SOTD: Beach Walk by Maison Margiela 17/07/2026

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All I can say is wow. This is nothing like what I expected – totally different from the rest of the collection, and such a pleasant surprise. It’s built to capture that exact feeling of a slow, lazy stroll along the shore on a warm summer’s day: salt hanging in the air, skin glowing from hours in the sun, and that faint, familiar scent of good sunscreen lingering everywhere you go. Launched back in 2012, it’s the work of Jacques Cavallier Belletrud and Marie Salamagne, the pair behind modern classics like Afternoon Swim and By The Fireplace, so you know you’re in safe hands here.

First spray hits you with this bright, breezy mix of bergamot, sharp pink pepper and fresh lemon. It’s an instant burst of freshness that feels exactly like stepping out from shelter and breathing in that crisp coastal breeze – but the citrus never gets harsh, sharp or overpowering. It stays light, airy and genuinely uplifting. Give it ten minutes or so, and the real heart of the scent comes through: soft ylang-ylang tangled up with a smooth coconut milk accord. The ylang-ylang brings this gentle, creamy tropical floral edge, and the coconut adds that rich, rounded sweetness – this is exactly what people mean when they say it smells like expensive, high-quality sunscreen, and it pulls it off perfectly without ever feeling cheap or cloying. By the time it fully settles, you’re left with soft musk, clean cedarwood and a whisper of benzoin. The musk gives it this natural, “this is just how I smell” warmth that feels like sun-kissed, slightly salty skin; the cedar adds a tiny touch of dry, woody depth, and the benzoin brings just enough soft resinous sweetness to tie the whole thing together and stop it feeling too thin.

Now for the real talk on performance: As an edt it’s never going to be a beast. I get about 4 hours on skin, with noticeable projection out to arm’s length for the first 90m before it tucks in close as a skin scent. But honestly? I don’t even mind, because the vibe here makes up for every drop of it. This doesn’t just smell nice – it feels like a holiday. Pure sun, sea, sand, sunscreen and nothing but good vibes. It’s the kind of scent that lifts your mood the second you spray it, and that’s worth more to me than all-day loud projection. If you want to bring a little bit of that summer getaway feeling to your everyday life, this is an absolute must-try.

My Rating: 6.5/10

Scent: 2

Longevity: 2

Sillage: 1.5

Y/N: 1

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SOTD: Beach Walk by Maison Margiela 17/07/2026