Category Archives: Cologne

Having been lucky and blessed enough to have amassed a sizable collection of Tom Ford Private Blends from birthdays and Valentine’s Days and Christmas Eves (and a few non-occasion days where I simply had to treat myself) I’m fortunate to have an arsenal of fragrances appropriate for every turn of the calendar. 

This time of the year, when things are filled with magic and sparkle, and when being extra is expected of everyone, I indulge in the intoxicating sweetness of sandalwood. At any other time of the year it might be a bit too much, but for the holidays it’s just right. ‘Santal Blush‘ is still sublime, and ‘Ebene Fume‘ is a smokier take on sandalwood that incorporates some Palo Santo to temper its sweetness. 

Winter wants something dry and cozy, a bit of ‘Oud Wood’ or ‘Tobacco Oud’. It also comes with the pink sickly-sweetness of Valentine’s Day, for which the rosy sheen of ‘Oud Fleur‘ (and its incense-like haze) or ‘Rose de Russie‘ and its more delicate floral enchantment, are tailor-fitted.

The freshness of spring finds barber-shop beauty in ‘Fougere D’Argent‘ and ‘Beau de Jour’.  That’s merely a warm-up for the heat of summer, when the Portofino collection comes into its own glory with ‘Neroli Portofino‘, ‘Costa Azzurra’ and ‘Mandarino di Amalfi‘. Then there is the warmth and light of ‘Soleil Blanc’. 

Turning into fall, some of Ford’s richest offerings shimmer with the advance of colder nights, such as ‘Amber Absolute‘, ‘Bois Marocain‘ and ‘Japon Noir‘. And then it’s holiday time again, when the sparkle show returns… 

We are approaching the holiday season, and though that may feel a long way off, it’s really not, and I don’t want anyone to get caught in shipping delays or backed up orders, so here’s an early promising idea that comes courtesy of my favorite fragrance supplier, Tom Ford. This is ‘Myrrhe Mystere’, the latest Private Blend release, billed as “a provocative, vibrational expression of the mystical resin – a richly luminous aura.” What the fuck ever – I’m highly skeptical that anything approaching myrrh is involved in this, but fragrance is more about the idea and essence than authenticity. Reviews so far have been kind, likening it to ‘Ébène Fumé’, which I absolutely love (it has supplanted ‘Santal Blush’ as my holiday fragrance). If this comes anywhere close to that, it may be the fall fragrance that leads into holiday season, and I might have to simply order it myself sooner rather than later. I’ll give it a spin the next time I’m in Boston.

The listed notes are sandalwood, myrrh essence and ultra-vanille accord – while those in the know/nose have proclaimed it to be a dreamy bit of amber. If there’s a scrap of ‘Amber Absolute’ in the mix I’m definitely in. A major drawback is the outrageous price point for this one, which is better left unsaid and unprinted lest anyone think I’ve gone completely around the bend. When I do a sample test, its going to have to last the whole day long, and project to kingdom come to make it worth such exorbitance. We shall see.

With an anniversary coming up, I’m putting this little Tom Ford wish out into the universe, and the timing is ideal as a re-release from Ford’s original Private Blends line is bringing us back. For me, it goes back in more ways than one, making this a sign from the universe, and a connection from one uncle to another. 

Back in the 80’s, my favorite Uncle was visiting us around the holidays, and my brother and I had to find a gift for him. The Amsterdam Mall had a men’s department store – Mortan’s – which sprawled out with tan decor and carpet, and the generally dull but classic trappings of stuffy men’s fashion. At the register was a small tray of cologne with the very basic of offerings. My nose knew nothing then, so one was just as good as another. There was one that came redolent of limes, and since citrus reminded me as much of the holidays as it did summer, that seemed the natural choice. Packaged in what looked like a wicker-wrapped bottle, it was St. John’s West Indian Lime Cologne to the best of what I can remember and discover online now. The red banner of ‘Imported’ across some of the bottle photos looks comfortingly familiar. As for the scent, it was a traditional citrus scent for men, one that has lasted through the decades.

We gave the bottle to my Uncle for Christmas, and he set it on the wooden desk of my bedroom, where he and my Aunt were staying for their visit. Some spilled onto the wood, and after they left – after Christmas and New Year’s were done, after the emptiness and quiet seeped back into our winter world, I leaned into the desk, bringing my nose close to the wood, and inhaling the scent of lime, remembering my favorite Uncle. It was a balm that brought his memory back to me when I was missing him the most. 

As for ‘Azure Lime’ by Tom Ford, I remember trying it years ago, but I wasn’t quite ready for its classic structure and traditional musky dry-down. Being older now, I’ve grown into such a masculine scent where it no longer feels too mature. I’ve also always loved a citrus scent, but for some reason I’ve always been fighting it. The time has come to embrace what we love. Maybe one day when I’m gone, my godson will remember ‘Azure Lime’ when a whiff of citrus comes his way, not knowing why it rekindles the summer of his first birthday… 

Unimpressed with the fruity flankers for the ‘Lost Cherry‘ scent by Tom Ford, despite the write-ups and promise of ‘Cherry Smoke’, I’m holding more hope for the latest addition to the ‘Soleil’ series, ‘Soleil de Feu’. Way back in 2016, and what feels like a lifetime ago, I succumbed to the summer coconut decadence of ‘Soleil Blanc’, which grew on me with its beauty, tropical vibe. (I’m still partial to ‘Mandarino di Amalfi‘ for true summer magnificence.) 

That said, I wasn’t so enamored of ‘Soleil Blanc’ to understand setting up an entire ‘Soleil’ line, but then I tried ‘Soleil Brulant‘ when on an anniversary trip to Boston a couple of years ago, and it was love all over again. So it is that I’m anxiously preparing to sample the latest ‘Soleil de Feu’ to see if we’re going to make a run for a soleil triumvirate for this year’s anniversary. 

The literature on this one sounds positively incendiary:

Inspired by bronze strokes of fiery sunset light, Soleil de Feu captures a burnished sensuality with tuberose accord, warm ambers, and exotic sandalwood. The amber woody scent evokes the molten sun descending in a burnished blaze over the sea, painting the sky with fiery strokes of bronze solar light.
“Soleil de Feu is a smoldering amber woody scent evoking sunset light. It is the most sensual expression of Soleil.” – Tom Ford

I can see this being something that I might absolutely love, or one that just misses the mark. If it comes close to the ‘Bitter Peach‘ anomaly which was perfect for spring and summer gatherings, I’ll consider it. If it veers toward ‘Rose Prick’ and ‘Lost Cherry’ territory, we may switch up the cologne request for the anniversary season. 

Lavender has threaded a magical way through all seasons of the year, its soothing and calming effects rightly renowned, and it has formed an integral part of everything from cocktails and mocktails to sachets and bouquets. It’s a fragrance that we use year-round, in room diffusers to aid with sleeping and in essential oils to add a scent of serenity to any moment that requires a little bit of calming. While its bloom time is high summer in the garden, I’ve taken to using it on snowy days to counter the ill-effects of a winter held too long. 

Tom Ford briefly introduced the world to his first lavender creation, ‘Lavender Palm’, a number of years ago. Originally billed as an ode to California, it is one of the finest lavender fragrances I’ve encountered. Carrying an aromatic heart, slightly redolent of herbs thanks to the lavender, clary sage and bergamot opening, it transforms into something that reverberates as a slight fougere, with a dry down that reveals vetiver and oak moss. Imbuing a refined elegance and sophistication to the raw and slightly rough essence of natural lavender, Ford’s version lends it a silvery sheen, something he expands upon with the flanker ‘Lavender Extreme’. 

My friend JoAnn, longtime adorer of all things lavender, found a bottle of ‘Lavender Extreme’ but it wasn’t quite what she was expecting, so she was good enough to gift it to me. I find it a slightly more powdery take on the original, something softer and more suited to indoor winter days of cashmere and tea, or summer mornings in the fleeting hours before it gets too overbearingly hot. ‘Lavender Palm’, on the other hand, is one of those elusive Private Blends that works well on any given day of the year. That’s part of the magic of lavender. 

I also find that ‘Lavender Palm’ is the more lasting and potent of the two, which is slightly annoying given the ‘Lavender Extreme’ moniker. That said, it’s a minor annoyance, easily remedied by being decadently indulgent and blending the two. At this time of the year, it’s ok to be a little decadent. The more divine, the better. 

When Taylor Swift premiered her ‘Lavender Haze’ video, it felt a fitting time to rediscover both ‘Lavender Palm’ and ‘Lavender Extreme’, so I tried some of the Extreme for some fun photo preening and posing late at night, and some of the Palm for a family birthday gathering. Swift’s reference comes from the historical version of the lavender haze – a state of love focused on that early infatuation period – the moment that only the very lucky among us can remember and inhabit, and I count myself extremely lucky, as Andy is the one who gave me that rare bottle of ‘Lavender Palm’. 

I just wanna stay in that lavender haze…

Tom Ford has a knack for scintillating fragrance monikers. (Hello ‘Fucking Fabulous‘, ‘Rose Prick‘ and ‘Lost Cherry‘.) One that has an overused-emoji already in place for its glory is ‘Bitter Peach’. While it came out a while ago, this one is a recent addition to my cologne cabinet thanks to a Christmas present from Andy. I’ve loved peach as a fragrance for years, but never experienced it in a perfume or cologne.

At first I was skeptical, as Ford’s fruity excursions (like ‘Lost Cherry’) have veered too close to the sugary mainstream stuff that celebrities like Britney Spears or Jennifer Lopez put forth. Upon an initial quick spritz at a nearby Sephora store, I remained unconvinced – however, when I tried it out again a year later, the bit of bitterness was enough to keep me intrigued, and the bright peach that opens it so gorgeously made it worth the ask. 

There’s also a perfect backing soundtrack to this scent, provided by Prince in a B-Side cut from his collection of ‘The Hits’  – this is ‘Peach’:

It’s certainly a ripe song for a Tom Ford Private Blend fragrance – it gives sass and sex and just a touch of raunch – though the fragrance itself is more subdued and graceful. ‘Bitter Peach’ is a brief puff of summer sweetness, immediately tempered by a spicy gourmand vibe from some cardamom, blood orange, rum and cognac. An element of promised bitterness comes in at the end of the opening. While the base notes are a little voluminous (the literature lists Indonesian Patchouli Leaf, Vanilla, Tonka Bean, Sandalwood, Benzoin, Cashmeran, Styrax, Labdanum and Vetiver) they marry well and end up settling into something elegantly restrained – the bright and sexy peach fuzz transforming into the softest cashmere.

At that point, the one drawback of such beauty occurs: it goes away too quickly. Topping out at about an hour or two, that initial voluptuousness fades to a whisper that stays quietly close to the skin, demanding repeated application throughout the day – not necessarily a bad thing, but something to consider with its hefty price tag. 

This is one of those rare Ford Private Blends that can, and probably should, be used year-round. Many of his creations work well only in certain seasons (‘Mandarino di Amalfi‘, ‘Costa Azzurra‘, and ‘Venetian Bergamot‘ for spring and summer; ‘Amber Absolute‘, ‘Vert D’Encens‘, ‘Ébène Fumé‘ for fall and winter) ‘Bitter Peach’ would work well in summer, fall, and even winter, thanks to its spicy accents of bitterness and the warm softness of its dry down. 

Such multi-faceted use mirrors the double and triple entendres for a scent called ‘Bitter Peach’ – the likes of which could be explored for days. You’ll have to settle for this cheeky blog post and all its innuendo and butt-baring outuendo. 

Summertime, feelin’ fine, getting wild
All that’s on my mind
Here she come, dressed in red
Get her done, is all that’s in my head
Her hot pants can’t hide her cheeks

She’s a peach…

When Tom Ford released the scandalously-monikered ‘Lost Cherry’ it was somewhat of a let-down. Like ”Fucking Fabulous’ before it, the name was more exciting than the fragrance, and while I love and enjoy ‘Fucking Fabulous’, it doesn’t walk into a room and announce its presence with fanfare and electricity. It seduces in a quieter manner. ‘Lost Cherry’ simply lost me, with a rather cloying sugary element that might appeal more to the youth of today than the old curmudgeons like myself who want more oomph than sweetness. 

So it was with a dose of skepticism intermingled with hope that I heard about two new cherry frags from the Tom Ford Private Blend collection – ‘Cherry Smoke’ and ‘Electric Cherry’ – whether they will be flankers or stand-upright on their own remains to be seen. Of the two, ‘Cherry Smoke’ sounds the most promising, and I could totally get on board if they’re going for a darker cherry vibe. That said, my nose tends to favor the fruity, as evidenced by the ‘New York Oud’ by Bond No. 9 which entranced me despite my reticence to sweet and fruit-like scents (nothing really Oud about it) so perhaps ‘Electric Cherry’ will be the one that brings me into Ford’s cherry-popping glory. 

The new releases come at an opportune moment, right before Valentine’s Day, not unlike his exquisite Rose release last year. That one resulted in one of the more beautiful creations of Private Blend history – ‘Rose de Russie’ – which I enjoy to this very day. Will any of these new cherries strike similar sparks? We shall hopefully see…

Not many fragrances live up to their over-the-top billing and extreme descriptors, but ‘Amber Absolute’ from Tom Ford’s Private Blends more than fulfills its accompanying literature. It carries even more mystery and magnificence since it’s been discontinued for years, and later versions are reportedly nowhere near as potent as its original incarnation. An early blog attempt at capturing its magic fell flat for me, and I never properly honored such an exquisite scent, so I’m trying again here. 

This is considered by many to be the greatest Tom Ford Private Blend, and it is definitely the most gorgeously dark and decadent scent in my cologne cabinet, surpassing even the intoxicating ‘Tuscan Leather‘ and ‘Portrait of a Lady‘. It was re-released as part of a Reserve Collection, but I’ve been told it’s not as good, so I’ve been using my original as sparingly as possible to make it last. The re-releases tend to be slightly watered-down, while the price has gone insanely up. 

October is usually when my bottle gets its turn off the shelf, cozily cuddling up to the chilly nights. When fireside chats demand sweaters and boots, this is a scent that can hold its own with the burning embers and smoky air. No other cologne can combat such a combination as well as ‘Amber Absolute’. 

There is amber and musk at its animalistic heart, while a smoky shroud of incense lends a spiritual mystery that almost balances the primal beast lurking within the bottle. Almost… because that dirty, flirty, anything-but-religious fervor cannot be contained or balanced by incense or hints of vanilla. Despite their valiant efforts to sweetly tamp down the fiery tongues of fragrance unleashed with each spritz, this is one monster that refuses to be tamed. It’s like fucking around with fire – sooner or later someone gets hurt – and what a lovely way to burn.