This is the look of Vacation before rubbing it in on my arm. I was also interested in whether Vacation felt different in some way on application or after basking in the rays. In this unscientific, anecdotal test, I was looking to see whether there was any noticeable difference between these areas after my time in the sun. I applied Vacation sunscreen lotion to one part of my arm, another brand next to it and nothing next to that. In trying to put Vacation through its paces, I took one for the team and worked from a community pool on and off for a week. Either in lotion or spray form, regularly using sunblock is part of being able to enjoy the warm and sunny climate year round. Growing up and living in San Diego, I learned pretty quickly how necessary using sunscreen is. With smell often being very personal and potentially divisive, it seems like a good sign for Vacation that I couldn't find any haters. Those who rubbed it on liked its texture and overall feel. Most people commented on its hint of coconut, with one person saying it was OK, despite not really liking the general smell of coconut. No one particularly gushed over the scent, but no one said they didn't like it, either. Most people gave the smell an approving nod on a first sniff. I didn't tell them much ahead of time-I only asked for their thoughts on the scent. I sought out a dozen or so friends and family to give the sunscreen a try. I was curious what other people thought of the smell, so I brought in some outside help. If you have any sense of connection to the sunscreens of years gone by, I do think you'll enjoy Vacation's scent. It has a classic, return-to-the-past smell that lives in this lotion tube.

Its coconut aroma is fairly obvious without being overpowering. This new attempt is clean, minimal and refreshing. In a sense, Vacation has taken the definitive smell of sunscreen and modernized it. Vacation's smell was developed by perfumers Carlos Huber and Rodrigo Flores-Roux. We set out to bottle the true essence of summer.' 'We knew we had to tap into the familiar, while bringing it into the 21st century-it's that sunscreen smell you loved as a kid, but with a new sophistication. 'We sampled countless things that surround the memories of being poolside in summer and continued to tweak the notes until it was just right,' said Bell. To help bring this product to life, he teamed up with perfumers Carlos Huber and Rodrigo Flores-Roux to develop the smell of the lotion. Marty Bell, founder of Poolside FM and creative partner at Vacation by Poolside FM, says the lotion smells like 1986 to him. I now take that slogan to mean that it has refined the traditional sunscreen smell to its best possible scent. Initially, I interpreted Vacation's claim to 'The World's Best Smelling Sunscreen' as its having the world's best smell as a sunscreen lotion. The creamy substance immediately elicits mental images of blue skies, sandy feet and exhausting days in the sun. The smell isn't particularly exotic or even unique. I squeezed a small amount of the lotion onto my finger and leaned in.

Upon its arrival, I was anxious to inhale what the sunscreen had to offer. Vacation's slogan creates a heavy amount of hype in anticipation of its first whiff. I was curious: Would we all like the scent of Vacation, and if so, would we agree it's the best-smelling sunscreen we've ever encountered? The Vacation Smell So much so that I enlisted the help of friends and family to offer their noses in service, beyond my own. The smell of Vacation includes classic sunscreen notes such as coconut and banana.

Tropicana sunscreen