Tom Ford Black Orchid Voile de Fleur

Contrary to popular belief, Tom Ford is not the Antichrist.  He’s a man who has embraced one of the best and simplest marketing principles: sex sells.  Oh, you know it baby.  You hue and cry over the ads for Tom Ford for Men featuring the human equivalent of a blow-up doll, but admit that you made a mental note to give the scent a sniff next time you were in Bergdorf’s.  I know I did.  And the news that Ford wanted Estée Lauder to make his fragrance, Black Orchid, smell “like a man’s crotch” certainly got some attention, didn’t it.  And you were curious.  (An aside: who would want to walk around smelling like a man’s crotch?  And, who would find that smell appealing?  If it smells – it’s not clean.  Hi!  Take a shower and then maybe we’ll talk.) And you breathed a sigh of relief when it didn’t.

Tom Ford has talent.  He’s smart.  And he’s not afraid of a little controversy.  That’s sexy.

His new scent Black Orchid Voile de Fleur takes pretty much the same basic notes of the original Black Orchid and turns the floral notes up to 11.  The opening is boozy and somewhat intoxicating, with sweet juicy plums and strong floral notes.  They are white flowers, as listed, but they blend together to form black velvet, deep and rich and sexy.  The black truffle note (that of course doesn’t really smell of black truffle, which has garlicky, cheesy undertones within its fungal depths) of the original is present but toned-down.  And the base, like that of the original, is spicy woods, but with a smaller jolt of vanilla.

Although it’s been years since I’ve worn it, Voile de Fleur reminds me a lot of Coco.  It’s a rich floriental that has a definite presence to it, and should probably not be sprayed on with abandon, lest it asphyxiate someone.  While it is called “voile,” don’t mistake this for a light fragrance. It’s deep and lush and perfect for nighttime and cooler weather.

Tom Ford Black Orchid Voile de Fleur notes:
black truffle, ylang ylang, bergamot, blackcurrant, honeysuckle, gardenia, spicy lily, black orchid, black plum, black pepper, lotus wood, succulent fruit, warm milk, cinnamon, vanilla tears, patchouli, balsam, sandalwood.

Originally published in Sniffapalooza Magazine.