FRAGRANCE | Tom Ford Beau de Jour EDP (Private Blend): A classy, modern fougere

halfwhiteboy - Tom Ford Beau de Jour EDP (Private Blend)

Released in 2019 under the Tom Ford Private Blend line, Beau de Jour was liked by many, if reviews and votes on Fragrantica were any indication. So it was rather perplexing that the house would yank it off from production only months later. I suspected that, like Italian Cypress, Rive d'Ambre, Bois Marocain, and a handful of other highly regarded fragrances that were unwittingly discontinued, it was going to be re-released under Ford's pricier Private Blend Reserve Collection—complete with engraved gold metal plate label.

I was wrong. And I've never been happier that I was. Turns out Beau de Jour is now part of the house's less expensive Signature Collection, following the path Ombré Leather took in its reincarnation in 2018. I have yet to smell the new one, so I can't comment on how similar or different they are. While I'm curious to try the re-release, right now I'm fairly content with my original Private Blend version.

The fragrance opens with a heady burst of lightly sweetened lavender, carrying with it hints of patchouli in the background. It's characteristically clean and fresh, with a barbershop-y vibe going on. There's an underlying sharpness somewhere but it's not as strong so as to distract from this fougere's overall scent, initially at least. Perhaps some spice is causing it.

Soon after, a beautiful floral mix top billed by the still prevalent lavender shines and then teeters into powdery territory. If that potentially bothers you, don't worry because it's not overtly powdery but rather mild. There's a certain creaminess to the scent as well. It's not a milky type of creamy, though, but like shaving cream more than anything.

To my slight annoyance, the sharpness grows stronger after about half an hour. Maybe it's a skin chemistry thing, I'm not sure. Thankfully an ambery sweetness creeps in shortly, easing the sharpness off a bit, further weakening it after 30 more minutes or so.

Beau de Jour is quite strong in its first 2 hours, give or take, but it stays mostly in the moderate lane. It has legs, however, and can easily last from morning till evening. It's a fragrance that projects a classic gentlemanly vibe, a versatile scent that you can practically wear anytime, anywhere. How much it costs will always be an issue to some but at least it now has a cheaper reincarnation. Nevertheless, it's something worth trying.

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