There is an interesting subsection of perfume genres titled suntan lotion. There are some great examples from some of our best perfume brands. It should be no surprise that Tom Ford Private Blend wants to join in the fun in the sun with the new release Soleil Blanc.
Growing up in South Florida the smell of suntan lotion was one of the consistent smells of my day-to-day life. Which is why I probably enjoy this niche within a niche. To get this right there is a certain amount of tropical touchstones which need to be present. Perfumer Nathalie Gracia-Cetto working under the creative direction of Karyn Khoury has chosen to go in a slightly different direction. Soleil Blanc eschews the deeper, oilier nature some of the other sunscreen fragrances conjure. As a result, Soleil Blanc is kept very sheer almost like the scent of the afternoon’s suntan lotion as it remains on a wrap hanging on the door.
Nathalie Gracia-Cetto
Soleil Blanc speaks sotto voce right from the start as breezy cardamom is matched up with bergamot and baie rose. The cardamom is the focal point and its slightly lemony nature conjures up the sun. The tropical nature is carried off by ylang-ylang bolstered with jasmine and a very precise amount of tuberose. Ylang-ylang has this oily quality when taken on its own. The jasmine used here is meant to lighten that up. The tuberose is very controlled and it is meant to enhance the tropical feel without getting out of control. Again this is all done at the volume of a whisper. The base forms an interesting sun-kissed skin accord of benzoin, tonka, and cocoa. That last note is there for a very interesting alternative to Ms. Gracia-Cetto using a bunch of musks. Together this is the smell of your skin as you get up after a day sunbathing. A very distant fragrant reminder of the afternoon.
Soleil Blanc has 14-16 hour longevity and very low sillage. This is one of those perfumes where you will think it is gone after a few hours. Because of the low sillage it can seem that way but it does last a decent amount of time.
Ms. Gracia-Cetto has composed the cleanest of the suntan lotion scents. The low wattage on it is going to be an issue for some. I found the transparency of it all to be very appealing. It is such a clean scent that it doesn’t remind me of the beach but instead sunning by the pool or as Ellie May Clampett says the cement pond. Soleil Blanc is by far the quietest of the Private Blend collection but sometimes there is beauty in the softer moments.
Disclosure: This review was based on a press sample provided by Tom Ford Beauty.
–Mark Behnke
