Tom Ford releases a billion fragrances yearly but rarely offers something new in their more reasonably priced Signature line. Most of the time, the consumer gets a cast-off from their Private collection. Unfortunately, Bois Pacifique fails to excite me and certainly won’t become my signature scent any time soon.
I think what it’s trying to be is something like the woody incense, Gucci Pour Homme I. But, at least for the first two hours, we end up with a vile, off-putting concoction that crams in every woody amber note known to man—simply awful stuff. There are a lot of harsh, sharp edges in this thing. I’m pulling out splinters all over the place.
For a moment, the slight hint of fizzy incense mixes with the spices (turmeric and cardamom, according to the brand), creating a ginger ale effect. But it’s fleeting, and on the whole, Bois Pacifique lacks personality. Mercifully, the harsh, woody notes fade away around the 2-hour mark, and Bois Pacifique becomes a softer, skin-like scent. Still, none of the softer ingredients, like the vanilla, orris butter, or spices, have much of an effect on adding any interest. It remains dry, woody, and featureless throughout. Akigalawood (Givaudan’s synthetic patchouli) and Iso E Super do much of the heavy lifting at the back end of this Tom Ford.
It’s mere happenstance that I stumbled upon a tester for Bois Pacifique at the store the day after wearing the superior Parfums Quartana Forest of the Golden Dream. The marketing for the two scents is similar, though the difference between the scents is stark on skin. Rather than basking in Bois Pacifique’s “sunlit radiance” and marveling at its ability to conjure up images of “nature’s grandeur,” I’m left wondering why anyone would pay for and voluntarily wear this Tom Ford. At one point, I thought of Penhaligon’s Halfeti, but nothing’s that harsh. Bois Pacifique’s softer second half saves it to some degree—still, no great shakes.
Have you sampled Bois Pacifique? What did you think? What’s your Signature line scent of choice? Mine is Grey Vetiver EDP.
Note: First image from Tom Ford. All other photos are my own.
