Venetian Bergamot Tom Ford 2015

No, I know, I usually can't rely on Tom Ford. I've had that realization for a while now. So much is inflated, so overly American, lacking the nonchalance of French or Italian fragrances, even though Mr. Ford often names his scents after regions of these countries.

Here, however, I thought it might end up being something cheerful and Mediterranean. But one must probably understand the "Venetian" in the sense of Mann's "Death in Venice" or - as Löwenherz mentioned below - the "mourning gondolas."

Yes, the namesake bergamot is a bad joke. Exactly - I looked at the clock - 17 seconds after spraying, a joyful citrus delight lasts, inviting, Mediterranean, summery.

And then - bang!!! It's over. A unfortunately painfully intrusive floral composition of gardenia, ylang-ylang, and magnolia steps so affected and narcissistically into the foreground that it hurts. I don't mean that the scent is loud - compared to other shouty "Hi! Everything fine, guys!!!" Fords, this one is quite refined, at best a bit louder than a sunscreen.

And this brings me back to my title. A sunscreen composed of these intrusive-smelling flowers, which are more suited for mourning attire than wedding arrangements, cool, somewhat dull, underlined by (unfortunately) somewhat persistent Pepperwood (TM!), weaving a milky synthetic veil underneath.

No, I can't make anything of it - perhaps the ladies have a slightly different perspective on this - but I don't perceive it as unisex, rather distinctly feminine. Unfortunately, no photo of me. Really not.