Ralph Lauren
A unique visual signature based on accords, character, and seasonality
The pink pepper crackles with immediate bite, crisp and slightly peppery against the mandarin's tangerine sweetness, whilst cardamom adds a faintly spiced warmth. For the first five minutes, it feels almost effervescent, almost promising the freshness the aquatic accord suggests—then the lavender begins its ascent, dampening the brightness like a cloud passing before the sun.
The composition pivots decisively toward the herbal and green, with Provençal lavender and clary sage creating an almost soapy, slightly cool aromatic landscape. Jasmine appears as a delicate thread, preventing the composition from becoming too austere, whilst vetiver adds an earthy, slightly grassy counterpoint. The citrus fades almost completely, replaced by a clean, linen-like quality that feels more spa than seaside.
The base reveals itself as surprisingly reserved—oak wood and patchouli provide structure but minimal richness, whilst frankincense offers a subtle, almost incense-like dryness rather than any creamy sweetness. What remains is fundamentally a skin scent, offering little sillage but maintaining that herbal, slightly woody character close to the body for several hours before fading into near-imperceptibility.
Polo Blue Parfum arrives as a paradox: a supposedly aquatic fragrance that refuses to be refreshing, instead settling into something unexpectedly dense and contemplative. Carlos Benaïm has crafted a composition where the bright pink pepper and cardamom opening quickly surrenders to a lavender-dominated heart that feels more like a perfumer's exercise in restraint than a crowd-pleasing reformulation. The clary sage and Provençal lavender create an herbal, slightly medicinal quality—reminiscent of a high-end soap or perhaps the aroma of a well-appointed apothecary—rather than the ozonic breeziness one might anticipate from an aquatic designation.
What's genuinely interesting here is the base's refusal to provide compensatory warmth. The oak wood, frankincense, and patchouli combination suggests sophistication, yet they emerge as whispers rather than declarations. The woody accord (88%) threads through the composition like a grey linen thread, holding everything together with austere elegance rather than sensual indulgence. There's an almost architectural quality to this scent—clean lines, geometric precision, minimal ornamentation.
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3.5/5 (85)