Tom Ford Black Orchid

I'm turning 36 in a week and a half. It's not a big milestone and I'm not doing a wardrobe/fragrance/makeup re-evaluating . But it does make one wonder. Back when I was much younger, mid-30s seemed like such a distinguished age. You're supposed to have all the answers and have everything figured out. I definitely haven't reached that point yet, but at least I can smell like I have.

For the last several days I've been constantly wearing the very new (official launch is today) Black Orchid by Tom Ford. It took me a little while to get comfortable with it, to understand what I was smelling and sensing. The notes are not obvious at first sniff but there's quite a bit of fruit there- very different than the fragrances I usually go for. But from the first time I sprayed Black Orchid there was its elegance. This isn't a fluffy, pink princess type of scent. I'm not entirely sold on the model who chosen for the ad campaign, Julia Restoin-Roitfeld (yes, of that Roitfeld). I'd prefer to see someone a bit older who actually earned her glamour, someone more Hollywood. But, on second thought, who in today's Hollywood is that glamorous? At least, Tom Ford had the good taste not to choose  Sienna Miller.


Back to the fragrance. The second you inhale the top notes (black truffle,ylang ylang, bergamot, black currant) you know that this one is different. What I smelled was mostly the ylang ylang. Not a note that I always care for. Here, though, it offered a sweet sharpness that I found intriguing at first wear, and attractive upon later sprayings. As for the earthy the black truffle note, it doesn't evoke a risotto, which is a good thing.

Next comes the black currant that leads into the heart notes, that are fruits and florals. I'm not too crazy about the fruity part and the black currant is just a bit too much. But the sweetness is not too overwhelming and it is followed by the darker, deeper touch of patchouli (just enough of it, no over-patching), supposedly incense (not on my skin), vetiver, vanilla, balsam and sandalwood. Out of all that the one that is more pronounced for me is vanilla. And it's the vanilla that lingers after all the rest is mostly a memory. But it's a twisted, dark vanilla, touched with sandalwood.

I like it. I enjoy the complexity and retro elegance. I like how it's very different than everything else that I own, I like the grown-up feeling of this scent. It's a great cold weather fragrance.
My husband still isn't head-over-heels with it, but I could tell that it was growing on him. His comment was that it's more elegant than sexy, and I have to agree. But I'm pretty sure that just like with several other scents, after a while of me wearing it and making it mine, he learns to love it.

The bottle is lovely in its black and gold elegance. Makes me want to wear something fabulous and put on a red lipstick. My nails are already painted in Essie's Wicked. Very appropriate.

(Picture by Mastsy Wynn Richards, Skinners silk advertisement 1932, vintage gelatin silver print, Worcester Art Museum, Eliza S. Paine Fund, 1991.56)