Perfume Review: Jil Sander Sun

Perfume Review: Jil Sander Sun

How would you describe the smell of the sun? What words would you use to explain what summer smells like? The fragrance Jil Sander Sun is intended to be evocative of summer; in fact the blurb used by the company says that it is "a fragrance which breathes sun" and mentions concepts such as passion, playful seduction and vitality. I am not sure whether I would make those allusions in connection with my thoughts on summer but I do believe that Jil Sander Sun is, indeed, a very summery fragrance.

The reasons for this fragrance being "summery" are threefold. First, it is a light but multi-layered scent that is not too heavy for summer wear. Then there are the notes that individually and in combination are quite evocative of summer. Finally, this fragrance is described as non-photoxic which essentially means that it does not contain ingredients that are affected by sunlight and so the scent will not be tainted nor should the wearer suffer from any skin irritation that is common with conventional fragrances that are higher in alcohol content.

Jil Sander claim that the perfume's notes are

Top: Rosewood, lemon, bergamot, amberberry

Middle: Violet, heliotrope, rose, ylang-ylang, orange blossom. Jasmine

Base: Vanilla, tobacco, tonka, patchouli

On first glance I would have said that pretty much all areas of scents are covered. If I had read this before I had sampled the perfume I do not think I would have been tempted. Furthermore, while I get certain notes in abundance I have to be honest and say that there are others I just don't get at all.

The vanilla is certainly there; it's not so obvious as the vanilla in, say Thierry Mugler's Angel, but it is instantly recognizable. A similar scent, the tonka is also easy to spot. Two scents that I would have thought quite easy to spot patchouli and tobacco escaped me altogether. Of the middle notes I found the ylang-ylang and the jasmine the quite noticeable and they impart an easy-going vitality that lifts the perfume from the vanilla and tonka.. Of the top notes it was the rosewood that caught my attention.

Overall I would describe the fragrance as floral with a very slight sweet spicy undertone. It does remind me of summer but more for the overall fragrance than any individual note. In particular it reminded me of warm evenings and night-scented flowers.

There was one other aroma that really sprang to mind after an hour or so wearing the scent babies. This fragrance has quite a strong smell of baby oil and powder. It is certainly not

unpleasant, far from it but it is quite strong. I find this quite a comforting scent and I wonder if this is the reason why.

I find that the initial impact of the scent doesn't last long and quickly fades to this powdery smell and this is the negative I would draw when discussing this scent. I would love for it to last just a bit longer. Having said that, the notes clearly do linger because this is a perfume I regularly receive compliments on.

I bought this fragrance earlier this year when in Slovenia. I was looking for another Jil Sander fragrance but spotted this and, since the weather was so hot, I decided to give it a try. Usually I would not wear any scent during the day in hot weather and I had read that Jil Sander Sun was being touted as suitable for wearing in the sun.

Certainly, I was able to wear the perfume in hot weather and during quite energetic activities without suffering any skin irritation and the scent still lingered. As I have already said, the initial impact was short-lived and I wonder whether this is because of the lower level of alcohol in the perfume.

The packaging, as always with Jil Sander fragrances, is simple and almost clinical looking. Inside the white box is a geometric white opaque bottle with the word "SUN" in a glorious sunshine yellow. I have the 30ml bottle that fits perfectly in even quite small evening bags.

I would suggest that this is a scent that would appeal to all ages. The energetic floral notes are quite youthful but the later lingering scents of rose and vanilla are, to my mind, more mature perfume wearer. Far be it from me, however, to make such claims. All I can truthfully say is how I much I love this fragrance. It is one find myself reaching for almost without thought and I find suits day or evening wear.

Highly recommended.

Note - I have not mentioned prices because they vary quite dramatically between on-line retailers. Furthermore, all kinds of online discounts are available at on-line retailers so it is hard to give a definitive price. I would, however, describe this as a "mid price range" fragrance and have to say that for a designer perfume (Jil Sander is a German fashion designer) it is not so steeply priced.

Written by fizzytom
Travel writer