Hello All! Ever been a fan of Tom Ford scents? Actually, I’m not, and what samples I’ve tried from his line of fragrances before didn’t register much to my memory. Although, in fact, I may have remembered having sniffed the Orchid Soleil and it was little too overwhelming for me. That is, until, I happen to wander inside Sephora and decided to test the Tom Ford Mandarino di Amalfi Acqua by chance. It literally blew my mind. The first spritz of the scent pretty much made my heart stop for a few minutes. I wanted the scent right then and there, but I had to wait until it completely settled on my skin so that I could judge its dry down. Unfortunately, while the top notes were exhilarating, the dry down was a bit of a letdown because it seemed too acidic for me. The TF Mandarino di Amalfi Acqua (Eau de Toilette) is a perfect fresh harvest of mandarin citrus scent that is SO good but it gets a little bit acetic with time. Yet still, I couldn’t get past my experience with that scent, so I decided to try it’s Eau de Parfum version hoping that the dry down won’t be that disappointing. Yes indeed, it’s a much more pleasing and much more pronounced scent. Because I love the scent very much, I also tried the Tom Ford Sole di Positano which is the latest release in Tom Ford’s Private Blend collection.

I haven’t found a lot of reviews that talked about or compared these two scents, so I hope this review will give you an idea as to how these scents are compared to each other. To start, the Tom Ford Mandarino di Amalfi and Sole di Positano Eau de Parfums are pretty much similar fresh scents that will jumble your brain synapses the moment you sniff them. I’ve never smelled such perfect scents in my life. They might be kind of alike, but if you pay close attention enough, then you’ll notice that they do have their differences.

Tom Ford Mandarino di Amalfi (1.7 oz: $230, 3.4 oz: $312, 8.4 oz: $595) – A slightly more intense version of the Mandarino di Amalfi Acqua which smells like fresh bursts of strong mandarins that are slightly sweet and perhaps a bit floral. It’s one of the freshest and strongest mandarin citrus burst I’ve ever tried and its middle notes pretty much stayed strong and fresh for the first one or two hours. Later on, as the scent approaches its dry down, it becomes slightly acidic or herbal-like, but not so much like its Eau de Toilette counterpart (Mandarino di Amalfi Acqua). The scent pretty much lasted a long time on me, probably for a good 4-6 hours until it requires reapplication.

Tom Ford Sole di Positano (1.7 oz: $230, 3.4 oz: $312, 8.4 oz: $595) – Its top notes don’t start as strong as the Mandarino di Amalfi, instead, its moderate citrus scent is more balanced and more steady. It is also more floral and a bit tarty than the Amalfi, with hints of jasmine as it reaches its middle notes. This scent is very clean and very sparkly. It tends to last up to 4 hours on me, give or take, and its dry down remains fresh as the first spritz. It may be a bit milder than TF Mandarino di Amalfi, but this scent is much more reliable as it doesn’t change its notes much from top to end.

If you ask me which scent I would prefer between the two, I think I may be a bit leaning towards Mandarino di Amalfi. Why? because I like that it’s more intense. But, I also love the Sole di Positano because of its clean and balanced scent that I know I could use anywhere and everywhere, and it also seems to be more versatile. For me, the difference between the two is probably just about 0.5 in points. Ha! In fact, there’s a moment where the two of them start to smell the same as they reach their middle notes unless you really pay close attention to their respective scents.

I will definitely still be using these two scents as we get closer to the colder days. They’re simply hard to get enough of, and unless I’ll find a nicer Fall-Winter fragrance soon, I think I’ll definitely come back to these two Tom Ford scents.

As I wrap up my favorite scents this summer, I definitely think that these two TF fragrances are now at the top of my list as my favorite summer scents of all time, aside from the Hermes Garden Collection (reviewed HERE) and the Atelier Cologne Clementine California (also HERE). Both the Mandarino di Amalfi Eau de Parfum and Sole di Positano are such perfect Summer vacay scents that are incredibly fresh, a tiny bit fruity, a bit floral, and most of all, very clean, well-crafted, and well-balanced. The only caveat is that they’re really pricey. However, the 1.7 oz bottle not only looks luxurious and unique, but it also lasts a long time.

If you’re looking for something to remind you of that perfect Summer stroll along the beach, or that enchanting Mediterranean afternoon vibe, look no further, who knows? you might just love these Tom Ford scents as much as I do.

The Tom Ford Sole di Positano & Mandarino di Amalfi Eau de Parfums are available at Sephora, Nordstrom, Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus, Net-A-Porter, Barneys NY, Lord & Taylor, Bergdorf Goodman, & Macy’s

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