Zara Emotions: Amalfi Sunray and Vetiver Pamplemousse review

Are you a lover of citrus fragrances? The following Amalfi Sunray and Vetiver Pamplemousse review might be of interest for you. And who wouldn’t be intrigued by a cooperation between Zara and Jo Malone?!

In 2019, Zara snatched up Jo Malone (the person, not the brand) and did a fragrance collab with her. The initial release included 8 scents (nowadays you’ll find more) and accompanying products like shower gels, candles, and soaps.  Every fragrance is available in different sizes. I got the 10ml rollerballs. Prices range from 6 to 26€ (the whole set of fragrances will set you back 100€, and there’re some more expensive sets around that include candles).

Jo Malone says:
Our first collection is drawn on the global heritage of both brands, Zara and Jo Loves; using ingredients I have loved for many years. Every fragrance has been crafted with personality and a voice to tell its story in a unique fashion.

I like Jo Malone (the brand). Nowadays, it’s sold under the Estée Lauder umbrella (I haven’t tried anything from her new brand, called Jo Loves). Wood Sage & Sea Salt is one of my favourite fragrances ever, and I also love smelling Black Vetyver Café on my significant other. That said, I mostly love them for their simplicity. They aren’t terribly complex, or overwhelming. They are, for me, a great everyday option for when you want to smell ‘nice’ and not to overwhelm people on a plane with a cloud of Fracas. I was relatively sure to get a similar approach from her collab, which I bought blind. I wasn’t wrong (but also wasn’t completely right).

Amalfi Sunray review

Notes: Bergamot, mandarin, orange blossom
Inspiration: “So many happy memories of summer, Italian Riviera holidays.”
10 ml for 5,95€ at Zara

The internet tells me that this is a dupe for Tom Ford Neroli Portofino (review) or Diptyque Eau de Sens.

It’s not.

This is a citrus cologne, reminiscent of 4711. Yes, it has notes of bergamot, mandarin and orange blossom (neroli), and if you squint, it maybe even has a slightly warmer drydown – maybe some musky vanilla. It’s not citrus detergent, nor lemon sherbet – it’s nice! Fine! Lovely!

But here’s the thing: citrus notes are notoriously volatile. It’s the reason they’re mostly used for top notes in fragrances (meaning, they’re the first thing you smell when spritzing), before they make way for warmer, headier base notes. My rollerball (Eau de Parfum!) wears incredibly close to the skin – I have to burrow my nose in my wrist to smell anything at all, doesn’t have ANY projection and the wear-time is basically zero. I can detect it for half an hour or so, then it’s gone.

Nice? Yes. Disappointing? Also yes. (I’d get that as an atomiser if I had the choice – I can imagine it being really refreshing in summer, when you’d spritz it every hour for a burst of freshness.)

Vetiver Pamplemousse review

Notes: Grapefruit, Mandarin, Vetiver
Inspiration: “A crisp white cotton shirt layered with citrus cologne, an everyday accessory for me.”
10ml for 5,95€ at Zara

Vetiver Pamplemousse opens with a burst of grapefruit, and take my word for it: rip into the skin of a grapefruit. Inhale. Vetiver Pamplemousse smells like that. It’s bitter, citrusy, FRESH in capital letters. I get a bit of a waft of a sweeter mandarin as well, and then, the vetiver comes in. It’s a very dry, nearly mineral vetiver that adds to the green and bitter notes. Vetiver Pamplemousse (like Amalfi Sunray) is a very linear scent. There’s not much going on over time. For me, it’s a close thing, but it lacks a warmer, maybe woody base note to make it really great.

Again, much like Amalfi Sunray, it wears very close to the body. Wear-time is marginally longer. While both fragrances are definitely unisex, I love Vetiver Pamplemousse on the husband. (He likes it too.)

Worth it?

If you’re a lover of linear citrus scents, you can’t go wrong with both choices, especially for summer. My biggest criticism is, though, the abysmal performance of both scents. The wear-time is shockingly bad, as (maybe) reflected in the price. If you want to get one of them, I’d advise either an atomiser spray or to layer it with the accompanying lotion (you can also spray carefully on hair or clothes to get a better projection and sillage).

Please note that this post is not sponsored in any way. We buy products ourselves, with our own money, and don’t accept exchanging goods or money for reviews. We are completely independent, and our reviews reflect that.