Everyone I know probably thinks that I would have purchased this solely for the name alone, and everyone would be right. When rumors started circulating that Tom Ford was naming his latest limited edition Private Blend something like ‘Fucking Fabulous’ I believed it instantly. It was just insane and cheeky enough to be true. I also wanted to have it just to answer ‘Fucking Fabulous’ when/if anyone asked what I smelled like. And having the matte black bottle in my collection with that iconic name shouting its contents was the third reason for ponying up the hefty price point.
That said, one doesn’t spend the kind of money required for a Tom Ford purchase based on name alone, I don’t care how fucking fabulous it may be. I still needed to try it. This past fall, I managed to get into his flagship store in New York and spritz a bit on my arms, and I was smitten enough to justify the Christmas gift request. It arrived a couple of weeks ago thanks to Santa Andy, and I absolutely adore it.
Billed rather deceptively as an Oriental leather, to me it’s much softer than that. The main and most-lasting note I get is a tonka accord, but there are spicy elements of bitter almond oil, orris root, and clary sage that open and develop throughout the scent’s trajectory. I get a bit of citrus at the outset too, not totally dissimilar from ‘Rive d’Ambre’ which I love. The leather is lacking a little, but that works here. Too much would ruin the delicacy of what’s happening. (Of course, it’s possible I’ve been spoiled by the head-knocking jolt of ‘Tuscan Leather‘…)
The elevated price point of ‘Fucking Fabulous’ is earned mostly from the name alone; sillage and lasting power aren’t this fragrance’s strong points. A few hours later it’s still there, but it’s very soft, as if shy to leave the skin. That may seem the anti-thesis of its bold moniker, but sometimes being fabulous is more about seducing than demanding. The former is whispered elegance; the latter is crude. The line between them is finer than most care to realize, and no one walks that line with more swagger than Tom Ford.
