Category Archives: Tom Ford

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.

Ever since I started this website almost twenty years ago, I wanted it to be a respite and sanctuary of quiet and calm, a little corner of serenity and beauty, where old memories could be rekindled and new ones could be made. Keeping things light and tranquil was as much for my own enjoyment and inspiration as it was to provide that which I always found largely lacking on the internet. The sites that I enjoyed were simple, stripped-down, sparse, and pretty. They were mostly silent and without ads or interruptions or fanfare, and they provided a safe space away from the noise and bombast and vitriol of the rest of the online world. At their best, they showed us a world filled with beauty and peace, even if it was brief and finite. 

In the ensuing two decades, social media grew and expanded, turning into the overriding monstrosity that it is today, and I’ve kept close to my original design because I felt it was needed more than ever. As the world around us demands serious work and concentration to address all of its growing ills, I still only want this space to be light and airy and frivolous, our own tiny loft of safety and whims, where memories are conjured, and the simple joys of life can be studied and celebrated. 

To that end, fragrance has always been one of the more powerful memory triggers and creators. With certain scents, I can be brought back to happy summer days, smoky autumn afternoons, and wintry holiday evenings. 

Having only recently succumbed to the rich beauty of the rose after avoiding it for years, my rose binge has found its culmination in one of the latest Tom Ford Private Blends: ‘Rose De Russie’. This gorgeous juice is as pretty as its fuchsia-hued shade – a sumptuous treatise on the darker elements of rose, tamed and centered by accents of pepper and leather, allowing the rose to truly shine, while bringing out greener hints of fresh woodland wonder. 

I didn’t have high hopes after the disappointing ‘Rose Prick’ – such a promising name deserved so much more than its sweet and light flimsiness. Ford delivers that rosy promise here, with a stunningly beautiful fragrance that is richly nuanced, and easily the best of his rose trio. It’s the darkest and richest of the bouquet, and bridges the lovely distance between the heavenly ‘Rose & Cuir‘ and his own ‘Oud Fleur‘. It is only sightly reminiscent of the gorgeousness that is ‘Portrait of a Lady’, bringing in a woody and green element of freshness that might make it the ideal day companion for that smokier beast. 

As we approach the month of June – when roses are at the height of their enchantment – this may be the  memory-maker we need for the moment. 

A surprise pre-Valentine’s release of three new Private Blend rose scents from Tom Ford was happy news indeed, made even happier by Andy’s gift of a sampler set including the entire trio. (I wish Ford had done something similar with the Vert or Oud lines, but we’ll take what we get.) In this case, everything’s coming up roses, as Ford presents scents inspired by a rose garden, and while I’m a relatively recent convert to the love of rose in fragrances, the passion burns brightly now, as evidenced by ‘Oud Fleur‘, ‘Portrait of a Lady‘ and ‘Rose & Cuir‘. For Ford’s latest floral entries, I did a sampling of each over a three day period, and here are my thoughts.

Rose de Russie ~ The preliminary literature on this had it pegged as the one I would love the most, and all went according to plan. This is a gloriously peppery rose with underlying layers of leather that reveal themselves in stages. The rose and pepper battle for dominance in the opening, and it’s an exquisite duet for those of us who find rose in its pure form too sweet and rich. Darker than its cousins, ‘Rose de Russie’ is the evening scent for this trio, and I appreciate it all the more for that. It’s still slightly green, with an herbal element which crops up after the opening, much appreciated to keep steering away from the danger of sweetness. There was a fruity note that surfaced at one point- not at all unwelcome, and I’ll take fruity over sugary any day.

Twenty minutes in the scent goes all bashful, timid and hesitant, barely peeking out from the cuffs of my shirt. Still gorgeous, simply subdued. Then the synthetic leather vibe comes into prominence, still laced with a peppery rose, and still slightly hidden, which is a good thing at this point. I need to explore this one a bit more, but it’s a likely contender for the spring/summer scent 2022… 

Right up to this moment I was feeling rather uninspired and woefully unfabulous when it came to Valentine’s Day fragrances, so I was digging deep into the scent closet and pulling out various rose frags to lift the winter spirits. I started with the exquisite ‘Rose & Cuir’ which is a gorgeous summery bloom that somehow sparkles in the snowy crystals of winter. For the nights, when the air gets a little smoky there is ‘Oud Fleur‘ and the even more divine ‘Portrait of a Lady‘. 

So the rose was very much on my mind when I let out a startling gasp in front of Andy as I read about this new trio of fragrances from Tom Ford based on a rose garden. Much in the same way that his ‘Ébène Fumé’ took me by surprise with its beautiful alignment with Palo Santo incense, this rose triumvirate may be exactly what we need right now. Here is the literature on these new beauties:

Rose d’Amalfi: Inspired by the designer’s favorite Italian coast of Amalfi, this rose is sprinkled with fresh citruses and spices. It opens with Italian bergamot and mandarin paired with pink pepper. With rose, heliotrope and almond, it blends in romantic pink magic in a scent that is sensual and intimate. 

Rose de Chine: This is a more potent, smoky and sensual rose fragrance. Besides rose, it features yellow peony, labdanum and myrrh, with a hint of smoky accords. According to the designer himself, the fragrance exudes an indomitable and untamed attitude as decadent rose and Chinese peony form a gorgeous and strong contrast. It has a provocative and challenging feel.

Rose de Russie: Announced as opulent and dramatic, this edition blends Russian black leather with a rich rose scent that is nighttime appropriate. The composition also features notes of white pepper and woods for a sexy and warm finish.

These all sound intriguing, but Tom Ford and florals are a bit of a mixed bag. It began with the spring blooms of his Jardin Noir line which completely missed for me, and the Vert line he did afterward only had two of four frags that I would consider (and only ‘Vert d’Encens’ was worth a purchase). Recent offerings ‘Rose Prick’ and ‘Bitter Peach’ also smelled lackluster, with the juice veering much too sweet and sugary for my taste. That said, after the brilliance of ‘Ébène Fumé’ perhaps he’s found his way back to the dark beauty that I’ve always loved. It’s definitely that time of the year with Valentine’s Day right around the corner. 

{And if Andy is looking to completely sweep me off my feet and semi-surprise me for the holiday of hearts, the most promising option would be the handy-dandy sampling collection at this link, which includes all three for a fraction of what a full bottle costs… Also, for those of you looking to purchase some yourself, the Tom Ford store is offering them for $270, while Sephora has them listed for $368 – both at the 1.7 oz size. Something to think about for gift cards as well… Not sure why there is such a discrepancy.}

Every wonderful once in a great while, the passions of my measly personal life align with the artistic creation of one of my heroes. When it was announced that Tom Ford was releasing a new Private Blend that harkened to the early days of that line’s original potency, I was intrigued. After a spell of sweeter and lighter stuff (‘Lost Cherry’ and ‘Bitter Peach’, neither of which I adored) a return to the pungent, darker aspects that made his best stuff so beautiful was a welcome notion. Even better was the notice that explained this fragrance would feature the somewhat polarizing scent of Palo santo – a sacred wood used for incense and meditation – which is precisely how I knew it.

Legend has it that the scent of Palo santo smoke is often acrid and off-putting to those who have spiritual issues that they still need to work out, and as they address and acknowledge them in repeated meditation sessions, the scent becomes more and more enjoyable. This was very much my experience with Palo santo; the first time I smelled it, in a Tibetan store in Cambridge, MA, I thought it was horrendous. That was many years ago, when aspects of my life – at least the ones that I had never fully dealt with – were appreciably horrendous. Returning to that store, I still found the scent objectionable the next few times I visited.

The first time I lit a stick of Palo santo at the beginning of my meditation journey, it was challenging, but even without consciously working things out in my mind, the last few years seemed to have shifted how I was reacting to the smell. As my days of mediation went by, the scent became something that calmed and centered me before each session, and I eventually came to love it. Whether that’s simply the familiarity taking away its sharp edges, or some deeper transformation, I cannot completely tell, and it doesn’t really matter. When I read that Tom Ford was crafting a Private Blend that incorporated this sacred wood, I was stoked.

Of course the best laid fragrance plans on paper always seem to end up defying what the actual scent ends up being, but that didn’t stop me from blind-buying it during a Sephora sale. Thankfully when I finally tried it out in Boston a few days before my bottle arrived, it turned out to be everything I’d hoped it would be, and quite a bit more.

Rather than starting out with the Palo santo, ‘Ébène Fumé’ opens exactly like Ford’s exquisite ‘Santal Blush’ which is a sentimental favorite for holiday time, so at this point in the year it’s a welcome breath of refined air. The one minor thing that (barely) troubled me about ‘Blush’ was its relentless sweetness – which was fine for the holidays, but I tended to temper it with a bit of ‘Oud Wood’ to give it a darker aspect. Ford solves that gorgeously with ‘Ébène Fumé’, as behind that opening blast of sandalwood is a layer of incense and smoky resin which gives it some heat an hour or so into its trajectory. Shortly after that, the Palo santo comes into its glory in a most marvelous unfurling of wispy smoke – deep and rich yet somehow not overpowering. After years of volleying between too much and too little sillage – see the extremes of ‘Tuscan Leather’ versus ‘Neroli Portofino’ or ‘Japon Noir’ versus ‘Fucking Fabulous’ or ‘Vert D’Encens’ versus ‘Mandarino di Amalfi’ – Ford seems to have found the ideal meditative center of a lovely cologne, which feels finely fitting for the calming essence of Palo santo.

The more I read about the notes and impressions people are getting from the newest Private Blend by Tom Ford, the more I feel it’s going to be my requisite fragrance for summer. While I don’t believe in a blind-buy for this one (I enjoy ‘Soleil Blanc’ but ‘Soleil Neige’ didn’t do much for me, and the rest of the Soleil offerings were nice but nothing special.) ‘Soleil Brûlant’ sounds like it may bring me back into the sunny Ford fold. 

Most appealing are the elements of citrus that are said to open the scene; more problematic are the notes of vanilla and cream that some wearers mentioned. My favored scents for summer lean toward crisp and dry rather than sweet and cloying. That said, I’m very excited to try this on – if it embodies a citrus sun as the literature claims, I’ll be bathing in it by June. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RV8T3NfV7jo&t=29s

The soul of spring and summer is about to be won in a battle between Silver Mountain Spring and Soleil Brûlant. That means a showdown of the House of Creed versus the House of Tom Ford – and while the house that Ford built usually has the edge, this time around my nose is leaning into the Creed. Something to contemplate for the gift-giving events to come…

In this corner, Tom Ford:

Soleil Brûlant belongs to the Private Blend line, launched in March 2021. The opening notes combines bergamot, mandarin orange and pink pepper, leading us to the rich heart of orange blossom absolute and black honey. The composition is settled on a deep and warm oriental – woody blend (leather, vetiver, resins, frankinsence, amber and woodsy notes) which reflect the warmness of enveloping Sun. 

In this corner, Creed:

The adventurous Silver Mountain Water evokes sparkling streams coursing through the snow-capped Swiss Alps, a bracing landscape in which Olivier Creed, a championship skier, finds relaxation and renewal. A bestseller since its launch, this modern marine/green scent captures the purity of the mountains-soft, milky-sweet blackcurrants mixed with green tea, the richness of bergamot, and sandalwood. Its opaque white bottle hints at icy snowbanks topped with a glistening cap.

“I do struggle because I’m attracted to beautiful things, yet at the same time I am actually very aware, in some sense, of their lack of value and that the most important things in life are your connections to other people.” ~ Tom Ford

While Tom Ford has a fun and effervescent collection of lighter fragrances for spring and summer (the Neroli Empire for example) it’s his wickedly dark and smoky concoctions that are more suited to fall and winter that appeal to my primal olfactory beast. There are a few Private Blends that I wear only from now until November, and they are the fragrant signifiers of fall, and all the decadent drama it typically exudes.

It starts with ‘Amber Absolute’ ~ probably one of my top three TF Private Blends. It’s like the resinous incense of some sacrilegious church-inspired orgasm, dissipating in the smoky air of dappled sunlight shining through a window of stained glass. It’s one of Ford’s most potent mixtures, though some have said it’s been watered down in recent years (if it’s even still made ~ I believe it may have been discontinued a while back).

A hint of incense also informs the magnificent ‘Vert D’Encens’ which is actually where I began this fall’s fragrance journey a few days ago. It’s compelling notes of fresh green are perfectly resplendent of September’s happy tendency to hold onto the sun and warmth a little while longer.

A drier, woodsier scent is to be found in ‘Bois Marocain‘ which is as much an exotic inspiration from a faraway land as it is a reflection of the New England forests where Hester Prynne sinned. If that makes no sense, I’m sorry ~ that’s just the way it smells to this nose. Dry, sinful, decadence – like a roll in the burning leaves.

When it comes to burning, that brings me to my latest acquisition: ‘Tobacco Oud’ and its exquisite sweet and smoky combination, somehow evocative of scenes I’ve only seen in my mind. A library of wooden shelves, dusty books, and a worn leather armchair. A side table glowing beneath a fringed lamp of red silk. The sweetness of tobacco smoke rising from a pipe.

That was a life I never lived, but I wanted it ~ not the life as much as its sensual trappings, its atmosphere and smoky cocoon of spicy warmth. I’ll do a more in-depth review of ‘Tobacco Oud’ ~ for now it’s all in my head, where it shall reside in splendor until the real memories of a run-down corner of Amsterdam reveal themselves in a future post.

‘I’m actually a very, extremely, almost pathologically shy person, which no one believes today because I have mastered a work/public facade that takes an enormous amount of energy to project.’ ~ Tom Ford

His exquisite Portofino summer line is my go-to for special summer outings, and Tom Ford has provided the fragrant accompaniment to many an elegant evening. This summer, there aren’t many moments of gathering or excitement, and so I make a moment out of the mundane through the simple application of these products on an otherwise-uneventful night. Memories of the beach in Cape Cod and summer drives along the Thruway, and fancy dinners out for birthdays and anniversaries. In other words, these are the scents of happiness, and on this evening I can reinhabit those lost days and nights. Summer is here, past and present, and it will be again, perhaps in find form. 

Besides, Tom Ford offers great comfort in these perilous times, and in more meaningful manner than might be expected. With the 20th anniversary of the day I met Andy quickly approaching in a few days, I’m reminded of this quote by Mr. Ford: “When you find somebody good, keep them in your life.” Style and substance, with a few grace notes of elegance and love. 

Not everything that Tom Ford touches turns to olfactory gold. I didn’t care for ‘Lost Cherry‘, I’ve never liked ‘Shanghai Lily’ and I wasn’t a big fan of ‘Rose Prick‘ when I finally got to try it. That meant a Valentine’s Day gift had to fall by the wayside, but Mr. Ford has so many other gorgeous scents there is always room for a do-over.

Over the years, certain Private Blends have started out as non-events for me, then grown into veritable obsessions. Take his very first PB, ‘Tuscan Leather‘. For too long I fought against its opening blast of pure, dirty leather, and for all that time I missed out on the beautiful raspberry dry-down. Only once I gave it a chance did it open for me. (My appreciation for deeper and more complex scents also had to develop a bit which is why if you think you hated something many years ago, I suggest you give it another try. Our tastes develop and change over the years.)

The same thing seems to be happening with both ‘Tobacco Vanille’ and ‘Tobacco Oud’ – both of which were unimpressive to me a couple of years ago, but have since become intriguing and desirable, to the point where either might make a lovely gift. I’ve been on a tobacco kick of late, with its smoky, resinous richness, and the way it embodies memories I’ve likely never had – a tufted leather sofa in a richly-wood-paneled library room, a green-shaded banker’s lamp, a bulky old overwrought desk, and a pipe from which perfumed smoke trails off in mesmerizing fashion. This is all fantasy, comprised from literature and movies and the like – the only actual memory I have of any perfumed pipe is the overweight gruff owner of an aquarium store in Amsterdam, who sat at his counter smoking a pipe while I surveyed clownfish and anemones. Not a bad memory, but nothing very glamourous. In my mind, I melded the beauty of the sea with the scent of a tobacco pipe. When growing up in landlocked upstate New York, these are the fantasies I had. We all come to favored fragrances in different ways, and my path to the two Tom Ford tobacco scents began all those years ago.

That said, I’m also open up to another delicious fragrance outside of the realm of Mr. Ford. In fact, before finding my way back to the ‘Tobacco Vanille’ I was toying with the idea of Frederic Malle’s, ‘Portrait of a Lady’, which is an absolutely exquisite scent. My hesitation in diving right into it stems from the fact that it veers perhaps too dangerously close to ‘Oud Fleur’ which I already have. Avoiding duplication is my new way of reducing expenditures. But if this is a gift, I would never turn it down. ‘Portrait’ carries a powerful rose note that would be lovely for spring leading into summer. We need more of that. And quite frankly, I need a new fragrance if I’m going to make it through this isolation period.