Arquiste – Tropical – Solar Surprise

Earlier this year, I wrote about the three latest releases from Arquiste Arquiste – Venice Rococo, Almond Suede and A Grove By The Sea. Surprisingly, I found that I enjoyed A Grove By The Sea the most, despite it featuring figs. Indeed, it was far more than just a fig fragrance, possessing a strong backbone of green herbal notes. In May of this year, right before the northern hemisphere summer, they released the appropriately themed Tropical. It fits this time of year perfectly. I’ve been wearing it as the weather warms up in the southern hemisphere, coinciding with the frangipani’s blooming.

Tropical could quite easily have been a run-of-the-mill solar perfume, but thanks to the creative talents of Rodrigo Flores-Roux, it rises above the pack. The summer-ready scent showcases a creamy, lush blend of frangipani, jasmine, and champaca. The initial burst of jasmine almost knocked me off my feet. But it settles quite quickly into a swirling mix of heady flowers. Solar scents can often become screechy and shrill, with their high-pitched floral notes more likely to sink than soar. Tropical avoids this pitfall while thankfully dodging tired tropes.

In Brisbane, the frangipani starts flourishing in late spring. As the air becomes more humid, their rich scent heralds the arrival of December, the year begins to wind down, the days become drawn out, and one anticipates the solace of holiday languor. Flores-Roux has captured that feeling to some extent in Tropical. Roux pairs the central floral accord with the fruity notes of guava, lime, and ginger. It hints slightly at Delta of Venus from Eris Parfums. But it isn’t as green. Though like Delta of Venus, it conjures up an image of a lush garden filled with exotic-looking flora.

Interestingly, Tropical never makes me think of fruit cocktails, beach cabanas, and cheap suntan lotion. I can picture palm trees and sunshine, but the strong jasmine note, which, as I hinted at, set me back on my heels on first inhale, with its edgier animalic facets, quashes such standard associations. As a result, I don’t think of other conventional, fruity-floral scents. Instead, I find it more challenging (at least at first), and thus something that might appeal to more experienced fragrance enthusiasts. After about 30 minutes, the jasmine settles, losing some of its animalic character as it melds in with champaca flower, and Tropical morphs into a creamy, heady, waxy mix.

Still, with its fruity accord, Tropical has a lighter, more playful side. The fruity facet never loses its juiciness, and the guava adds to its exotic qualities. The frangipani aspects enhance the fruity profile, bringing its musky, peachy qualities to this tropical garden. Eventually, both the fruity and floral arcs blend seamlessly into the vanilla absolute and earthy woody base. I catch a hint of resin as Tropical dries in its final stages. 

My favorite part of Tropical is the opening, where the combination of florals and fruits creates an almost dizzying effect. It made me think of such scents as Un Bel Amour D’été by Parfum d’Empire, Champaca Absolute from Tom Ford, and L’Astre from Le Galion. While I still prefer A Grove by The Sea over Tropical for summer, this solar scent shines a lot brighter than most. It’s a pleasant surprise. Another nice surprise is that the Arquiste website now advertises their scents in 30ml bottles.

Note: Bottle image from Arquiste. All other photos are my own. I purchased the Tropical sample.