Jasmine Rouge

Jasmine Rouge is Pearl Fragrances' oil version of Tom Ford's Jasmin Rouge, one of the more jasmine-forward entries in the Private Blend line. The spiced opening is the most faithful part of the translation, with cinnamon and ginger sparking a warm, almost gourmand start that closely tracks the original. From there the attar diverges: the sambac jasmine and ylang-ylang heart, which in the Tom Ford version is thick, creamy and quietly indolic, comes across simpler and sweeter here, without the muted animalic depth that gives the original its sensual weight. The vanilla and amber base is soft and pleasant, but the leather facet that anchors Tom Ford's version is barely present, reduced to a faint suggestion rather than a real texture. As an oil, it sits close to the skin and lasts well into the evening, even if it never reaches the room-filling sillage of the spray. It's a decent, recognisably spiced-jasmine scent for a fraction of the price, but anyone who knows the original will notice how much of its glamour and depth has been smoothed away.