EAU-M-G

Mermaids are often depicted as mysterious, somewhat fickle creatures, so a perfume dedicated to them should probably be a bit magical, too.

A Beautiful Life's new scent, Mermaid's Kiss, manages to capture that elusive allure, as long as you're brave enough to try it. Because here's the thing:  In the bottle, this stuff smells shallow.  It's mostly sweet, with a little bit of sharp herbal after-whiffs, and it seems perfect for a junior high dance but not much else.

That's before you spray it.  Once Mermaid's Kiss reacts with your skin, something cool happens.  It transforms into a deeper, richer smell, and its floral notes are laced with small huffs of salt rocks and lime.  We really liked it - to the point that I was running around the NYLON office, demanding that everyone smell me.  (Sorry, Holly, I know I totally interrupted your phone conversation...)

You have to risk putting this stuff on your wrists to get the real and complete effect - something that's hard when the perfume smells different in the bottle than on your body.  But finding mermaids is all about danger and adventure, so maybe for summer, your scene can be the same way.

Mermaid's Kiss, $52 at A Beautiful Life