For the Love of Orris: Bottega Veneta, Tom Ford Violet Blonde, Chanel No 19 Poudre

By Marina Smelling new releases shows that orris trend is here to stay. Bottega Veneta, Tom Ford and Chanel all feature it prominently in their recent launches. Certainly, in the three fragrances in question, the accord is rendered differently. I describe it to myself simply in terms of thinner-thicker, colder-warmer. The thickest and the warmest orris is n Bottega Veneta's new EDP. From the ads to the composition, everything is done supremely elegantly. The perfume is both opulent and a "skin-scent", with orris enhancing the expensive, velvety-suede-y aspect of the blend. Expensive, yet subtle. Old money.  Predictably, Tom Ford's Violet Blonde is rather more nouveau riche, but I like it a lot all the same. From Laura's lips in the ads to something vaguely fruity, there is a dose of vulgarity here that some will find thrilling, some will dislike. Orris is as prominent and thick as in BV, but is a touch cooler, the color of cold neon purple. Jasmine provides a nicely animalic nuance, and the fruitiness, probably from the same jasmine plus mandarine, is, to me, an interesting part of the composition. Those who were turned off by the fruity accord in Black Orchid, might sense and dislike it here too.  Chanel No 19 Poudre is the coldest and most transparent orris of the three. Tom did not love it. I can't say I do, but I like it. The creators toned down the greenness of galbanum and the animalic quality in the original and brought up a notch the powdery side of iris. To me, there is not enough powder here to justify the 'poudre' in the name. No 19 Transparente would be a more fitting description. Very wearable, impeccable in any situation. Could be much worse, eh?

Oh, Boy: Tom Ford for Men

By Tom I admit I am of two minds with the handsome Mr. Ford. Sometimes I think he's just the bees knees, which happens then I'm smelling some of his scents. Other ones (like his Lavender Palm) elicit a rather less charitable response. Tom Ford for men was his first mens fragrance and it's just like his clothes: well fitted, beautifully detailed and a little cold. It has crisp citrus in the opening, slightly sweet whiffs of uncured tobacco in the middle and a nice woody finish. Layering over all of it is a chilly vetiver that nicely accents the warmth of the amber in the drydown. At $62 for 1.7 oz it's not even terribly expensive. Sometimes it's hard to reconcile some of the Tom Ford image and his advertising to his products. I guess this is the Tom Ford of "A Single Man" rather then the louche, sweaty bottle-in-the-crotch Tom Ford. Glad we have room for both. At Sephora, where I tested.

L.A. Confidential: Tom Ford Lavender Palm

by Ashleigh Tom Ford, whose name is synonymous with chic, American glamour, has recently opened his flagship store, Tom Ford Beverly Hills. Ford, designer and acclaimed movie producer; his directorial debut, A Single Man, put him on the Hollywood landscape and garnered a Golden Globe nomination for best original score and two Independent Spirit Awards- solidifies his love for the L.A. aesthetic with a new fragrance, Lavender Palm. The perfume copy says, Ford was inspired by, “all of my favorite things about Los Angeles- the sun, the architecture, the lingering decadence of old Hollywood.” The boutique features his first ever dedicated womenswear floor as the perfect launching pad for this sexy, exclusive scent. Opening with two types of lavender, Lavender Palm mingles the bright lavandin with old school lavender absolute to create a fragrance that is a modern version of a classic, unisex and somewhat straightforward fragrance. This scent is a departure in a sense from his hyper-sexualized clothing design paradigm where women are bold, sexy yet feminine and men, well they are unabashedly masculine. Other notes in this ménage include bergamot, lime blossom, vetiver and the somewhat haunting oleander- known for its toxic, fragrant beauty. Lavender Palm, available exclusively at Tom Ford Beverly Hills until September (and then it will be unleashed on the rest of us glamourophiles world-wide) comes in two collector-worthy shapes and sizes. Both the 50ml and 250ml are metallic and illusive, like the dazzling city of angels itself, but the larger version is clearly a nod to Ford’s love of architecture. For the $950 price tag, you can pretend you own a piece of the glittering L.A. skyline and the long-lasting scent that blurs the lines between fantasy and reality.

Tom Ford Champaca Absolute: Perfume Review

A fail-proof way to create a perfume I am guaranteed to like is to make it smell Like a Chanel. Or what is my idea of a Chanel (forgive me for quoting myself, in a review of Beige): "...abstract, complex, and, regardless of whether it is full of natural ingredients or totally synthetic, (...) man-made, for a lack of a better term." ...In other words, to make it smell as a Proper Perfume (again in my interpretation): "...to smell of no particular ingredient but rather to appear as an amalgamation of several, almost indistinguishable notes ... to interpret its inspiration in a non-literal, non-obvious manner ... to smell man-made, not found-in-nature." Clearly, the Tom Ford Beauty team has decided to follow my requirements (as every perfume-creating team should by the way!) and to create a Proper Perfume. They also were clearly aware than I have always been a big fan of Cold Perfumey Florals (a category made up by moi and thus very subjective) in vein of Chanel's Beige, Gardenia and Hermes's 24, Faubourg. In his new Champaca Absolute, Tom Ford created a bespoke Cold Perfumey Floral fragrance for yours truly...it's just that he doesn't know it. So much does Champaca Absolute remind me of Beige - in concept not in notes!- that I could almost take my old review, change freesia and frangipani for champaca and jasmine and be done with it. When I say, in concept, I mean that, like Beige, Champaca Absolute strikes me as being "a cold, somewhat arrogant beauty, a "better than thou" scent." For most parts, it is a stylized floral bouquet, a chic and meticulous arrangement made of flowers that have been grown and pampered in an exclusive orangery with man-controlled environmental conditions...and not of those you gather in the wild, carelessly bring home and put in a rustic vase in a haphazard manner. Having said that, there IS a very green and very natural part right after the heady, tiny bit boozy (cognac, Tokaii (yes, it is that specific) wine and the naturally drunken davana) floral top notes subside, where it might seem that -oh the horror!- the bouquet could indeed have come from some kind of unruly forest...for some time, Champaca Absolute just smells so...real and untamed. I suspect that what gives the silken blend of champaca, jasmine and orchids that ragged, dry, windswept edge is the broom note (in Beige, it was hawthorn). And then the wild note disappears, sleek bob smoothed, slinky dress straightened, face back to its expression of polite superiority. Nature? One has never been to nature, nature is too dirty and uncontrollable. And one has never heard of Oliver Mellors either. What's remarkable is how remarkably filthy the drydown smells on my skin, not animalic-filthy like musk or civet but more like mineral-rooty-filthy...whatever it is in the inoffensive-sounding base of vanilla, amber, marron glace (!) and sandalwood that makes it smell up to good I do not know. But I suppose that what it shows is that you can take champaca out of the wild but you can't take the wild out of champaca. Available at Nieman Marcus, $180.00-$450.00 for 50ml-250ml of -very, very long-lasting- Eau de Parfum.

Perfume Review: Tom Ford White Patchouli

If you don't believe in skin chemistry, I invite you for an olfactory experiment. Come and smell Ford's new White Patchouli on my colleague (white flowers, mostly jasmine, coriander and a discrete hint of dry patchouli) and then on me (a whopping dose of sweet, ripe rose blended with chocolate-smelling patch...a Voleur de Roses smell-alike)... It smells best of all on a blotter, the flowers are quieter and the patchouli leads the composition from the start, where it is spiced by coriander, to the finish, where incense adds an extra layer of resinous richness to the blend. White Patchouli is pretty, elegant and lush, and indeed "melds Bohemian influences [that would be the patchouli] with today's structured sophistication [that would be flowers]". Like most Ford's scents, it has a luxurious feel to it, in that it is fairly heady, long lasting and with a conspicuous sillage. I find it less striking and more obviously attaractive than the love-hate Black Orchid...for most people obvious attractiveness would be a plus, but hey, I am nothing if not jaded. But mainly I will not need White Patchouli, because, as I mentioned, it is Voleur's twin on my skin. I am not happy about that, since, as indifferent as I usually am to packaging, I adore the White Patchouli bottle. White Patchouli is available at Bergdorf Goodman, $92.00-$138.00.

Perfume Review: Tom Ford Black Orchid Voile de Fleur (Eau de Toilette)

I am very tempted to simply leave it to Queen to describe Black Orchid Voile de Fleur for you. Because they would do it so much better than I ever could: She keeps a Moet et Chandon In a pretty cabinet 'Let them eat cake' she says Just like Marie Antoinette A built-in remedy For Khrushchev and Kennedy At anytime an invitation You can't decline Caviar and cigarettes Well versed in etiquette Extraordinarily nice She's a Killer Queen Got that agility Dynamite with a laser beam Guaranteed to blow your mind Anytime Recommended at the price Insatiable an appetite Wanna try? “The alluring potion of Black Orchid is given a warm effervescent modernity with this new entry”, says the copy. And I suppose it is right in a way… Only a tiny bit less robust than the sinfully opulent original Black Orchid, Voile de Fleur replaces the pungently earthy accord of black truffles with a leathery undertone, thus transforming from some (most probably evil) mythical creature of the night into somebody slightly less outlandish and more “urban”…a femme fatale. Compared to the witchy, black-magical, somehow “pre-historic” Eau de Parfum version, the Eau de Toilette is fairly modern. I would place it in the film-noir times of 1940s. To avoid complications She never kept the same address In conversation She spoke just like a baroness Met a man from China Went down to Geisha Minah Then again incidentally If you're that way inclined Perfume came naturally from Paris for cars she couldn't care less Fastidious and precise She's a Killer Queen Got that agility Dynamite with a laser beam Guaranteed to blow your mind Anytime The notes that I smell most prominently in Black Orchid Voile de Fleur are gardenia and ylang ylang. The trademark creaminess of the luscious flowers is so thick, you could cut it with a knife. When their buttery quality is taken to such an extreme, gardenia and ylang ylang (as well as tuberose) always seem to me to have a “nutty” undertone, nutty like the sweetly spicy nutmeg, perhaps. Due to the presence of cinnamon, that spiciness is particularly accentuated in Black Orchid Voile de Fleur, and I find that characteristic exceptionally appealing. Another side of the new version that is absolutely irresistible to me is the presence of “leather” (probably a side effect of a pronounced patchouli note)…Gardenias and leather… I don’t think I know of a union more gorgeous (except for roses and aoud, that is ). Funny thing is, my Holy Grail, which is slowly but surely being created within the Made by Blog project, is also based on this yin-and-yang, black-and-white contrast of gardenias and leather. Because of the lack of raw earthiness and strange, over-ripe fruitiness, and because of the strengthened white floral accord and the sublime leathery undertone, the Eau de Toilette is different enough from the Eau de Parfum to warrant having both…in case you were, like me, one of a handful of people who loved the first Black Orchid. Because of that lack of rawness and fruitiness, the Eau de Toilette is perhaps more palatable, more accessible in a way than the weird and wonderful Eau de Parfum. If those features were what repelled you in the first Black Orchid, you might find the second one to be more agreeable. If, however, the very “thick” and very heady, dark, sensual, sillage-full fragrances are generally not your sort of thing, I would recommend you stay far away from Voile de Fleur. Unlike most Eaux de Toilette, it really isn’t much gentler or fresher or lighter then the Eau de Parfum. Like its magnificent predecessor, it too is a Killer Queen. Drop of a hat she's as willing as Playful as a pussy cat Then momentarily out of action Temporarily out of gas To absolutely drive you wild, wild She's out to get you She's a Killer Queen Got that agility Dynamite with a laser beam Guaranteed to blow your mind Anytime Recommended at the price Insatiable an appetite Wanna try? Available at Neiman Marcus, $65.00-$90.00. Image credits: Unknown, Andrea Klarin, Steven Meisel.

Tom Ford Strikes Again. One Average Couple Reacts

Tom Ford is not nudity-shy (remember the gorgeous specimen in the M7 ad, or the Opium ad with Dahl or basically any shoot in which Ford participated in any way) and he loves to shock. For his upcoming scent, Tom Ford for Men, he issued this tasteful little number (and there are others, just as ...tasteful): My first reaction? I don't know what to say. I am repulsed by the tacky blow-up-doll-ness of it. I hate to see a woman portrayed in such a degrading manner. And yet I am morbidly fascinated. It's so incredibly crude and cheap and vulgar that I can't help but feel almost an admiration for Ford who is not afraid to issue an ad like that. I almost want to say, you go, Tom! And I hate myself for that. Because, this is frankly much worse than Etat Libre d'Orange's little juvenile drawings of penises, and I've spent too much time criticizing those to now dare to approve of this pornography. But this is the effect Ford has always had on me, he fascinates me to the point of taking away my ability to judge right from wrong. Trying to figure out what appeal, if any, an ad like that would have for an average straight male, I showed it to Mr. Colombina. This is his reaction: In a world where perfume ads are dominated by the "thinking" ... Well who cares if it sells products just so long as it is 'funky' and weird and 'creative' ... it is almost refreshing to see just a good old fashioned "sex sells" ad. However ... Perhaps I'm alone on this one but, why can't we see the woman's face? Is this model just a "cleavage model" (like a 'hand model')? I mean her face can't be THAT bad, can it? Wonderful cleavage Marge ...shame you got a face like Ernest Borgnine! As cleavage goes ... it's nice cleavage but faceless cleavage doesn't work for me. Now either the marketing people think: A) If her face is too nice nobody will notice the cleavage. HELLO! Have you never SEEN a man talking to a woman (who has a pretty face) wearing a low cut blouse? or B) If her face is too ugly or plain it will take away from the picture. HELLO AGAIN! The opposite is true. An average face becomes a supermodel by osmosis when it sits atop a pair like those. Oddly, I never wondered until just this moment ... if they are 'real'? But as I always say ...they may not be real ... but they are real nice. Asked if he would want to wear a scent advertised like that, Mr Colombina said it has nothing to do with an ad, he would have to smell it, and that the picture of the big bosoms, is neither a put off nor an endorsement. Conclusion: one average straight woman - morbidly fascinated, one average straight man - demands a face to go with the boobs. Image source, WWD.

Tom Ford Private Blend

Review by Tom Interesting and more interesting. I had a nice conversation with Alessandro, the proprietor of All Purpose (the store in LA that stocks some CB I Hate Perfume), and we both commented that blog reactions have made us have to get over our initial (in my case somewhat snobby) reaction to Tom. I find him somewhat louche and when I read about these I kind of rolled my eyes. Even more so when I read the piece in The New York Times skewering his Madison Avenue boutique. Reading some of the reviews I realized that I was coming in with my own prejudices against Tom Ford: not just because he's cuter and way more successful than I (and somehow steadfastly refuses to date me..), but because it seems unbearably.. showy I guess is the word to pop up with so many new releases. It gets an automatic "oh really?" from me. Having written that I will try to keep an open mind. As open as it's rusty hinges will allow: since everyone else has covered these pretty exhaustively, I'll keep this short. Velvet Gardenia Intense gardenia, but not as intense as say, Fracas is intense in its tuberose. It's certainly not something that I would recommend wearing to a meeting with the boss, unless you two have a very interesting relationship. I can see where some people get the blue cheese bit- it skates that edge of decay that gardenias do in real life. I like this, but it cries out to be dialed up- Tom cranks the dial to 7, and I wish he had dialed it to 11. But god love him for even going up that far on the dial in this world over-run by fruity floral. Black Violet Candied violets (which Fran Lebowitz wrote of as "the Necco Wafers of the overbred"), woods and a plummy sweetness. I don't get much that's "black" here, and at just the point I start to get actual violets, it gets a case of the vapors and heads off to its boudoir. Tuscan Leather Really, they could call this one Eau de Coach Store. Just the smell of a new Coach bag, that slightly berry-sweet leather smell. It becomes harsher further on (which I think is a good thing), losing some of the sweetness and becoming more biker jacket than clutch. Moss Breches Earthy green Old-School Chypre with an unexpected bit of sweetness and... mint? Easily my hands-down favorite. Would I buy? Perhaps not. Bois Rouge Rather cologney citrus opening that frankly doesn't go very far on me until the drydown, with its woody leathery goodness. Perhaps the biggest "meh" of the group. Purple Patchouli For me opens with a brief blast that reminds me of Chypre Rouge, which drops immediately and becomes a weird combination of soap and...crystal meth? (don't ask) Becomes more and more "purple" in the drydown, in a "purple prose" kind of way- there is patchouli in there but it's buried under that tickle-the-back-of-the-throat iodiney note that reminds me club days before I woke up and decided to be an adult. Great cover for some of the girls at Hyde "No officer, it's Tom Ford" Japon Noir Seems as light as Florida Water after some of the others: light leathered amber. Keeps doing a sort of Lutens thing, somewhat like smelling the ghost of Fumerie Turque on a sweater you wore last week. Noir de Noir Sweet saffron and gentle roses. Not showy but quite luscious. Like Colombina, I can see where this will become the best seller of the line. I can't say it's my favorite, but it's the most approachable. Amber Absolute Delightfully smoky amber: incense, woods and rich amber goodness. If Moss Britches weren't here with its wonderful weirdness, this would be my favorite. It has fairly intense sillage, so another one that's not for the office, unless you work in the Playboy mansion. Oud Wood Marvelous sly oud and vetiver. Like Colombina I get leather in there- that new purse smell. It has a lovely woody amber drydown. Certainly the most "unisex" leaning toward masculine smelling one for me. Kelley, I think this Oud is for you.. Tobacco Vanille Not nearly enough tobacco or for that matter vanille. I get March's Play-Doh, candy, and something that smells like the scent from that Christmas Tree shaped air-freshener you get at the car wash over the holidays. No thanks. Neroli Portofino 4711 on steroids. Check, please! Okay, I went through all of these in a period of two weeks and I have to write that I don't quite know what to think. On the one hand, I have to applaud both the achievement and the chutzpah: putting out three or four scents at once must be a daunting thing to attempt, but 12? I also kind of wonder if there is a reason that I kind of found most of these a bit wanting: it seems that Tom wants to be out there, testing the limits, but also wants to keep a stylish, loafer clad set of tootsies firmly in a realm where everyday shoppers will feel comfortable. Of course, kudos to him for doing anything that would try to reintroduce glamor back into the perfume world (and some of these are pretty glam). I just kind of wish that he could have cranked up the volume a bit. Jump in Tom honey, the water's fine. Tom Ford is available at Bergdorf Goodman, $165.00 for 50ml, $450.00 for 250ml. Image source, Harpers Bazaar.

Perfume Review: Tom Ford Private Blend Tobacco Vanille, Tuscan Leather, Velvet Gardenia

Tobacco Vanille With notes of tobacco leaf, spices, tonka bean, tobacco flower, vanilla, cocoa, dry fruits and wood sap, Tobacco Vanille is described by Tom Ford Beauty as "a modern take on an old world men’s club". In my opinion, to be such a take, the scent has to have a very strong leather note and be even smokier and perhaps a littler harsher. The image that Tobacco Vanilla evokes in my mind is more domiciliary, cozy and warm. It is an image of a dad smoking a pipe, a mom baking something aromatic, maybe gingerbread...It is winter, snow is falling softly, there is the smell of bonfires in the air and the sound of bells...Is it Christmas? Perhaps. It is definitely somewhere in Russia, and most probably even not in the 21st century, maybe even not in the 20th. Tobacco and vanilla go wonderfully well together, and in this particular fragrance the balance of the two accords is perfect. The scent is neither too smoky, nor too fluffy and sweet. The spicy note, which, to me, smells mostly of ginger, ornaments the honeyed smokiness, adding a sweet zing to the composition. The drydown of sugared prunes and soft wood is a cuddly delight. I loved Tobacco Vanille and I think that fans of Ambre Narguile, Sensuelle Russie, Fumerie Turque and Parfumerie Generale's super-secret Un Crime Exotique, should pay special attention to this Private Blend. Tuscan Leather Mix Tobacco Vanille with Tuscan Leather and the result would be that very "old world men's club" so dear to Ford's heart. Tuscan Leather, with notes of saffron, raspberry, thyme, olibanum, jasmine, leather, black suede and amberwood, is a husky and warm rendition of leather. The first accord combines tarry smokiness with a very surprising and very delightful raspberry note. I love leather paired with sugared citrus fruits (Piver Cuir de Russie), but I would have never thought that raspberry would be so appropriate in a leather fragrance. And it truly is. It brings charming sweetness, playfulness and sunny warmth to the otherwise rather austere blend. It is like an unexpectedly childish, happy smile on a weather-beaten face. With time, the distinctive berry note subsides, but slight sweetness remains and it softens the composition, toning down the smoky harshness of leather and the peppery sharpness of incense. The latter two notes are the most prominent on my skin throughout the scent's development, with perhaps just a hint of herbs in the heart of the fragrance. Tuscan Leather is rugged and cuddlesome, a very interesting take on leather and a delight for this lover of leather perfumes. Velvet Gardenia The last three scents to be reviewed turned out to be my most favorite in the new Ford collection. Velvet Gardenia is perhaps the one that I loved the most. The realization came to me as somewhat of a shock, because I am decidedly not a fan of gardenia perfumes. So far the only rendition that I was able to wear was Jardenia. In a way, Ford's take on the flower reminds me a little bit of JAR's, in a sense that in both compositions the gardenia note has a certain thick, fleshy quality...the note seems so palpable and corpulent, it is almost more than a flower, there is almost something animalic about it. I am invariably attracted to the scents that combine white flowers with incense. In Velvet Gardenia, the incense and the even more prominent ambery-incensey labdanum note pose a striking contrast to the creamy velvet of the gardenia and tuberose petals. The scent has a very vague fruity undertone that enhances the sweet voluptuousness of the flowers. Velvet Gardenia is indolent and dark, slightly brooding, extremely alluring. If I can only have one bottle from the Private Blend line, this would be my choice. To sum up my impressions from the collection...I was impressed. I did not love all twelve scents, but I liked most, and even in those I didn't like, I still admired the creativity of the blends and the quality of the ingredients. The collection is not cheap by any stretch of imagination, but it smells expensive. I also liked the fact that the scents, different as they are, seem tied together with a certain common thread running through them. To me that thread is a woody-ambery, slightly spicy undertone present practically in all perfumes, even the citrusy-sunny Neroli Portofino. Overall, the perfumes are long-lasting, with a luxurious sillage; most of them have a sleek, urbane feel and a slightly retro glamour that is so very Tom Ford. Just for the fun of it, I decided to rank the twelve scents, with the first being my most favorite. The hit parade concludes the Ford week on Perfume-Smellin' Things, thank you for reading! 1. Velvet Gardenia 2. and 3. Tobacco Vanille and Tuscan Leather 4. Amber Absolute 5. Bois Rouge 6. Noir de Noir 7. Moss Breches 8. Oud Wood 9. Neroli Portofino 10. Japon Noir 11. Black Violet 12. Purple Patchouli The scents are available at Bergdorf Goodman, $165.00 for 50ml, $450.00 for 250ml.

Perfume Review: Tom Ford Private Blend Noir de Noir, Oud Wood, Purple Patchouli

Noir de Noir In an interview to International Herald Tribune, Tom Ford once said that he have always loved the night. The nocturnal Black Orchid was the first olfactory expression of that love and many scents in the Private Blend collection most definitely possess a nocturnal quality. Noir de Noir, as the name suggests, has a very dark feel. When I first heard about the Private Blend collection and got to read the notes, I had a feeling that Purple Patchouli might turn out to be reminiscent of my beloved Black Orchid, or rather that it will be reminiscent of the earthy, raw aspect of it, which I love so much and which is so prominent on my skin. Not so. The scent that, upon very first application, made me think of Black Orchid, was Noir de Noir. Take Black Orchid, remove the "earth" and the fruits, and what you are left with is an elegantly sweet, rather warm floral accord. As far as my nose is concerned, Noir de Noir is built upon that very accord. The beginning of the scent is a bouquet of dark-red roses, honeyed, over-ripe, extremely luscious. The rose note is paired with saffron, a stunning combination, with the golden, slightly raw spiciness weaved through the crimson velvet of the petals. The raw/rooty aspect, which I always notice in saffron, is complimented by "black truffle" and patchouli. I don't really smell any oud in Noir de Noir, and overall I think I would have liked the scent even more if the woody-earthy aspect was a little stronger on my skin. Noir de Noir is not a shy little scent, it is quite forceful, sweet and with a luxurious trail of sillage. The drydown is incredibly delightful. The saffron note, which disappears during the middle stage, comes back, and the final accord is a soft skin scent composed of delicate spices, gentle vanilla, and a little bit of patchouli. It is my humble guess that Noir de Noir is going to be one of most popular Private Blend fragrances. Oud Wood Leathery Oud. I am aware that Tom Ford Beauty does not list leather as one of the notes in this scent, but leather is what I smell as soon as I apply it on my skin and the note stays throughout the scent's development. The perfume really isn't so much about oud as it is about veriver and leather. It is an elegantly smoky blend, quite dry and very earthy. It has slight spiciness in the beginning and quite a lot of rather sharp sandalwood in the middle and in the base. The drydown is softer that the previous stages, but despite declared vanilla and tonka bean, is really not in the least sweet. I like Oud Wood a lot, but feel that it could have been a little more virile, had a little more character. This is a very refined and urbane rendition of oud, and I guess I was looking for something more wild and fierce. Purple Patchouli Purple Patchouli is probably the strangest of the twelve Private Blend scents, and I am not quite sure that in this case I mean "strange" as a compliment. With notes of orchid, citruses, "noir leather", "purple patchouli", exotic spices, amber, more patchouli, Peru balsam and vetiver, the composition is a curious combination of fresh, almost soapy and utterly skanky-animalic. I had a "pleasure" of experiencing a molecule called saladolide, which featured the most bizarre clash of aggressively clean and rather putrid odors. Purple Patchouli doesn't actually smell like that molecule, but the disharmony of clean and animalic that it presents is just as striking. The floral accord of Purple Patchouli is sudsy and quite bold, slightly sweet, rather fresh, it keeps battling for domination with the dry patchouli note and the salty, "moist" leather. In the end, patchouli and leather win, aided by a little bit of vetiver; the drydown of Purple Patchouli on my skin is the stage of total skank, no more flowers, no more soap, just a clammy , slimy, morbidly fascinating earthy accord. I am glad I got to try this peculiar perfume, but I will never be able to wear it. Noir de Noir, Oud Wood, Purple Patchouli are available at Bergdorf Goodman, $165.00 for 50ml, $450.00 for 250ml. I am unable to find a source for the first image. If you know what it is, please let me know, I would love to be able to correctly attribute it. The second image, Female Satyr, is by Thomas Durham, from tomdurhamsculpture.com.

Perfume Review: Tom Ford Private Blend Japon Noir, Moss Breches and Neroli Portofino

Japon Noir With notes of "spice bouquet", "purple patchouli", "porto noir", jasmine, leather, amber and vetiver, Japon Noir is an interesting little scent, sweetly-piquant, a little earthy, slightly leathery, zestful and rather charming. It begins with an accord that seems to me to combine citrus with the bright and rooty spiciness of ginger. The "spice bouquet", which I believe also includes cinnamon, grows stronger, and, paired with patchouli, amber and woods, creates a very attractive, slightly powdery, warm, balsamic effect, in a way not unlike the spicy-woody accord in Rousse. Japon Noir evokes in my mind an image of ginger-scented tree bark...google tells me that apparently there exists a wood species called Gingerwood (Tatajyvá), and, in my imagination, this is how it should smell. Apart from the dry and fiery aspect, the scent also possesses a certain vaguely edible quality, in that at times it smells to me like some exotic, boozy, sweet-n-spicy candy. This almost-gourmand trait is very understated, and the scent overall is not particularly sweet; the lovers of spicy perfumes should pay close attention to this zippy number. Moss Breches Chypre Alert! Fans of the genre should take notice of this earthy-green, herbal-spicy, brooding potion. The first accord of Moss Breches is unexpectedly honeyed, it brings to my mind a vision of a very dark red rose. The crimson apparition lasts no more than a couple of seconds, blink, and the rose is gone, as if swallowed by the mossy-green foliage of a witchy forest. And from then on the scent is devoid of even a hint of anything remotely floral. I smell herbs, especially sage, I smell peppery earthiness of vetiver and a sooty patchouli note reminiscent of moist, pitch-black soil. Moss Breches is not one of the glamorous chypres (like, for example, L'Arte di Gucci or Eau du Soir) that possess a dazzling grandeur demanding lime-light and being dressed to the nines. On the contrary, it has a bewitching wildness about it, an untamed feel, something primal and slightly sinister... it is a scent for nymphs, satyrs and all manner of magikal folk...for casting spells and for getting up to no good under the cover of the night, on the mossy floor of the dark woods. Neroli Portofino From the moody darkness of Moss Breches to the sun-lit Neroli Portofino, what a contrast! Portofino, a fishing village and resort on the Italian Riviera is said to be one of the most beautiful Mediterranean ports, and I imagine that it might have served as an inspiration behind this "modern intercontinental version of an iconic fragrance theme" (eau de cologne). The fragrance is not particularly complicated (but then one does not expect a multi-faceted structure from a traditional cologne), but it is very luscious. Neroli here has distinctively bitter, even somewhat spicy aroma; it manages to be neither sharp nor in the least sweet. The citrusy-floral accord is rounded and "warmed-up" by an ambery, slightly woody undertone...the overall impression is of an uncluttered and luxurious composition...Neroli Portofino makes me dream of lounging under blossoming orange trees, with a breeze from the see fresh and cool on my face and the sun spreading its golden warmth over my skin. An Eau de Cologne, however impressive, priced at $165.00 is rather extravagant for me, but Neroli Portofino should nevertheless be a must-try for the connoisseurs of the genre. Japon Noir, Moss Breches and Neroli Portofino, along with other Private Blend scents, are available at Bergdorf Goodman, $165.00 for 50ml, $450.00 for 250ml. Image sources, condenastart.com, allposters.com.

Perfume Review: Tom Ford Private Blend Amber Absolute, Black Violet, Bois Rouge

I have always connected, "clicked" with Tom Ford's style and aesthetics. The decadence, sensuality, slightly stagy, theatric feel, a certain arrogant affectation and the stylized old-fashioned glamor paired with very modern, very urban sophistication - these are the characteristics of Ford's work to which I invariably respond and with which I can, to an extent, identify. I love the unapologetically luxurious feel of his designs, the striking, at times shocking but never tasteless eroticism of his styling. I adored Ford's first scent, the very glamorous Black Orchid, and I was excited to get to try the twelve new scents in his Private Blend collection. "Designed with the true fragrance connoisseur in mind", these unisex blends center around "a precious extraction of a single note, such as amber, tobacco, black violet, leather, gardenia, and oud wood". As the press release hastens to note, however, the scents are not one-note compositions, as the "secondary sequences of extraordinary ingredients are wrapped around" the star notes to create "a completely developed and complex eau de parfum. The result is a series of intriguing, sophisticated scents that may enchant or challenge, stimulate or delight." Private Blend is meant as a means of discovery of the fragrances that suit the personality and moods of a wearer who is supposed to eventually "become the curator of their own individualized fragrance collection". Over the course of this week, I will talk about all twelve scents. I start today with Amber Absolute, Black Violet and Bois Rouge. Amber Absolute Tom Ford Beauty call this blend of "the purest form of amber", African incense, labdanum, woods and vanilla a hallmark of the Private Blend collection. This is a complex, opulent rendition of amber; although certainly focusing on the title note, the scent is much more than a basic amber mono-perfume, and as someone who is not particularly fond of amber "soliflores", I very much appreciate the multifaceted quality of this scent. I particularly love the dark and somber incense undertone that poses a striking contrast to the honeyed sweetness of amber and vanilla. Incense here has, to me, a definite "churchy" feel, more specifically, for some reason it makes me think of Orthodox churches with their combination of austere spirit and Byzantine opulence. Incense stays noticeable throughout the development of the scent, only after a couple of hours (this is a very long-lasting fragrance) does it give way to the woods. The woody accord reminds me of the note Lutens uses in his Boisees series, which I know is mostly cedar, but which is so velvety-soft, sweet and warmly balsamic that it always seems to me to be more like sandalwood. Sophisticated, luxurious, chic and at the same time wonderfully comforting, Amber Absolute is a delight. Something tells me that it might become one of the most popular of the Private Blends. Black Violet Guerlain's Insolence made me suspect that violets and fruits don't go well together (at least for me), and Black Violet proved that suspicion. With notes of citrus, "pulpy fruit", "black violets", woods and oakmoss, the scent, to me, seems to be focusing on the fruits and woods much more than on violets. It starts with a pleasantly tangy burst of citrus; in a matter of seconds, the sweet, ripe fruity accord (plum? peach? berries of some sort? -hard to tell) begins to unfold. It more or less dominates the composition, overwhelming the violets. It smells sweet and "thick" and indeed does have a sultry, "black" feeling about it. Eventually, woods become more apparent; the woody note here is a little spicy, a tiniest bit powdery, resinous and all in all rather attractive. At this stage, the violet is finally perceptible, but it is not a prominent note by any means. Tom Ford Beauty classify this scent as Floral, but it seems to me to be more along the lines of a woody-oriental composition. When smell-able, the violets appear to be sweet and a little "buttery", and not unlike their creamy-gourmand counterparts in Armani Prive Cuir Amethyste. I love my violets to be either gentle and ethereal or dry and earthy-green, I am not a fan of sweet violet fragrances, not even Lutens' celebrated Bois de Violette, and so perhaps I am simply not able to appreciate Black Violet. It seems to me to be too robust and sweet and lacking a little finesse. Bois Rouge Bois Rouge's citrus-herbal-spicy top notes, with their sharp, cold quality set the tone for the rest of the composition, and the tone is decidedly masculine. I like very much the dry patchouli note that becomes apparent on my skin right in the beginning. A forceful, heady jasmine then appears on the scene, and, strange as it sounds in relation to this typically very feminine note, even jasmine here smells masculine. Every note in the composition has a certain bracing, austere quality, an elegant virility of sorts that I can't help but think of as "manly". After the jasmine explosion subsides, I begin to smell cedarwood and sandalwood; the woody accord has a slight cinnamon-like undertone on my skin and an even slighter hint of leather. The spiciness warms up the scent significantly, and vanilla contributes to softening and smoothing the harsh, angular features of the blend. It is a striking, very handsome - in a somewhat severe, jaw-clenched, rugged way - fragrance, and although it is decidedly too masculine for me, it should be breathtaking on a male of the species. Tom Ford Private Blend fragrances are available at Bergdorf Goodman (not online, it seems), $165.00 for 50ml, $450.00 for 250ml. Image sources, Vanity Fair, Tom Ford Beauty.

Perfume Review: Tom Ford Black Orchid

Black Orchid is the first offering from the newly established Tom Ford Beauty brand, modestly envisioned by Ford as “the first true luxury brand of the 21st century”. With his first perfume, Ford wanted to create “an iconic fragrance that could become the center of the world of Tom Ford Beauty”. Being, by his own admission, obsessed with orchids, the designer wanted to base the scent on the blackest orchid of all, a flower strange and rare. The flower, a black bloom with a hint of aubergine, was found at a Swiss orchid breeder, and, using the headspace technology, the essence of the Tom Ford black orchid was captured. Outfitted in opulent, Art Deco-inspired black and gold packaging, the darkly-sweet, heady fragrance speaks of unabashed luxury and glamour. According to Tom Ford, the fragrances that have been launched in the last decade were “so stripped-down, so transparent in terms of color and often in terms of scent (…) they often become quite watered-down. Ford’s goal was “to create old-fashioned, but in a new sense”. (From Women’s Wear Daily, 07/28/2006) Like it or dislike it (and opinions probably will be as polarized as that), no one could call Black Orchid transparent or watered-down. The robust, striking juice certainly evokes an era that is much less politically correct and “stripped-down” than ours. And actually one doesn’t have to go back too far to find an example of a scent of similar boldness and lavishness. To me, Black Orchid has the same general feel as Poison, that magnificent giant from the 1980s. Tom Ford Beauty only tells us that the fragrance was created by Givaudan, but if I dared to attribute it to one specific perfumer or to guess where at least some of the inspiration came from, I would have said that Black Orchid evokes the audacious, generous, alluring style of Edouard Flechier. It was easy for me to fall in love with Black Orchid, because in the very first notes it has given me what I always adore in perfume, the warm darkness, the appealing earthiness, the strangeness. The first accord, the blast of wet soil (black truffle?) and patchouli is odd, even awkward. With its fruity and gourmand accents, which would appear shortly, Black Orchid certainly gives a nod to the current trends, but that black, velvety earth in the beginning, which would be always present at least as a hint throughout the scent’s development, becoming more prominent in the drydown…that black earth, in which black orchids grow, is what constitutes the boldness and the unusualness of the scent and what shows to me that Ford Beauty are prepared to go in directions where few luxe brands dare to venture. After the striking, unexpected top accord dissipates, the (black) flowers begin to flourish, they are creamy (ylang-ylang), buttery even (tuberose?), they are heady. Combined with the honeyed fruitiness, the flowers smell hypnotic, they are so sultry, they are almost unbearable. Were it not for that earthiness, which at times, in the middle stage, has a beautiful incense undertone, the heart of Black Orchid could have been too much for me. In a while, the fleshy fruity-floral sweetness subsides; patchouli, incense and woods become more apparent. The official description promises “the Noir Gourmand Accord” in the base of Black Orchid, and there is a chocolate-like quality here, but, perhaps again because of the earth and the woods and the incense, it is not nearly as Gourmand as it could have been. The scent has tremendous lasting power and takes a long time to develop, continuing to change on my skin for eight-nine hours. In the very last stages of drydown, Black Orchid is all soft creaminess of vanilla and sweet balsam. If I had to describe this fragrance in one word, the word would be “decadent”. This glamorous bombshell of a scent can be found at Neiman Marcus, where Eau de Parfum retails for $90.00-$135.00 and pure parfum in black crystal Lalique bottles, for $600.00. It is said that in the spring, three ancillary Black Orchid products will be also released, an $80.00 hair perfume, a $45.00 body lotion, a $45.00 cleansing oil, and a $48.00 finishing oil spray. The first image is from neimanmarcus.com, the second from tomford.com.

Tom Ford Black Orchid

According to Cosmeticnews.com, Tom Ford plans to create “the first true luxury brand of the 21st century”. [I guess brands like Chanel or Hermes are not luxurious enough for Mr. Ford. On a second thought, perhaps Chanel and Hermes never did strive to be seen as luxurious, perhaps their desire is to be chic. Some would say that this is an entirely different quality.] His new fragrance, Black Orchid, seems to be the first step on the way to achieving this ambitious goal. The oriental chypre formulated by Givaudan has notes of jasmine, black gardenia, ylang ylang, the custom-made Tom Ford Black Orchid, more orchid, patchouli, vanilla, molten amber and sandalwood. The EdP bottle, designed by Ford, is an Art Deco–inspired piece of jet-black fluted glass, with a hand-tied cord and a 23k gold-plated name plaque with engraved lettering. A limited-edition black-crystal perfume bottle, created by Lalique, comes with a 15ml glass vial filled with perfume and a gold funnel in which the fragrance is poured into the bottle. Each bottle is signed and numbered and comes with a certificate of authenticity. The face of Black Orchid is Julia Restoin, the daughter of French Vogue editor-in-chief Carine Roitfeld. Black Orchid EdP will cost $90 for the 50ml and $135 for the 100ml, the perfume mere $600 for the 15ml, and will launch in the US mid-October and in the UK, Austria, France, Germany and Switzerland in December. The second phase of distribution, in spring 2007, will launch 30ml EdP at $65, along with Luminous Hair Perfume ($70 / 50ml), Hydrating Emulsion (150ml / $40), Body Cleansing Oil (150ml / $40) and Finishing Oil Spray (150ml / $45). The news and the image are from Cosmeticnews.com.