As I’m writing this review, a “heat dome” is gathering over my part of the world. What better time to test and review two summer-themed fragrance samples that have been waiting patiently on my desk for weeks? Every year, of course, I emphasize that I’m a heat-hater and sun-avoider who craves salt-air scents and suntan oil-inspired fragrances. These two seemed to fit the bill, but I had more luck with one than the other. Just like a long holiday weekend, a fragrance often lives up to expectations but can fall short in other instances.

Thomas de Monaco is what I think of as a “nouveau niche” brand — I tend to confuse it with a few other companies that have men’s names, vaguely similar backstories, and/or packaging that looks like a love child of Byredo and Nasomatto. However, several people recommended this particular brand to me over the past year or two, so I finally focused on it during a visit to an indie fragrance boutique. I sniffed a few ceramic discs that had been pre-spritzed with de Monaco scents, and the one that captured my interest was Sol Salgado (developed by perfumer Maurus Bachmann, 2023). My initial reaction was, “Ooh, beach-y doll-head!” I don’t recall ever thinking before that a beach-y doll-head perfume was something I needed, but inhaling the scent off that tester disc, I had to refrain from purchasing a bottle on the spot…

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