Polly

Polly sits in Ted Baker's named-women fragrance range, sold at UK retail as Floret Polly and listed on Ted Baker's own store simply as Polly. It is a fruity floral built for everyday wear rather than for scent-hunters, and it is honest about that. The opening is juicy and bright, with mandarin and peach doing most of the work and red berries adding a jammy edge that reads young rather than sophisticated. The heart is a conventional but well-behaved white and pink floral: jasmine gives it lift, honeysuckle adds a nectar sweetness, and peony supplies the powdery, slightly watery softness that keeps the fruit from turning sticky. As it settles the base takes over with vanilla, amber and white musk, with a light patchouli giving just enough grounding to stop the drydown becoming a plain sugar note. Performance is what you would expect from an eau de toilette at this price: four to six hours on skin with modest projection after the first hour, so it takes a generous application or a top-up through the day. It suits spring and summer best, works perfectly well at a desk, and is a sensible choice for anyone who wants a pretty, unchallenging scent for daily use. In lane terms it is high-street fruity floral, competing with the pink-bottle mainstream rather than with niche.