EAU DE SOLEIL BLANC by TOM FORD

The opening blast combines lemon, orange and bergamot with a greenish undertone. That all does sound fresh and summery and it is indeed, but the freshness is lightly attenuated by a slightly spicy undertone that features some cardamom and pepper mainly. A touch of caraway adds some depth.

The jasmine adds a sweet creaminess that is otherwise mainly due to a nice ylang-ylang; jasmine and a good lashing of sea coconut are also coming to the fore with time, and, with some help of the marketing-led imagination, the whole has a bit of a suntan character.

The base is increasingly a vanilla affair, sweet and a touch heavy.

I get moderate sillage, very good projection and six hours of longevity on my side.

This summery beachy scent is quite nicely conceptualised, with a core idea similar to that of Bond No. 9’s Fire Island, with the latter a touch more creative and showing more texture in spite of its comparatively simpler composition. Still, whilst the base is a bit boring, otherwise this one is done nicely, but it is rather generic at times. 2.75/5