Tom Ford Santal Blush Eau de Parfum

Tom Ford Santal Blush Eau de Parfum ($195.00 for 1.7 fl. oz.) launched a month or so ago. After the first spritz, I get hit with a tidal wave of musk. Then the sandalwood really comes through and spills over the musky undercurrent. There is also a floralness around the edges; for me, subtle enough that it doesn’t resonate as a floral scent, because on me, the woodiness seems to prevail.

I’ve only briefly tested some of the other scents in the Tom Ford Musk Collection–as in on cards at stores–and found the musk to be too much, but I found Santal Blush to be a much better match for me as I like musk but in more restrained doses. I think Santal Blush nails that–you definitely need to give it a moment to settle (it goes from too much to balanced within fifteen seconds), because it seems like it is too much initially but softens quickly.

Half hour into wear, it’s creamy and woody but spiciness from the cumin emerges from the background to play softly with the sandalwood and musk. Once we stretch past the hour mark, it is a delicate mix of sweet and spicy, musky and woodsy scent that’s warm and creamy. It wears beautifully and well on me; at full strength for eight hours and then subsides over the next twelve–it lingers faintly against the skin the next morning but has mostly worn away.