tom ford – This Side of Perfume

Plum Japonais by Tom Ford (Private Blend)

October 10, 2018

Notes: Japanese plum, saffron, cinnamon, immortelle, plum blossom, camellia, agarwood, amber, benzoin, fir, and vanilla.

There has been a flurry of activity concerning Plum Japonais recently. The rumor was that Plum Japonais would be discontinued to make way for the newest Private Blend release, Lost Cherry. I’ve been a fan of Plum Japonais for several years, and I finally took the plunge to buy it when I heard that it might be discontinued. Plum Japonais was originally released in 2013 as part of the Atelier d’Orient collection. The other Atelier d’Orient scents included: Fleur de Chine, Rive d’Ambre, and Shanghai Lily, all three of which have sadly been discontinued. If Plum Japonais were to follow suit, that would mean the entire Atelier d’Orient collection would be out of circulation. The current rumor at Fragrantica is that Plum Japonais will now *not* be discontinued. Who can keep up?

But enough about the drama! What does Plum Japonais smell like? It’s a classic Tom Ford Private Blend in that it opens in a rich, decadent manner. It’s all jammy plum and cinnamon on my skin for the first 30 minutes. It’s very Fall/Winter and the cinnamon makes it a little bit Christmas-y. It reminds me of mulled wine. This is one that becomes more opulent the longer I wear it. The saffron creeps in, adding to the spice of this fragrance. Then the plum fades slightly, only to be replaced by a floral note. The floral smells like jasmine to my nose. There’s also some oud here (the agarwood) but it’s very dry and comes across like patchouli to me.

The vanilla note comes in during the heart notes for me. After an hour and a half of wear, Plum Japonais takes on a creamy texture. It’s not heavy, but the texture is tangible. I would not wear this in hot or humid weather, where it would definitely become too heavy and overbearing. But in cool weather, these heart notes are delicious. The vanilla mingles with the spice for a warm spiced latte kind of vibe. At this point, the fragrance is yummy, and it’s really walking the line of being a gourmand. The dry down solidifies that this is not a gourmand. That dry oud returns, and it really is bone dry on my skin. There’s a light resinous note that smells like frankincense, but it’s in the background until the base completely fades away.

The similarities between Plum Japonais and Fille en Aiguilles from Serge Lutens have been covered in the fragrance community. I do indeed smell the similarities between the two. In fact, I also own Fille en Aiguilles and I wear it on Christmas Eve every year. Plum Japonais also reminds me of the festive cherry cola/leather smell of Mon Numéro 10 from L’Artisan Parfumeur, which I also wear around Christmas time. Clearly, this spiced, festive and opulent genre is a favorite of mine! The difference between the compositions for me is an emotional one. Plum Japonais is the type of scent that demands an occasion to be worn. It’s for holiday parties, even a New Year’s Eve party. Fille en Aiguilles, like many Serge Lutens compositions, gives me a more contemplative vibe. My family doesn’t attend midnight mass on Christmas Eve but, if we did, Fille en Aiguilles is the one (which is why I wear it on Christmas Eve anyway). And Mon Numéro 10 is to keep cozy on cold December nights.

There are so many perfumes out there these days. Let’s face it, many of them are going to share similar notes and accords. It all depends on what works with your skin chemistry and what you want to prioritize within your personal collection. Plum Japonais has a place in my collection, and I know I’ll get plenty of wear out of it this Fall/Winter. As for whether or not it will be discontinued, only Tom Ford himself could tell us. It will likely be discontinued at some point because that’s the reality of the market these days. I’m glad to have snapped up a bottle — even if the discontinuation rumors were all just a clever sales tactic!

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Plum Japonais is still available directly from Tom Ford. I purchased my bottle from Luckyscent.

The photo was taken by me. The info on the notes is from Fragrantica.

Vert des Bois by Tom Ford (Private Blend)

December 14, 2016

Notes: poplar buds, anise, olive tree, plum, mastic, jasmine, patchouli, tonka bean, and woody notes.

A new Private Blend release from Tom Ford is always exciting, and I think the Vert collection from Fall 2016 has made for some truly worthy additions to the line. Vert Boheme actually turned out to be my favorite and the scent I would wear the most. However, I wanted to write about Vert des Bois in particular because it has some interesting notes that I have not encountered before. The marketing proclaims that Vert des Bois is an example of “avant-garde processing of green perfume.” Normally I would be wary of claims like this coming from fragrance houses, but there is something markedly distinctive about Vert des Bois. I’ve never smelled anything containing poplar bud extract before, so that adds to the uniqueness.

Like many green compositions, Vert des Bois opens with a spiky and almost abrasive blast of greenery. However, there are no spices in the composition, no aldehydes here to give it a “sparkling” feel. I sense the olive note right away, which makes me think of the color green and adds to the overall effect. Vert des Bois is an immersive green, and I think it’s a little more bold than we’re currently used to from green scents.

That’s not to say that Vert des Bois is heavy. There’s a bright, sweet green note that shines through, and I believe it’s the jasmine mingling with the poplar bud extract. It’s hard for me to describe, possibly because I’m not familiar with poplar extract! It’s not overly sweet, nor overly floral. It’s a shimmering green that brings some light to the composition before the earthy patchouli really kicks in.

I wasn’t sure a green fragrance would work for Fall/Winter but the woody notes make this perfect for December wear. (Incidentally, I have not tried Vert d’Encens but with notes of pine resin and fir balsam, it’s likely the most appropriate Vert release for this time of year.) The dry down is like being in a densely green forest. This forest is partly cozy and partly dark. That cold-weather smoke smell seeps through here, I think from a combination of the patchouli and roasted tonka bean. I’m used to green fragrances coming across as much more “clean” than this, but Vert des Bois evokes cold, dark weather exceptionally well.

Overall, Vert des Bois is a fascinating experience. It’s bold, especially for a green scent. It has some darkness to it, but also some shimmering light aspects (a chiaroscuro scent?) I’m not convinced to splurge on a full-sized bottle for this one, but Vert des Bois is a must-try simply for its distinctiveness. I hope this one will remain part of the Private Blend line for a long time to come.

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Tom Ford Private Blend fragrances are available directly from Tom Ford’s site. They can also be found from the usual department store suspects: Neiman Marcus and Nordstrom. I ordered my samples of Vert des Bois and Vert Boheme from The Perfumed Court.

The image and info on notes are from Fragrantica.

Cafe Rose by Tom Ford (Private Blend)

September 17, 2015

Notes: saffron, black pepper, May rose, Turkish rose, Bulgarian rose, coffee, incense, amber, sandalwood, and patchouli.

I don’t yet own a Tom Ford Private Blend scent. This is mostly due to the price, but also due to my own changing tastes. When the line first launched I was all about Tobacco Vanille, and I was certain it would be my first eventual Private Blend purchase. I now find Tobacco Vanille too overwhelming and cloying to be wearable on me. As I’ve explored more floral and rose fragrances, I’ve gravitated towards other Private Blend offerings like Fleur de Chine, Noir de Noir, and the subject of this write-up, Cafe Rose.

Cafe Rose is a floral chypre that’s meant to be a spicy, earthy rose. At its core, it’s a rose/patchouli fragrance, which is perhaps not the most unique genre these days, but Cafe Rose is so good, I don’t mind. Cafe Rose opens as a big aromatic floral that comes across as a blend of spicy/sweetness for me. There is just enough of the pepper to be noticeable, but not too much. A sweet powdery layer seems to blend with the rose, and I assume this is the saffron note. It reminds me a little bit of iris, only sweeter, but it will turn more earthy later.

This beautiful aromatic opening lasts for the first hour on my skin before the fragrance settles and brings more of the earthy aspects to the forefront of the composition. Cafe Rose has coffee in its name and, of course, coffee is listed as one of the notes. However, I get more of a chocolate feeling from the heart stage of the composition, which is a little disappointing for me since I love the smell of coffee. But I definitely won’t complain about chocolate! This chocolate note has a solidity about it and puts me in mind of a block of dark baking chocolate.

This bitter dark chocolate note blends with the patchouli, which gradually becomes a stronger note. If this is starting to sound quite bitter and heavy, not to worry, it doesn’t come across that way. The blend here is exceptionally smooth and velvety. This is partly due to a change in the rose from the opening. It’s less sweet going into the dry down, and has more of a rich and velvety texture. I’m not advanced enough to detect the difference between a May rose or a Turkish rose, but this change may be due to the different rose varietals.

The dry down here is just the right amount of earthy for me. There’s nothing funky or mushroom-y, but the patchouli is rich, amplified by sandalwood and incense. I really don’t sense any amber but that may just be me. The bitter chocolate note actually grounds the composition at this stage. And I sense a little touch of saffron flitting in and out in a teasing reminder of the opening. My only issue with the dry down is that it doesn’t fade away on my skin. Instead, it very suddenly drops off and disappears completely. I enjoy this this dry down so much, I wish it would linger a bit. But apparently when my skin is finished with this scent, it’s really finished.

Cafe Rose is such a delicious blend of a fragrance. It combines spice, sweetness, earthiness, and even a touch of the gourmand, while still retaining its floral rose heart. It feels sumptuous, but is also surprisingly wearable. If I’m going to purchase something from the Private Blend collection, I want it to be something I can actually wear and make good use of. I have a small decant of Cafe Rose and I’ll continue to make my way through that for right now, but I think it’s contender for a full bottle eventually. If you’re looking for something luxurious, but still pretty and wearable, Cafe Rose is definitely one to try.

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Tom Ford private blend fragrances are available from the usual department stores such as Saks, Nordstrom and Neiman Marcus. Luckyscent also carries the Private Blend collection now. I got my Cafe Rose sample from The Perfumed Court.

The image is from Tom Ford and the list of notes is from Fragrantica.