Marc Jacobs Splash Rain (2006)
by Marc Jacobs

The first impression after spraying this one onto my skin is that of a very radiant, green/floral, cheerful scent. It noticeably gains complexity after two or three hours, when an absolutely charming fruity note comes out, strawberry-flavored candy and a breezy of freshly washed clothes hanging outside. What a deep, bittersweet scent this is - and very long-lasting, considering that it is meant as a summer splash. Each day wearing it, I discover new facets - and this one really is affordable!

Acquatic fragrances are not usually appealing to my senses, but this Rain scent by MJ is wearable and pleasant. It is very light, but not lacking. There are certain occasions when I don't want my fragrance to be noticed...such as when closely holding a newborn baby, or visiting a sick friend. It is those times when the splash series comes in handy! As far as the actual "Rain" smell, well, it is acquatic with notes of lightly powdered greens - delightfully opened with the help of some citrus, which fades almost immediately. Fresh, but not perfumey, and not a flower to be detected. For me, this eau fraiche fills a vacancy in my wardrobe perfectly!

We all know rain doesn't have a smell (unless you live in a big and polluted city), but if it did, this is what it would smell like. Actually lasts a decent while as well, which is why it gets a thumbs up! If I called it "inoffensive" that would be damning it with faint praise, so I'll say "refreshing" instead. I do like it though.

For what it is--a splash cologne (eau de toilette implies that it's stronger than it is) that you can use liberally on your 'after shower' skin for a refreshing and limited scent experience--it's very nice! It starts out aquatic, in a sweet and rather synthetic way, but it's not bad! Just nothing like the RAIN that a line like CB I Hate Perfume would come out with!. It stays rather wet in its development, but any aquatic tendencies become background soon after application, and as puplebird says, fruit and vegetables make their appearance early on, and that's about where the story ends. Lasts only 1-2 hours.

My daughter has this big, bluish juice in a large, square, glass splash bottle. I love that bottle, and I love that color. The fragrance is nice on her (she is a teenager) but I dislike it on myself.
Rain starts off cool and smooth, almost slick, like the sheets of water that pour off surfaces when the downpour begins. There is a cucumber-like note that makes me think of water. Quickly it becomes too fruity, with lots of strawberry and a blend of tropical fruits. This where I stop interpreting this scent as aquatic at all.
Overall, in the perfume industry, I have a problem with hyped-up, imaginary notes such as "wet cut grass," "tropical rain accord," and "sunshine flower." It makes me suspect that the entire fragrance is made of chemicals, with nothing real like hay, orange blossom, or lotus. The sad thing is, real rain is real water.