Our take
What does To Be smell like?
Police launched To Be in 2011 in a skull-shaped bottle that went on to define the whole line. The scent itself is far tamer than the packaging. Grapefruit and black pepper open it. It is fresh and a little bitter, with the bite you expect from a mass-market men's fragrance. The heart depends on which listing you read. Some give violet leaf and others apple blossom. Either way it adds a green, faintly fruity shade. The base rests on amber, Virginia cedar and patchouli. Nothing dark here, just clean wood with a touch of sweetness. Compared with Dior's Fahrenheit, which turned violet leaf into a men's signature, To Be stays light and far less distinctive. Its low price makes it a common first fragrance for teenagers. Few people keep it as a long-term signature, and it was never really built for that.
When to wear it
A daytime scent for spring, the gym or the weekend. Three sprays, topped up in the afternoon.
It belongs to the Woody, Spicy family. To Be is one of 1 creations by Police in our encyclopedia.
