Tommy Girl
Tommy Hilfiger (1996)

Welcome to the past
Your floral tea is ready
Sweet by Lessly Moor

Tommy's dear sister
She's a lovable girl, yet
Off in a good way

Not too much drama
The femininity of
Girl jeans on a girl

Waiting patiently
Credit where credit is due
For this compliment

On Groucho's night off
Let the healthy lady sing
Mom and apple pie

And though she aged well
She never got rock op'ra
Smiled as if she did

But who really knows?
There's something about the gal
Subtle tea's still life

Pleasant to a fault
That can hardly be mentioned
Without a faux pas

Let her go, admired
All aboard the puddle jump
To a job well done.

Along with the usual perfume categories of Floral, Fresh, Fruity etc we could include Abstract, but what about synthetic?
Not just as an adjective, could it be the name of a category proper?

If so, I would add it to the the feature list of Tommy Girl: and along with Black Tea, Bitter, Purple Fruity, Floral, Fresh - with an Aquatic feel, and Woody; we would have Synthetic.

There's a thin smoothness to proceedings that can be called synthetic.
More specifically: predominantly made of aroma chemicals or isolates, and having a feel characterised by a lack of 'natural' materials.
For a definition this is a bit subjective, but being based on sense impressions it's hard to give it a scientific basis. (Like many critics I'm not a scientist.)

Now, Synthetic is not a bad thing per sé, but it does lead to a certain type of perfume which - like Tommy Girl - is not to everyone's taste.

I once described Tommy Girl as a bitter chemical soup ... sterile and unfriendly.

On reflection I can see it's merits, but it still feels a bit skimpy and cheap - as well as venomous, which again could be a category, and not just an adjective.

The moment I put this on my skin I am transported back in time, to my last years in high school. It doesn't remind me of anyone specific, but rather brings to mind a certain type of girl I went to school with. Pretty, well mannered, glossy haired girls, dressed in crisp white shirts, lamb wool sweaters, and trendy jeans. They got decent grades, were popular with a certain type of boy, and never skipped class. They traveled in cliques and wore tinted lip balm. They may have played field hockey. I guess there was nothing to actively dislike about them, other than their complete lack of distinctiveness. We attended the same school, but lived in parallel universes. Wearing this scent feels wrong, like I've skipped back in time and morphed into one of them briefly.

Other than the associations, it's a pleasant fruity floral; clean, sparkling, up. I don't get much tea out of it.

So, it's a light, fresh, floral - I'm getting a lot less of the tea note than I expected. I had been put off tea fragrances many years ago when I had a constant supply of Bulgari Thé Vert shower gel and body lotion - I worked in a charity where a local hotel donated left over guest bottles of these and l'Occcitane products - our clients and ourselves smelled fantastic! Anyway, one day I just couldn't take the tea edge in TV any more and since then have steered clear of it in perfumes.
But here the tea blends beautifully with the flowers - and it has just the right amount of jasmine.

I also admit to prejudice against the whole preppy image of Hilfiger, and imagined that TG would be a sugar bomb. But it isn't. It's very pleasant but has enough depth to keep me sniffing. However, I'll need to reapply later as I've just been chopping celery - which adds a nice edge to TG but may be swaying my judgement.

And the best thing is - no 'aquatic' or 'melon' calone whiff (so far!).

Update: after swim and shower, I reapplied and get more tea this time, but it's still very pleasant!

This perfume is an absolutely beautiful, feminine fruity-floral! In his book "The A-Z Guide to Perfume" Turin says that this fragrance was inspired by the scents of flavored teas, and I can totally see that! I am a huge fan of a lot of flavored and specialty teas, and many of the loose leaf varieties have scents that are similar to what you smell in "Tommy Girl." It is, overall, a very sparkling, bright, sweet, fruity, flowery, pretty, delicate, feminine and refreshing scent! I would definitely buy a bottle of this perfume, and I would wear it all the time! It is, quite simply, a fragrance that gives off a lot of positive vibes! I have nothing bad to say about it at all! If there is anything to criticize though, it would be that "Tommy Girl" is a very light scent that doesn't have great longevity. It is definitely one that you'll probably need to reapply throughout the day, as the scent does fade a bit fast. I first tested this one from the actual bottle they had at one Tommy Hilfiger store I visited. But, by the time I got home the scent had disappeared, and I couldn't recall anything I wanted to sat about it! So, I finally got a sample, and was able to write this review as I sit here smelling the perfume on my wrist! :) So, yes, this is definitely a lighter scent, but that makes it a great recommendation for anyone who is looking for a great every day perfume, or one that's appropriate to wear to the office or to a job interview. This perfume is definitely a great choice, especially since it also smells so pleasant that I think it should put everyone in a good mood all day! :)

Luca Turin loved this, called it a "tea floral" and gave it 5 stars. Tania Sanchez (Mrs. Tuin) agreed.

They must have been suffering from horrendous head colds when they previewed this.

It's an oceanic melon, tempered with an artemesia woody note, copied a million times by others since 1996, but no better. To my nose it is a vile little thing, smelling just plain bad.

The number of positive reviews this has received makes me despair for the noses of the human race.