New Perfume: Black Orchid by Tom Ford
The latest fragrance by Tom Ford, Black Orchid, is now available for pre-order at Neiman Marcus. Orders are expected to ship no later than November 1st 2006.
Top notes are black truffle, ylang ylang, bergamot and blackcurrant. Heart notes are mysteriously said to be composed of "...dark, tempting Florals and rich Fruit Accords. The heart is deepened with the intoxicating Lotus Wood"; apparently this is where the secret ingredients lie. Base notes are described as being composed of "...Patchouli, Incense and Vetiver. Vanilla Tears add a fluid creaminess to warm Balsam and smooth Sandalwood"...
It all sounds terribly tempting; I am especially attracted to the black truffle, "dark tempting florals", including the much-researched black orchid we can assume, and lotus wood. The 30s-40s atmosphere surrounding the perfume makes me envision a Hollywood vanity table with a profusion of mirrors and swan feathers, casting its disquieting shadows and reflections in a noir movie, be it L.A. Confidential, The Blue Dahlia, or Sunset Boulevard. The perfect perfume for the murderous femme fatale and perhaps even, the weapon of crime.
The parfum extract version is a limited-edition. It is contained in a "... pure black crystal bottle created exclusively for The Tom Ford Fragrance Collection by Lalique. Each signed and numbered bottle is a collector's piece and comes with a certificate of authenticity. The bottle arrives empty, accompanied by a 0.5 oz. glass vial filled with perfume and a gold funnel to pour the fragrance into the bottle. The vial is perfect for travel. A black velvet pouch completes the presentation".
Black Orchid in pure parfum concentration retails for $600. The edp retails for $90 and $135 for 50 ml and 100 ml respectively.
Source: Neiman Marcus
The bottle reminds me very much of the Eau de Cologne bottle of Soir de Paris (Bourjois) and also of the old Krasnaya Moskva (Novaya Zarya). The texture is great, modern, decadent and a little pervert. It reminds me of the leather-vinyl gadgets. There is class but also sexual connotations within this design. The black Truffle is a fabulous smell. I rediscovered it theese days while sampling the divine " Une Rose" ( F. Malle)
Hi Octavian,
Hmmmmm, you make me want to go smell that black truffle note in Une Rose...roses and truffle, what a great combination, even visually speaking!
Love your analysis of the bottle. To tell you the truth, I chose the image for the edp because I thought the parfum bottle looked a bit "nouveau riche"; it's that disproportionate gold band with big letters on it:)
I am curious to sample this, dear Helene-
I have to admit, I adore truffle, but my greatest disappointment with Une Rose ,was that there wasn't nearly enough of that earthiness for me, to balance the blast of rosy rosy rose...
I wanted dark, dark ,troubled rose from this, I suppose...
Tom Ford clearly has plans of exclusivity in the pricing here-
I'm not sure how I feel about that.
Thank you for your sharing of knowledge- as always !
Kisses-
Dear Chaya,
You are exciting my curiosity even more. The aroma of truffle is very delicate so I am wondering how the perfumer managed to use it without it being overwhelmed by the rose. I think it is a sort of success that one can still smell it.
This evocation of truffle makes me think by association of Mandy Aftel's perfume that includes a mushroom note. Another one that I want to test. (I may have tested the Malle perfume but very hastily I'm afraid).
I received a bottle as a thank you, along w/ a very fine scotch. Was the perfume intended for me or my wife?
My daughter said "it smells like you, daddy".
Dave,
A priori it's considered a women's perfume; Ford is planning to release a masculine version next year. However, depending on how non-conformist the person who gave you the present is, it might have been intended as a perfume for you. Personally, I could see it very well being worn by a man.
But again, if that person is more classical, I would guess it's a perfume meant to be a present for your wife.
I propose that everyone in the family wear it:)
black orchid tom ford je voudrais avoir des renseignement sur ce parfum merci
Huseyn,
Quels genres de renseignements souhaiteriez-vous avoir à propos de ce parfum? Vous pouvez toujours m'envoyer un courriel.
Is Tom Ford a men's or ladies's perfume?
This one in particular is a women's one, but I think that a man could wear it too if he's not afraid of floral notes.