Tom Ford: Soleil Blanc

Zerda Temmuz 05, 2021

Perfume is such a personal thing, not only do people have different opinions on what they like but your skin chemistry can completely change how it smells on you. That is possibly one of the things I love most about perfume, you could be wearing the same perfume as someone but it can smell completely different. I've made no secret of my love of perfume on this blog. It is something that is a regular feature and I am constantly buying new ones. So it can be quite hard to please me but I have found one that I absolutely love and I mean love. If I could make it my everyday fragrance I would but I'm not a billionaire yet. Purely because of the price of this perfume it has become a perfume kept for best. I guess I should introduce you to it now, it is Tom Ford Soleil Blanc. For anyone not familiar with the rich, enigmatic notes of Tom Ford fragrances, in my eyes they are completely worth their hefty price tag.

Well loved by any fragrance lover, Tom Ford was catapulted into mainstream fragrances by the very popular Black Orchid. Most people will have smelt at least one Tom Ford fragrance, I can't walk around without seeing a fashionable man who wafts the smell of Tobacco Vanille. In my experience Tom Ford is more popular with the men in my life even though they have some of the most incredible scents. I remember feeling quite intimidated by all of the Tom Ford fragrances prior to knowing anything about them. However once you are introduced to the scents you will fall down the perfume rabbit hole.

The key thing to note about Tom Ford perfumes is the collections they have. There are two collections; the Signature Collection and the Private Blends. The Signature Collection is the mass market range with an instant appeal. This isn't a bad thing but it means a lot of people will know these scents. It is slightly cheaper and it is the collection that holds Black Orchid. My favourite from this range is Velvet Orchid which is one of the sexiest scents I've ever smelt. If you have been a reader for a while you will know that Velvet Orchid is my date night perfume. However today I want to focus on my favouite Private Blend scent. The Private Blends are more of an exclusive collection; they are created with a different intention. The Private blends are created with a little bit more adventure. They are produced to be enjoyed by people who love scent and enjoy smelling unique. This concept always intrigued me but I never liked any of them enough to spend £155 on a 50ml bottle, that was until Soleil Blanc was launched. Last year when Soleil Blanc was launched I knew that I had finally found my Private Blend scent.

The reason I fell for this scent so quickly was because even though it is unisex, it isn't quite as deep and smoky as a lot of the other Tom Ford scents. It has a light floral scent softened with notes of Almond and Coconut. Also the Coconut essentially makes it the perfect summer scent so when I went to America last year naturally this was the ideal scent to take. A year on whenever I smell Soleil Blanc I am always taken back to that holiday. As well as the unique differences each person brings out in a fragrance I also love how linked scent is with memories. As I wore this on holiday I will always be reminded of the best holiday so Soleil Blanc will always have a place in my heart.

Now that I've explained my love of Soleli Blanc I guess I should probably tell you what it smells like. To me it smells like a summer holiday. Not only because I used it on my summer holiday but also because it has notes I commonly associate with the warmer season. Some of the notes include:

Top Notes: Bergamot, Pink Pepper, Cardamom oil and Pistachio Accord
Heart Notes: Ylang Ylang, Jasmine and Tuberose
Base Notes: Benzoin extract (Almond, Tonka) Coco de Mer Accord (Sea Coconut)

Even though it is unisex the heart note is made up of some strong floral notes. The addition of Bergamot helps to counteract the powdery scents of Tuberose and Jasmine. Whenever I smell this fragrance I mostly smell the base notes which make it a richer, sexier scent but in a soft way. A lot of Tom Ford's fragrances are very dark and would be something exclusively worn in the night time. However Soleil Blanc is a brighter scent and everything about it seems beach ready. It is so hard to describe scents and I find the best way is through comparison.

There is a scent which I am reminded of when I smell Soleil Blanc which is Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess. Bronze Goddess is a cult classic in its own right. Similar to Soleil Blanc, it is the perfect summer scent however my problem with Bronze Goddess is that you can guarantee during the summer that 10 other girls will be wearing it. Personally I would describe Soleil Blanc as the grown up version of Bronze Goddess. They both smell like you are drinking a Pina Colada on a sun lounger in the Maldives. Compared to Bronze Goddess, Soleil Blanc is the lesser known version and that is why it is a good alternative if you love the smell of Bronze Goddess but don't like smelling the same as everyone else. The main difference between the two is the price. Soleil Blanc is a casual £155 for a 50ml bottle whereas the Eau Fraiche Skinscent (I prefer it to the parfum) is £59 for a 100ml bottle. Soleil Blanc is over double the price for half the amount. This price difference means that a lot of people wouldn't consider Tom Ford an option.

In terms of the notes there are quite a few similarities. The key note which you really smell in both scents is the presence of Coconut. Featuring in the base notes of both scents, it gives that underlying sweetness and summer feeling. Not only is Coconut a similar note but also they both contain; Bergamot, Jasmine and Vanilla. Yes Vanilla is not in Soleil Blanc but the Benzoin Extract has a similar effect although Vanilla is slightly sweeter. They both add a gourmet aspect to the scent and a creaminess. However even though there are a lot of similar notes they still smell quite different.

I'm not saying you can only like one or the other, I absolutely love both and wear both but personally I love Soleil Blanc. I love the feeling and experience of wearing a more refined fragrance. I love it so much I hardly ever wear it. As the perfume is hands down the most expensive I own, I'm not sure I could bring myself to spend that much again. Who am I kidding I totally would but also I don't want to disassociate my American roadtrip with that scent. During summer is really when this scent comes into its own. However on certain winter days it is nice to bring a little bit of Summer into the gray, dull, depths of winter which in the famous words of Games of Thrones 'Winter is Coming.' In the UK at the moment it feels a bit like Winter has arrived but I'm trying to hold on to it with this perfume.

Tom Ford fragrances are stunning even down to their signature packaging. They reflect the brand perfectly with its distinctive, dark, sexy edge and if like me you would love a piece of Tom Ford but do not quite receive the pay check to treat yourself to that evening dress you've been eyeing up, the perfume is a great entry into the exclusive brand. The perfume gives you a replica of the feeling of wearing something from Tom Ford. It gives you confidence and makes you feel as confident as you smell and for that feeling I would pay anything.

P.S. For those of you who like looking at the runway from fashion week, did you see Tom Ford's epic return? I'm so glad we get to see his stunning creations being shown on the runway again.

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