Category Archives: Tom Ford

My contacts in the frag world have been whispering that Tom Ford’s Private Blend ‘London’ (until now only available in the London store) is making its way across the world, and will be available here long before I ever get my ass back to England. That’s good news, in a way (I was hoping to get it while actually in London, but if I end up not liking it I’d rather be disappointed on these shores.) Instead, if it turns out to be a keeper, I’ll wear it if and when I make it back to its glorious namesake city.

Mr. Ford’s Private Blends can be exquisite, but at such an exorbitant price point they are not to be taken lightly, and if you don’t absolutely love one, it’s not worth it. I have high hopes for ‘London’ but they come with reasonable reservations. Too often what sounds good on paper reads very differently to the nose, and even if one loves every single ingredient in a certain fragrance, the way it’s put together can turn it into something that is far less than the sum of its parts.

I tend to enjoy the darker, more complex Private Blends, however, so ‘London’ has that in favor. It sounds slightly smoky, with a dash of the oud that he’s been obsessing about lately, and both of those aspects appeal to me. It may be the perfect tail-end fragrance to winter, or something to be savored over a ripe fall. We shall see… or smell, as the case may be.

With its golden perfume bottle and lingering smokiness, Tom Ford‘s Sahara Noir channels a desert of amber tones, sparkling sand, and spiraling plumes of incense. Settling somewhere between his Private Blends and mainstream fragrances (both in style and price-point), it’s also decidedly straddling the feminine and masculine (much like this wearer). To that end, I had to get a bottle, even if it comes dangerously close to the Amber Absolute Private Blend that I favor at this time of the year. Sahara Noir is lighter than that though, and a better fit for everyday wear. Where Amber Absolute smolders, Sahara Noir simply glows, its embers settling nicely into a smoky incense-like romp through the fall nights.

Leave it to Tom Ford to turn a plum into the basis for one of the more sensual fragrances of the season. Plum Japonais marks a return to the deep, complex scents that once marked the original Private Blends line (and that went slightly by the wayside for his Jardin collection last year). The Atelier d’Orient quartet brings at least two new classics into the oeuvre, in the forms of Rive d’Ambre and Plum Japonais. The Rive was a perfect end-of-summer fragrance, while the Plum Japonais falls on the other side ~ the start of autumn. It’s too deliciously heavy for the day, but since the nights have started to descend earlier, that works out perfectly.

It does have a slight similarity to his long-ago discontinued Japon Noir (the very first Private Blend I ever procured, rumored to be the one that Mr. Ford himself wore), but whereas that was almost too deep and dark, Plum Japonais manages to remain on the lighter side, lifted by the sweetness of Japanese plum, then shaded by the likes of saffron, cinnamon, oud, amber, fir, and vanilla. Its opening is bright, the fruitiness of plum augmented by an all-too-brief burst of plum blossom and camellia, then it begins to smolder, with the spicy and enduring aspect of amber, before evening out.

The amber notes are especially powerful, and the bit of smokiness dries nicely into a vanilla middle. While I’m not a big fan of vanilla, it works well here, taking the edge off the incense-like vibe that never gets as strong as Amber Absolute (which is a good thing). All in all, this is an admirable addition to the Private Blends line, and will work well into the holiday season, visions of sugar plums and what-not.

How could I resist something that the nice young lady at the fragrance counter described as a roller-coaster? It was one of Tom Ford’s new Private Blends, from the Atelier d’Orient series that has held me rapt since its release last month. Initial reviews said the two to watch (err, sniff) were the ‘Plum Japonais’ and the ‘Rive d’Ambre’, so when the Rive was described as a roller-coaster, I strapped myself in and sprayed away. She said to give it twenty minutes, but I was sold after one.

Tom Ford’s Private Blends tend to vacillate between very heavy (Italian Cypress, Tuscan Leather, Amber Absolute) to very floral (Champaca Absolute, Black Orchid, Santal Blush, Neroli Portofino), and though they’re technically uni-sex, they usually fall distinctively into a traditionally masculine or feminine vibe. Rive d’Ambre comes somewhere between the two, a brilliant merging of the best of both worlds, and it is, at least currently, my favorite TF Private Blend. So much so that I bought a bottle myself when last in Boston (usually I wait until Christmas or a birthday and rely on the kindness of Andy or family to deliver). This time around I simply couldn’t wait, and took advantage of the tax-free weekend for a pre-birthday splurge.

It’s the perfect fragrance for the tricky transition from summer into fall. Light enough to lift the hot days in store, but heady enough to withstand the morning chill, Rive d’Ambre works on every level. Opening with a bright fruity splash shot through with notes of citrus and bergamot (two of my faves), it soon ripens into a rich amber hue, redolent of sunsets and early evening ablutions in preparation of a night out. There is just the slightest sense of smokiness to it, a trademark in some of Ford’s darker work, that balances out the lighter aspects. It’s not heavy enough to stick around forever, which is nice on the hotter days that September and October still afford.

Far more than a song or a taste, one of the strongest memory-triggers is said to be fragrance. It will be interesting to one day see what Rive d’Ambre recalls of this pocket of time ~ what adventures it brings to mind, what emotions it releases, what memories are being created at the moment I write this. It is, I think, a very special time.

Calm down, my birthday’s not for another month, but based on this news you may want to start putting away some money now. (I’m talking to you, Sugar Daddy.) Tom Ford has just released four new Private Blends – the Atelier d’Orient collection. And for the first time in a while I’m quite excited by the way these fragrances are sounding. (Last year’s Jardin Noir series was a big disappointment, and I couldn’t bring myself to buy one of them.) This Asian-inspired collection sounds much more intriguing.

The two that have captured my focus are Rive d’Ambre and Plum Japonais, described by the company as follows:

Rive d’Ambre is inspired by the ritual of offering citrus fruits as gifts while being colored by Tom Ford’s own sense of sensuality bringing added warmth to the perfume, an Eau de Cologne with a nostalgic slant. Notes includes essential oils of bergamot, lemon and bitter orange together with tarragon, cardamom, green mint essence. An unexpected twist has been added in the guises of benzoin and pear tree; cognac oil, tolu balsam create a golden aura which is amplified by the amber note.

Plum Japonais is the scent in the lineup which is said to be dedicated to perfume connoisseurs, which can be interpreted as being the more difficult opus of the four. Ford was struck by the interesting scent and texture as well as high symbolism of ume in both Japan and China. Notes feature saffron, cinnamon bark from Laos, immortelle, Sawara cypress – ume treated like a velvety liqueur – Japanese camelia blossoms, agar wood, amber, benzoin from Laos, fir balsam absolute, and vanilla infusion.

Of course, I’m not overlooking Shanghai Lily either, as that is said to contain notes of bitter orange and pink peppercorn, two of my current obsessions (in cocktails and fragrances both). At any rate, I’ll be checking these out next time I’m at Neiman Marcus (an excruciatingly long three weeks from now!) Luckily the only thing I enjoy more than a good pay-off is a nice long stretch of anticipation.

It was the fragrance I wore when I put on that plaid suit, and since that time it has signified October and the height of Fall. Tom Ford‘s ‘Amber Absolute’ – one of his Private Blends – is my scent for this month. With its smoky amber base, and hints of incense and patchouli, it perfectly embodies this time of the year, when fragrance can afford to be a bit heavier, like our coats and sweaters. This one is a warm one indeed – it smolders and crackles – it practically smokes, but it maintains a grounded earthiness. Best of all it lasts for literally days. Forget the ethereal wisps of summer, this bad boy is here for the duration.

Sadly, and incomprehensibly, ‘Amber Absolute’ was discontinued a few months ago (Andy got me the last bottle at the Boston Saks Fifth Avenue for my birthday) but can still be found on eBay and in some stores, so get it while the getting is good.

These are a few of the eye-popping ads used earlier this year for Tom Ford’s ‘Neroli Portofino’ Private Blend. As the title of this post suggests, Mr. Ford is one of the best at getting the most provocative and smutty still shots out of his models, but his products get you oh-so-clean, and more sweetly-smelling than the most potent orange blossom, so in the end it’s a wash. Thank you, enjoy the veal! (And no, I was not talking about her boobs.)