The Story
Why it exists.
The beginning
Police launched To Be Tattooart in 2017 as part of the To Be collection, a line built around identity and self-expression. The tattoo concept wasn't accidental. Police has always tracked what people actually care about, and by 2017, tattoo culture had moved from subculture to mainstream language. The rose, described as the queen of tattoos in the brand copy, became the fragrance's symbolic anchor: beauty, passion, and the mystery of life, printed indelibly on skin. This was the fragrance for someone who sees their body as a canvas and their choices as permanent statements. Modern femininity and seductive power, the brand's own words, weren't about softness. They were about intent.
What makes To Be Tattooart interesting is how it handles sweetness. Maple syrup and marshmallow are hard to take seriously on their own, they skew younger, simpler, more BBW than boutique. But the heliotrope and candied violet add a powdery depth that shifts the register. Heliotrope has an almost almond-like warmth; violet brings a vintage coolness that balances the edible sweetness. The jasmine and wild rose in the heart aren't shy, they lean into the florals with some assertiveness. And then the base, musk, sandalwood, cedar, keeps the whole thing from floating away into pure confection.
The evolution
The opening hits transparent and sweet. Apple blossom and plum arrive quickly, the maple syrup following close behind, not a subtle accent but an immediate announcement of sweetness. For the first 20-30 minutes, it reads almost aggressively candy-like. Then the jasmine and candied violet take over in the heart, and the sweetness intensifies before it softens. The heliotrope and wild rose add floral depth that prevents it from becoming pure confection. By hour two or three, the musk becomes more present, a soft warmth that grounds the sweetness without killing it. The sandalwood and cedar arrive in the base, wrapping the marshmallow in something woody and slightly dry. The drydown is where this fragrance earns its longevity. Musk, sandalwood, and marshmallow together create a powdery-sweet warmth that stays close to the skin for hours after the initial sweetness has settled. On most skin types, expect 6-8 hours of wear. On oilier skin, it leans toward the longer end. On dry skin, it may fade closer to 6.
Cultural impact
To Be Tattooart occupies a specific space in the sweet-floral gourmand category, sweet enough to appeal to fans of Lolita Lempicka, accessible enough for those who find niche pricing prohibitive. The 2017 launch reflects a moment when mainstream fragrance was fully embracing the edible-sweet trend while Police maintained its identity-forward positioning. The tattoo theme places it squarely in the era when body art became a primary language of self-expression. What distinguishes it from pure confection alternatives is the heliotrope and musk depth, those who find BBW Warm Vanilla Sugar too simple may find Tattooart's powdery-floral complexity more satisfying. It bridges niche and mass-market sweet florals without fully belonging to either.
