The Story
Why it exists.
The beginning
Love Etc... Sun Kiss arrived in 2012 as part of a limited summer collection from The Body Shop. Three perfumers were invited to reimagine the brand's signature scents through a sunnier lens. Dominique Ropion and Claire Liégent took on the Love Etc... flankers, building around the idea of cheeky florals and sun-drenched fruit. The brief was simple: summer in a bottle, but the kind you actually want to wear past August. Nectarine and solar accords became the framework, with bergamot, jasmine, sandalwood, and amber filling out the composition. The result captures something specific, that golden hour feeling when the light goes horizontal and everything looks warmer than it did at noon.
The nectarine here is the whole point. Not the candied, synthetic nectarine of early-2000s fruity florals, but a real, slightly tart stone fruit, softer and more textured than peach, with a skin-close quality that makes it feel worn rather than applied. Paired with bergamot, it opens bright and juicy without tipping into sweetness. The jasmine and neroli in the heart create a counterbalance, delicate, slightly bitter florals that keep the composition from flattening into simple fruit. Amber and sandalwood in the base provide warmth without heaviness, anchoring the fragrance to skin rather than letting it float away.
The evolution
The opening is immediate: bergamot's citrus sharp edge followed by nectarine's soft juiciness. It reads like biting into a ripe stone fruit on a hot afternoon, the sweetness tempered by a slight tartness that keeps it grounded. Within the first hour, jasmine and neroli arrive. The transition isn't dramatic, more of a gentle hand-off from fruit to florals. Neroli's bitter-orange blossom quality adds a dewy, morning-clean element that contrasts nicely with the sun-warmed nectarine still lingering underneath. Amber weaves through the heart, providing warmth without heaviness. By hour two, the composition has settled into its base. Sandalwood is the dominant note now, dry and intimate. The warmth of the amber continues to support the sandalwood, keeping it from reading as purely cosmetic and adding a smooth, enveloping quality to the drydown.
Cultural impact
Love Etc... Sun Kiss sits comfortably within The Body Shop's tradition of accessible, thoughtfully crafted fragrances. The composition speaks to those who appreciate nuance in scent, offering a fruity-floral that doesn't announce itself loudly but rewards close attention. The intimate sillage and restrained sweetness make it a distinctive choice among summer fragrances, the kind that invites someone to lean in rather than overwhelm. Its place in the brand's lineup fills a particular role, appealing to wearers who want something warm and approachable without being bold or demanding.
