This post neatly merges three of my loves in one simple and refined package: fragrance, leopard, and Tom Ford. It’s a collection of Ford’s mainstream frags (and quite honestly, this is a lazy-ass repost of photos already featured here). But hey, it’s the holiday season, and if people want shit wrapped this is the cost. My Christmas tree thanks you for understanding.
Have you ever left a movie feeling like you want to cry and smile at the same time, and maybe die a little too? It’s not necessarily because you recognize yourself in any of the characters, but perhaps for the first time in your life you can admit to some regrets, and you no longer pretend you don’t have any. That’s how I felt when the stunning final scene of ‘Nocturnal Animals’ faded to black.
Directed by Tom Ford, this is not a film for everyone, even as I wish that everyone could experience it. Such beauty seems not long for this world, and though every frame is a work of art unto itself, the masses will never have the sense to embrace the multi-layered nuances and subtle styling of this mind-fuck of a film. That’s ok. Much like his Private Blends, Ford’s latest film is a potent dose of bittersweet beauty. It’s also a striking companion to his equally-riveting directorial debut, ‘A Single Man.’
‘Nocturnal Animals’ finds a successful art doyenne, Susan, looking back on her first marriage to Edward, as she receives a book written by him. The book plays out within the movie, featuring Jake Gyllenhaal as both Edward and Tony, the protagonist of the book. Amy Adams give deceptively soul-less life to the current-day Susan, instilling her tight-rope-tense character with just enough vulnerability to tease out a life of regret, while Gyllenhaal gives a raw, naked gut-wrenching performance in both of his roles.
The macabre tale-within-a-tale narrative is a brutal mirror of how Edward now views his relationship with Susan, and the violent acts within are barely tempered by the fact that this is a work of art and supposed fiction.
There is a bitter element of realizing that what we give up to get what we think we want is often something we may never get back. The relative notions of success are also imbued with ambivalence.
As much as some may covet Susan’s spectacular home and flawless wardrobe, it is clear there is little happiness in her life. While we never see the modern-day Edward, his presence is felt through Susan’s eyes. He is made thrillingly palpable, and all the more insidious, by the diabolically subtle way in which Ford reveals the almost sinister act of revenge by the betrayed.
It is the province and privilege of youth to display an absolutely-no-regrets mentality, a sense of owning everything you’ve done, and all the choices you’ve made. For most of my life, I’ve fallen into that trap. Ford’s film seems to give warning to that notion while also celebrating it, warping one woman’s regret into an emptiness that threatens to devour her.
Despite its somber tone and deliberate pace, and in the face of all of Ford’s gorgeous cinematic flair, this is a brutal film, one that examines our regrets, and the ways in which we deal with heartache and loss. By the time the devastating final scene plays out, the bleak totality of these characters, and the very modern carelessness we’ve come to embrace when it comes to love, washes over the cinematic landscape like a chilly desert morning. There is a stunning, barren, stark beauty here ~ the gorgeous and tragic realization that no matter how carefully we guard ourselves against the world, its pain is something no one escapes.
A true classic never goes out of style, and Tom Ford’s first mainstream cologne (named, simply, ‘Tom Ford for Men’) remains one of the few fragrances I’ve ever brought more than once. I returned to it again recently, after running low on ‘Tom Ford Extreme’ – and even though I do prefer the latter for its richer and deeper resonance, the original is perfect for everyday office wear, or a casual Sunday brunch in the fall.
As sacrilegious as it may be to say, there’s something in it that reminds me of my Dad’s ‘Old Spice’. In its porcelain white bottle and old-school stopper, Old Spice was the first cologne I ever smelled. It barely influenced me one way or another as far as colognes went, so harmless and generally inoffensive was its tried and true formula. My mother’s perfumes were more interesting to my budding olfactory senses.
Ford employs a similarly spicy theme, then elevates it as one would expect from such a master of style. It’s got a slightly brighter opening, with elements of citrus that lead the charge, then settles into a spicy but light musk. Elements of Black Orchid emerge and carry it through the day, yet it’s not quite as loud as that infamous stomper. Never overbearing, but never completely silent, it makes its presence known without having to shout. Many of us, myself included, could learn from such quiet command.
While his exquisite Private Blend Collection is something I save for special days, sometimes you just want a simple, low-key fragrance for those in-between moments that comprise the bulk of daily life. Tom Ford consistently proves that the daily doesn’t need to be the mundane.
Whispers had it that upon the launch of his Private Blend series, Tom Ford favored the dark and decadent thrill known as Japon Noir, and that he regularly wore it himself. It’s very much a head-turner, and as one of the most hyper-masculine entries in that original PB series, it stood on its own at that end of the fragrance spectrum.
Japon Noir opens with a bang- an oriental with deeper elements of leather and pine resin – but calms down after an hour or so into something slightly sweeter. An edge of incense runs through its trajectory, lending warmth and a slight smokiness to the proceedings. It holds onto this to the end, which comes a little sooner than I’d like, but for such a powerhouse opening it would be all but impossible to sustain.
This one has been discontinued for a while now, but I was lucky enough to grab a bottle before it disappeared completely. It’s the perfect fragrance for the month of November, when things suddenly go dark and gray, and the only thing that gets us through the doldrums is an inspired spritz of something sophisticated and somewhat smoky.
Leave it to Tom Ford to distill my little life into a few choice sound bites. It’s as if he’s taken the wisdom gleaned from four decades on this earth and bottled it in one Private Blend bottle. Complex, challenging, yet sublimely simple. This is why I find him such an inspiration. When you achieve what Mr. Ford has, there is more than beauty and design at work – there is a thoughtful intelligence, and a scrupulously studied understanding of the world.
I am really a loner after all; I am really not a social person. Because of my job, people think I am out every night, but I really hate all that. I am somebody who likes to be alone and see some close friends. I am a shy and introspective person. ~ Tom Ford
But as an adult working in the fashion industry, I struggle with materialism. And I’m one of the least materialistic people that exist, because material possessions don’t mean much to me. They’re beautiful, I enjoy them, they can enhance your life to a certain degree, but they’re ultimately not important. ~ Tom Ford
We live in a material world. I’m not saying that beautiful things don’t enhance our lives. But, in our culture, we’re never happy. ~ Tom Ford
What is important is that we stop and realize, ‘Okay. This is fine. I can enjoy that.’ But what is really important, what I’m really going to take away with me from this life, is my connection with other people. ~ Tom Ford
Bonus: he’s a fellow Virgo. We have the worst sign, but it sometimes serves us well. Not sure others would agree…
The world might be a very scary place if it were only run by Virgos. ~ Tom Ford
If I have an obsession, it’s with fragrance, but compared to other obsessions (crack, heroin, luxury cars, gambling, Louis Vuitton) my cologne fixation has yet to ruin any lives. If anything, it improves things ~ our bathroom smells sweetly at all times. Still, seeing the long list of fragrances which I have amassed over the years does give me pause, and for now I’m doing just that: taking a pause in the cologne collection, and a look at what currently resides on the Tom Ford shelf of my cologne cabinet.
That’s enough for now, and it really should be enough forever, but just when I think I’m done he comes out with something spectacular. Lately, my love is burning for the leathers ~ Tuscan Leather and Ombre Leather 16. I’m hoping the samples I have will give me the fix I need. If not, that’s what holiday wish lists are for.
Inspired by his recent runway show, Tom Ford has a new leather fragrance out – ‘Ombre Leather 16’ – and it’s a doozy. One of the first Private Blends he ever released was ‘Tuscan Leather’ – a potent beast that I despised for a few years before coming around to its smoldering, dark beauty and delicious dry-down. Which brings me to the dilemma of the day as I seek out a leather fragrance: do I go with the ‘Tuscan’ or branch out to the lesser-known ‘Ombre’? This past weekend I had the opportunity to try both, but rather than sort things out, it only intensified the debate.
‘Tuscan Leather’ was the flagship of the Private Blends when they made their debut. The ultra-luxe line offered a niche for those looking for something exceptional – in quality, sillage, longevity, and, of course, price. Each was a decadent treat, and while a few soon fell by the wayside (‘Purple Pachouli’ and ‘Moss Breches’) about half remain in circulation (and some such as ‘Tuscan Leather’ and ‘Oud Wood’ are gloriously timeless).
The new ‘Ombre Leather 16’ actually opens with a bigger leather burst, and it’s a bit drier than its ‘Tuscan’ predecessor (which appeals to me as we head into fall/winter). However, the ‘Ombre’ dry down becomes something more delicate and soft, while ‘Tuscan’ powers on with its leather kick for a bit longer before softening into a well-renowned raspberry musk sweetness. The bad news for my wallet is that each is beautiful in its own right, and distinct enough to stand alone. Which leaves me in a pickle. A deliciously-scented pickle.
Thanks to the kindness of my Tom Ford experts, however, I have a couple of samples to see me through the decision-making process. These things take time. These things must be done delicately…
Our weekend of Tom Ford continues with this promising post. In what has got to be the most eagerly anticipated film for me this year, ‘Nocturnal Animals,’ directed by the one and only Tom Ford, finally gets its first official trailer. His virgin directorial effort ‘A Single Man’ remains a stellar showcase of beauty and ache, but this new one already has critics buzzing beyond that stunning start. Starring Amy Adams and Jake Gyllenhaal (who seems to be shirtless and possibly nude half a dozen times in the trailer below) it is billed as a thriller that captures you at the start and doesn’t let you go until you’ve been ravaged as wildly as the faster rollercoaster, tossed around in a deliriously emotional hurricane, and brought to cantankerous climax.
Did I mention a naked Jake Gyllenhaal?
With his new Vert line, Tom Ford is dipping his fine feet into the pool of green with a quartet of Private Blends that highlights all things herbal and verdant. (Yes, it’s a quartet, much to the puzzlement of the Saks Fifth Avenue sales associates, though only three are currently available stateside.) Out of those three, one spoke to me in the language of beauty and refinement that only a Tom Ford Private Blend can speak: Vert D’Encens. A green incense at a most opportune moment: as a bed of copper-colored pine needles grows beneath the trees, the dry days of summer burn into fall. This scent captures the moment and adds just enough sparkle to see it through to the magic of the holiday season.
Opening with a bright and brash splash of pine, and a smoky edge of incense, this is seriously deep into the forest, where a rising plume of smoke from a stained-glass church lends warmth and comfort to the herbaceous elements. It is a lovely and rich crux of where humanity and nature meet. Once the pine recedes a bit, the incense smolders like it’s some high holy week.
Bits of freshly-cut grass suddenly, pleasantly, and unexpectedly poke through the smoke, reminding of the green that marks its first name. After this magical moment the heliotrope begins to bloom. The sweetness of that, which sometimes veers too dangerously close to vanilla for my liking, is here an integral part of softening that pine resin and smoke. The beautiful battle among them wages deliciously for a good hour or two, before a sweet reconciliation that carries a few hours longer.
By the end of the day, a sweetly delicate musk ensues, as if one has been witness to a glorious autumnal bonfire, and a gentle, glowing bed of embers is all that remains. This is the antidote to any apprehensiveness regarding the arrival of fall. Let it embrace and warm you.
After his summer re-tread of all things Neroli, Tom Ford is back in my good graces with his trio of new Private Blends. While there are actually four fragrances in the new ‘Les Extraits Verts’ line (Vert d’Encens, Vert de Bois, Vert Bohème and Vert de Fleur), only three are currently available stateside. Here is the literature on the new line, followed my first impressions of the three at hand.
Vert d’Encens ~ “Sophisticated, aromatic and wild, Vert d’Encens is a whole new concept for an incense fragrance, inspired by the rugged Mediterranean coastlines of Corsica. Incense, so long the domain of austere, church-y scents or lavish Middle Eastern fantasias, is combined here with intense green notes and resinous tree sap for a bright, bracing and expressively textured burst of naturalistic character.” With pine resin, tree sap accord, fir balsam, incense, heliotrope and boxtree oil.
Vert de Bois ~ “Unique and provocative, Vert des Bois represents a new evolution for green scents- a refreshingly avant-garde combination of woods, aromatics and florals as distinct as it is versatile.” With spiked ouzo accord, poplar buds, olive tree leaves, lentisque resinoid, roasted tonka and patchouli.
Vert Bohème ~ “Fresh, green and entirely free spirited, Vert Bohème sparkles like an emerald on the finger of a dynamic young artist idling away a sunlit afternoon.” With galbanum, mandarin, magnolia, honeysuckle, violet leaf and gustavia superba.
Vert de Fleur ~ “Private Blend Vert de Fleur strikes an alluring note on the definitive theme of 70s glamour. Refined with a modern flourish of iris and hyacinth, Vert de Fleur is Tom Ford’s floral subversion of classic green and captures an exuberant scene where beautiful icons with inimitable personas uncover a new world of pleasure.” Additional notes include galbanum, neroli, bergamot, basil, jasmine, rose, orange blossom, vetiver, patchouli and oakmoss.
As mentioned, the Fleur is not yet available here, and it sounds little too floral for my liking anyway, so on with the three Verts that held the most promise. I’ll begin with my least-liked to most-loved, with samples provided by the lovely Ann at Neiman Marcus (the stingy associates at the Boston Saks Fifth Avenue only allowed me two of the three samples, in spite of all the bottles I’ve purchased there).
White hot.
Bright sun.
Summer sizzle.
Leave it to Tom Ford to sneak into the summer fragrance scene with a classic echo of coconut and suntan lotion in refined and elegant form. Soleil Blanc is his take on a white powder beach, and it’s absolutely radiant.
The latest offering from the decadent Private Blend line is a scorcher that subliminally smolders instead of burning intensely. While his Portofino collection keeps things cool and crisp with its citrus heart, Soleil Blanc is a sizzler of a different sort. Coconut imbues the proceedings, but there’s a slight sliver of smokiness to this as well, because summer ripens into such a thing at its apex and again at its end. The most fleeting wisp of musk grounds the proceedings, but it’s barely noticeable. Bergamot keeps everything tidy, and the tinge of amber lends it a warmth that mirrors the hot days.
So many of Ford’s Private Blend line can read dirty ~ in the best and most interesting way ~ but this is one of the cleaner scents. There’s still an edge to it, but this one can go on summer mornings or summer nights and be equally compelling at both ends of the light.
Longevity is a few hours, typical of many summer frags but slightly disappointing in a Private Blend that holds its price-point so high. Still, worth a reapplication and a spin along the shore if you need an extra jolt this season.
“In most other areas of the luxury market, instant gratification has also become part of the luxury experience. In fact, the ultimate luxury now is to not have to wait at all. It is a romantic notion to think that people want to wait for things and anticipate them, but I’m afraid that no one really wants to wait for anything anymore.” ~ Tom Ford
It’s never too early to be thinking about summer. Sometimes, it’s the best way of getting through the winter. As such, when a few new Tom Ford fragrances were recently announced, I was giddy with daydreams of summer mornings, lazy afternoon swims, and sultry, languid evenings. The most promising is a new Private Blend ‘Soleil Blanc’ – which I had a quick whiff of a few weeks ago, but didn’t delve too deep as it reeked of summer and coconut oil and I didn’t want to spoil it with a winter memory. Scent is powerful that way and is often said to be the strongest memory-trigger. ‘Soleil Blanc’ is the aptly named white sun of summer, and though I’ve never been very keen on coconut, this one may make it into my beach vacation repertoire. (Clearly a beach excursion is required this year.) It is said to dry down with an underlying amber glow, which brings it into closer proximity with ‘Costa Azzurra’.
The other new ones are in the Portofino line, something that’s on the verge of being overdone. It’s definitely his most accessible of the Private Blend offerings, but the Private Blend line has, for me, remained special because they are so often dark and complex, and not the usual light-hearted citrus-fare of so many colognes. Don’t get me wrong – ‘Mandarino Di Amalfi’ is exquisite, and come June I will be bathing in it daily. But for a Private Blend I prefer things a bit more off the sand-beaten path.
At any rate, it’s fun to fantasize about the sunny season, and these next few weeks are when we all get a little antsy for a shift out of winter gear. I can’t think of anyone better to lead the way than Tom Ford.
“A few times in my life I’ve had moments of absolute clarity, when for a few brief seconds the silence drowns out the noise and I can feel rather than think, and things seem so sharp. And the world seems so fresh as though it had all just come into existence. I can never make these moments last. I cling to them, but like everything, they fade. I have lived my life on these moments. They pull me back to the present, and I realize that everything is exactly the way it was meant to be.” ~ ‘A Single Man’
Even if it had not been directed by Tom Ford, the film version of Christopher Isherwood’s ‘A Single Man’ would have intrigued me, with its themes of solitude, lost love, human connection, and the notion of living every moment to its fullest. Being that it was directed by Mr. Ford, there’s a whole other level of beauty, grace, and exquisite stylization that only a man of Ford’s taste and design could conjure.
I was moved the first time I saw it in the theater, but this is a film that actually grows better with each viewing. Every frame is a work of art, a perfectly-composed photograph. Sometimes it’s almost too perfect, which is one reason why it was originally seen as somewhat chilly and remote. I find just the opposite to be true. The beauty here is crackling; it strikes with heat and ferociousness. It also serves the purpose: this film demands that the viewer, like the protagonist, sees everything as if for the first time. Especially when it might be the last time.
Ford is masterful in his use of color, as expected from such a fashion wizard, and it works brilliantly as a tributary into the grand vision of the entire piece. Each section, each tiny vignette, each jewel of a close-up ~ they contribute to a mesmerizing and moving experience. Perhaps it’s too subtle for a modern audience. As I get older, I feel the loss of that studied pace of life. Maybe it’s just the sadness that sometimes comes from getting older. Yet in this film, the sadness of growing up and losing things is countered compellingly by all the beauty.
It’s in the kiss of a man. The kiss of a woman. The rolling waves of the ocean. A short trail of cigarette smoke from the lips. A corridor of lemon trees. The burning blaze of a sun’s descent. The clear, sparkling blue eyes of youth. A stillness in a shared night. Such gorgeous loneliness, such terrible beauty. Such is the sumptuous panoply of life.
My heart succumbs to it every time.
“You know, the only thing that’s made the whole thing worthwhile has been those few times when I’ve been able to really, truly connect with another human being.” ~ A Single Man
As if by divine intervention, the latest Tom Ford Private Blend was available just in the nick of time for my birthday this year, so on the actual day, Andy and I made our way to Saks to find the newest release, ‘Venetian Bergamot’. I was ready to buy it sight unseen, given my love for bergamot and Tom Ford, but I was lucky enough to get a sample beforehand and it was just as luscious as expected.
‘Venetian Bergamot’ is definitely a summer fragrance, but one that can linger through the hotter days of fall. In that respect, it’s a stellar bridge cologne, and one that works in many moods or seasons. In addition to the gorgeous bergamot, there are delicious notes of black and pink pepper, ginger, ylang ylang, magnolia, gardenia accord, cedar, pepperwood, sandalwood, tonka bean, amber and cashmere accord.
For me, the dry down is quite reminiscent of the beautiful ‘Champaca Absolut’ – one of the Private Blends I’ve teetered on the edge of purchasing, but always pulled back because it slides just too far into the floral side of things for my liking. ‘Venetian Bergamot’ solves that problem perfectly, veering into the woody realm rather than the floral scene, and I absolutely adore it. It leads stunningly well into the August/September frags of Rive D’Ambre and Plum Japonais, and now it will always bring back memories of my 40th in Boston.
The literature for Tom Ford’s Private Blend ‘Oud Fleur’ was typically over the top and deliciously dramatic:
Noble. Luxurious. Distinct. Oud Fleur eau de parfum by Tom Ford unfolds like a brocaded silk damask of two deeply iconic Arabian ingredients: Rose and Oud Wood. The gloriously rich and aged complexity that makes oud the most prized and noble wood in perfumery, is contrasted with a symphony of rose effects orchestrated to capture every dimension of the flower.
Of course, I had to have it (even if I didn’t expect to have it quite so soon, and in such happy fashion). This is a scent that seduces. When it was first released, I was on a bit of an oud overload, so ‘Fleur’ and its sister ‘Tobacco Oud’ were put on the back burner of my mind. Since that time I’ve tried it on a few occasions and smelled it on a few people, and it’s become one of my favorite Private Blends.
The overpowering and underlying scent lines are very much constructed of oud, but intertwined indelibly, and brilliantly, is a thread of resonant rose notes that rings gloriously of rich, smoky floral spice. Some of Ford’s florals I find problematic, but this one works on every plane, and positions itself smack-dab on the crux between masculine and feminine. (I know that crux. I love that crux.)
It is the perfect fragrance for greeting the spring after a gray winter. It holds onto a wisp of smoky winter air, then takes flight on the wings of a rose-laden breeze. It’s got some strong staying-power as well, justifying its Private Blend price point both in beauty and duration.
