Well this is just extraordinary. It has to be the most un-seasonal seasonal beauty release I’ve ever happened upon: a winter launch of a fragrance product that is so summery, so reminiscent of tropical islands and hot holidays and steamy evenings, it’s virtually growing legs and wandering off to find a warm cupboard to hibernate in.

Tom Ford’s Soleil Blanc couldn’t be any more exotic – it’s coconuts and heady florals, it’s warm amber and sexy ylang ylang. It’s a lithe-limbed boho babe reclining in a rope hammock, eyeliner smudged and hair tousled and skin all golden and glowing. It is summer in a bottle. IT IS NOT CHRISTMAS IN A BOTTLE! Yet here it is, the summery Soleil Blanc fragrance, making an appearance in the slightly more muted “dry oil” form as part of the Tom Ford Winter Soleil collection.

See what they did there? Added the word “winter” to the description. Add the word “winter” and it shall be so. And who am I to complain? This dry oil has been giving a much-needed boost to my flagging autumnal spirits, recently, tricking my mind into thinking that soon I’ll be going on a lovely beach holiday.

Fat chance of that! I’d be lucky to squeeze my egg-shaped torso into an aeroplane seat, and that would only be if I could summon up enough of my pregnancy-depleted energy reserves to get to an airport. For now, I’m dry-oiling and day-dreaming.

I should add, for those of you who find dry oils a faff, that this one comes in a spray-can and can be applied in approximately eight seconds flat, rather than one of those spritzes that starts to become a total bore even before you’ve done your left arm.

If you’re already a Soleil Blanc fan, you’ll love this addition to your bodycare line-up. If you lust after a bit of TF luxury but can’t/won’t stretch to a Private Blend perfume then the dry oil spray comes in at a fraction of the price…

You can find the fragrance online here and the dry oil here – the dry oil is limited edition and part of the utterly gorgeous Winter Soleil collection, which includes foil-finish lipsticks and amazing clutch palettes.

(The lovely blue snowflake card in the photograph is from Ohh Deer.)