Soleil de Feu by Tom Ford

Almond milk, nothing more.

I had no idea what it was until a friend gifted me 4ml and it completely enchanted me. According to the house, it’s a sunset: warm, clean, sweet, with sandalwood, amber, spices, and white florals. It starts sharp with sandalwood, cinnamon, and a coconut sensation, then settles into amber, floral, and sweet notes. Perfect for summer evenings, unisex. It reminds me of Carter Barcelona’s Palo Santo: the same feeling of enjoying a dessert while watching the sun set.

Absolutely no sunscreen! It smells like leather upholstery in the sun, mixed with florals and sandalwood, all under a scorching sun. A brutal blend. Ideal for cold days that are still bathed in sunlight.

Loads of sandalwood right from the start, reminiscent of a potent, sweet Indian essential oil, nothing like the clean Santal 33. It smells of elegant, aristocratic sandalwood, as if worn by a wealthy, established woman, with a faint hint of Fahrenheit. There’s no sunscreen scent here; the benzoin is very strong and evokes leather. A man could certainly wear this without issue. On my skin, I don’t detect the coconut or the neroli. As it dries, it softens and becomes serene, though the benzoin lingers. This isn’t for everyday wear, but rather for winter and elegant dinners. Ultimately, it settles into an amber identical to Tom Ford Noir.

I agree with Palma: it doesn’t smell of sunscreen, coconut or anything beachy. On my skin, the opening smells of tar; that petrochemical scent softens and in 10 minutes becomes an amber accord with something burnt (perhaps the pepper), very similar to Carner’s Botafumeiro. The drydown loses the smoky touch and recalls other Tom Fords with an amber base, such as Noir pour Femme or Noir Extreme. Projection is beastly and longevity is 12 hours without fail. An interesting proposal, perhaps not for daily wear, but for special cold occasions. The smoky touch is addictive, though not for everyone. I see it as unisex, but its industrial character leans towards masculine. Like most Tom Fords, it has excellent performance, but I think it’s expensive. Pleasant: 7/10 Interesting: 7/10 Versatile: 5/10 Original: 6/10

For me, nothing of sunscreen. It smells overwhelmingly of sandalwood and benzoin, very little of white flowers, zero coconut and certainly not of tanning lotion.

It smells of coconut (which isn’t listed, but it certainly has it) present all the time; the benzoin and sandalwood give it an authentic touch, unlike anything else on the market. And as its name says, ‘THE BURNING SUN’; it’s like putting on sunscreen, but with a 7-hour longevity…