin Island Water (2007), but both scents released simultaneously and don't share much in common besides a theme, so I think it's the usual "FragBro" posturing insisting that anything sharing a common thread with their revered non-plus ultra brand is somehow an imitator. Truth be told, the Creed in this instance is done better since there is a vast difference in quality of base materials between them, but I'm less a fan of the top notes in it because I don't care for coconut much in fragrances beyond a few exceptions, so the Tommy Bahama gets some kudos for not utilizing as much of it. For the price of what Tommy Bahama sells versus the Creed, I can definitely see this as a valid frugal alternative, but it is not even close to a clone in qualitative terms let alone design. The tart lime note is huge, at first, and is paired with a salty marine note, and some guava for extra fruitiness. Everything is so citrusy and juicy at the start and I kind of don’t want it to ever end.

As far as when to wear, this is a casual scent all the way. Summertime or other warm weather. Ideally, outdoors and by the sea. I’d wear it to the gym sometimes, but mostly just on summer days when I was out and about. The blue color of the cologne bottle brings to mind thoughts of sea glass and sparkling water. It’s a perfect combination with the white rope accent and gold nozzle. Aqua Allegoria Herba Fresca by Guerlain comes from a classic fragrance house that is known for well-made and brilliantly constructed fragrances. It’s a unisex summer scent that comes off super refreshing with notes of lemon, mint and fresh cut grass. At first glance, Tommy Bahama St. Barts cologne is very similar in presentation to various Tommy Bahama products. The telltale Tommy Bahama Set Sail St. Barts bottle collection style lives on in St. Barts, with the unique addition of some rope around the cap.If Tommy Bahama St. Barts just isn’t for you, but you still want a hint of summer sun and beachside fun, any of these would be great alternatives. Final Thoughts Plus, the bright blue bottle with the gold metallic cap and nautical rope tied around, it looked really awesome. Second, it does not smell like Virgin Island Water (2007) by Creed. They smell like they could be in the same family, but they don't smell the same (I own and wear both, so I am very familiar with them). As I said earlier, SSSB smells like you spilled a margarita on yourself; VIW smells like you spilled a mojito on yourself after applying Banana Boat suntan lotion. They are both great summer scents, and they both have the same "vibe," but they are not similar, otherwise. Now, while that lime notes is pretty potent at the start, it really isn’t an overwhelming cologne at all. I would say it is light to moderate and you might even want to test spray yourself a few times and see how it reacts.

St Barts is definitely a summer cologne and it comes alive in the heat. It can be worn either day or night and it’s perfect when dining outside, or relaxing at the beach. It’s not too much of any one thing, but a perfect blend of everything that’s great about summer. The balance of lime, tequila and oceanic salty notes allow it to unfold beautifully on my skin. The opening lime notes are authentic and balance well with the tequila and salty sea aromas. It’s like a margarita, but not overly boozy. St. Barts never comes off synthetic or awkward, but develops nicely into a fresh beachy aquatic. Tommy Bahama’s St. Barts has an explosive top note that is bright and vibrant. It settled down after a few minutes and at first, I thought it had faded.It’s like the opening is enjoying the margarita on the beach and then getting in the water yourself. Set Sail St. Barts really is one of those mood setting colognes, that will take your mind to the tropics, upon smelling this fragrance.