Vintage Body Shop Oceanus

Like many teens before me, The Body Shop was my first foray into bath products and fragrance that weren’t branded with Barbie or some other Disney character. It began with the holiday gift sets that I would receive at Christmas. The sumptuous scents of strawberry, satsuma, and dewberry. But everything changed when I discovered my personal scent: (The now Vintage) Body Shop Oceanus.

For a girl in a landlocked prairie province, Oceanus both smelled fresh and youthful while also symbolizing an escape from my hometown. At the time Clueless was one of my favourite movies. I deeply resented the fact that despite emulating the slang and fashions, I would never be a California Girl. That impossible setback did not stop me from clinging to anything that made me feel even a smidgen closer to that Californian Dream. And Oceanus was the olfactory component.

My matching outfit inspired by Clueless complete with lemon print sandals.

I can’t recall the exact year I began wearing the Oceanus scent but I do know the body products were the gateway. Bath salts, bubble bath, the two toned bar of soap that looked like swells crashing – I loved the whole line.

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Oceanus Body Spray

My first bottle, which I still own, was a 100ml Body Spray with the original price tag on the bottom – it was $10.95. Since I was a few years away from being a teen, I think the body spray version was a more palatable option for the adults in my life. It was a little too soon for a full on perfume, and the body spray was a watered down version perfect for a tween.

Shockingly, the spray still smells fairly good after all these years, many of which were spent being stored improperly before I knew better. The first whiff on my freshly sprayed wrist smelled quite alcohol-y but that quickly dissipated and revealed the freshness I remember. It is an extremely light version of the scent.

Oceanus Perfume Oil

A while back I acquired an unopened 30ml bottle of Oceanus perfume oil from 2005 and the intensity of the scent is heightened considerably by this concentration. While I can get the essence of Oceanus from the body spray, the perfume oil is a much better representation of it overall.

Oceanus Eau de Toilette & Eau de Parfum

One day I hope to come across an eau de toilette as well as eau de parfum not only for comparison sake but also to round out my collection. I am a completist after all.

Oceanus Fragrance Notes

Top Notes: Waterlily, ozonic
Middle Notes: Violet, Rose, Geranium, Jasmine, Lily of the Valley
Base Notes: Musk, Berries, Sandalwood.

The top notes of waterlily and ozonic are much more prevalent in the perfume oil. A salty sea breeze aquatic freshness jumps right off my wrist and though I know that there are floral notes, they are merely backup singers to the main ozonic star. Even though the body spray has that salty quality, it’s much more muted as one would expect in a lower concentration format.

How to Pronounce Oceanus

I swear that in store at The Body Shop Oceanus was pronounced like: “oh-she-an-us” but that feels like a fever dream. Does anyone remember anyone calling it “ocean-us”? Please leave me a comment below on the pronunciation you used – I need a census on this one.

Vintage Body Shop Oceanus Decants

In addition to my small Oceanus personal collection, last year I came upon a cache of discontinued Body Shop perfume oils which I also wrote about in my White Musk fragrance post. Those vintage perfume oils are now being sold by me and my sister on her website, The Witchery.

All the iconic scents are available: Leap!, Dewberry, Satsuma, Ananya, Fuzzy Peach, Spirit of Moonflower, White Musk and more.

Did you have a signature scent from The Body Shop? Was it also your gateway into body care and fragrance?

photographs – sandy joe karpetz