Formerly EFL teacher and IT consultant, now relocated to Marseille, France. Final year biochemistry ...
Formerly EFL teacher and IT consultant, now relocated to Marseille, France. Final year biochemistry student, my passions are perfumery and making my own natural cosmetics / body care products.
Member since:12.12.2007
Reviews:148
Members who trust:148
Launched: 2006 Group: Oriental floral
Introduction
This fragrance has received a lot of hype during its launch in 2006. I remember popping into Debenhams to get free samples and I saw a small counter set up for Tom Ford Black Orchid where hostesses were handing out samples. This sample then ended up in one of my drawers without testing. Until now that is. So is this perfume worth it?
The bottle
The packaging is classy, stylish and very 'designer' for me. The bottle is solid black with a ribbed pattern on all sides including the cap. There's a square golden plate attached to the body of the bottle stating the designer and name of the fragrance. The outer packaging is a ribbed-effect golden carton with the small black square label so the colours have been inverted.
The fragrance
Top notes: blackcurrant, black gardenia, mandarin orange, lemon, jasmine, ylang-ylang, bergamot
The opening notes of Black Orchid are a mixture of fruity and floral notes that smell like a blend of zesty fruit and ground spices with a hint of dark chocolate and altogether give a fresh oriental feel. These notes were immediately familiar and it didn't take long to find out that to me they smelled like the opening and middle notes of Bulgari Blu Notte, my beloved dark and juicy oriental except for the slightly less citrusy feel.
A few minutes later I get a whiff of jasmine and ylang-ylang that add a fairly powdery and floral tone to the spices. This phase only lasts for about 15 minutes then it gradually fades and blends in with the middle notes.
Middle notes: spices, fruity notes, lotus, black orchid
After about a half an hour to an hour depending on temperature, the fragrance turns into a warm and spicy oriental that's lost its fruits but not the spicy florals. The sillage again reminds me of Bulgari Blue Notte, more specifically of the galangal (blue ginger), an aromatic-citrusy, earthy note. There are no powdery floral to soften or mask the composition so as I cannot detect any new notes developing, for me the perfume smells sweeter and more mellow but just like initially.
Base notes: sandalwood, amber, patchouli, vanilla, dark chocolate, vetiver, insense
About 3 - 4 hours later I'm greeted with a lovely, soft powdery finish of subtle woods and spices that unfortunately were too subtle for me to tell them apart. The most prominent were the vanilla and vetiver notes just like in Lancome Hypnose but had a bittersweet chocolate edge. A lovely combination that wasn't new (see Bulgari Blu Notte) and in Black Orchid it even seemed tired, clearly lacking a punch. A more generous kick of amber or insense would have shaken the drydown up from its turpor had they been given a freer rein.
Conclusion
However complex Black Orhid trying to be, in all earnest, it doesn't smell like one. It's one of those modern florientals that are designed to have a 'dark side' but one after the other fail to achieve it and always remain on the safe side. By using so many synthetic components that stay unchanged throughout, there's no real development and evolution. The notes are re-used in each phase which tends to wear them out. Black Orhid doesn't make a statement, it just says, I'm artifical and re-heated. If you're into genuine oriental notes with a dark feel, I recommend you try Bulgari Blu Notte, if you're into the dark chocolat note, you'll also find it there.
Price / Availability
Expensive (from £94 - £120 / 100ml Eau de Parfum) and has limited availability. I don't mind it that way.
Thanks for reading.
İpowered by lillybee also posted on Ciao US / dooyoo
Summary: A synthetic dark oriental.
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
TOM FORD Black Orchid is the show-stopping note in this incredibly luxurious scent. While ... more
sultry woods and rich fruit accords help to bring out the skin's natural perfume, the jet-black, art-deco inspired bottle adds to the fragrances overall glamour. A sparkling new twist on the original blends lush florals with alluring black orchids. Notes:Black Truffle, Bergamot, Honeysuckle, Gardenia, Black Orchid, Black Pepper, Lotus Wood, Noir Gourmand Accord, Vanilla Tears, Patchouli, Balsam, Sandalwood.
Postage & Packaging:refer to website Availability:In Stock
Black Orchid Voile de Fleur is romantic, light and bubbly. It kept black truffle and the ... more
other top notes. The composition is reined by the white flowers: honeysuckle, gardenia and lily; but it also has its black side being a Tom Ford fragrance: black orchid, black plum and black pepper. Oriental notes are soft and sensuous: warm milk, cinnamon, vanilla, patchouli and sandalwood.
Postage & Packaging:refer to website Availability:In Stock
Tom Ford Black Orchid Voile de Fleur 50ml Eau de Toilette Spray - Voile de Fleur (Veil of ... more
the Flower) is a twist on the iconic original Black Orchid perfume. With top notes of white florals with sensuous black truffle & ylang ylang. Mid notes of gardenia and spicy lily with the signature Tom Ford Black Orchid. Base notes of cinnamon, vanilla with touches of patchouli & sandlewood. This is a slightly lighter version that the heavy darker Black Orchid original.
Tom Ford Black Orchid Voile de Fleur 30ml Eau de Toilette Spray - Voile de Fleur (Veil of ... more
the Flower) is a twist on the iconic original Black Orchid perfume. With top notes of white florals with sensuous black truffle & ylang ylang. Mid notes of gardenia and spicy lily with the signature Tom Ford Black Orchid. Base notes of cinnamon, vanilla with touches of patchouli & sandlewood. This is a slightly lighter version that the heavy darker Black Orchid original.
Tom Ford believes that nothing is more desirable than that which is unattainable. The ... more
discovery and acquisition of the most elusive hybrid, a black orchid, has inspired him to create this luxurious and sensual fragrance. Black Orchid Voile de Fleur by Tom Ford is a lighter, iconic twist on the original Black Orchid, evocative of famous fragrances of the past that enhance the skin's natural perfume. With its sensual accords and alluring potion of black orchids and sultry woods, Tom Ford Black Orchid Voile de Fleur is modern and timeless.
Tom Ford believes that nothing is more desirable than that which is unattainable. The ... more
discovery and acquisition of the most elusive hybrid, a black orchid, has inspired him to create this luxurious and sensual fragrance. Black Orchid Voile de Fleur by Tom Ford is anlighter, iconic twist on the original Black Orchid, evocative of famous fragrances of the past that enhance the skin's natural perfume. With its sensual accords and alluring potion of black orchids and sultry woods, Tom Ford Black Orchid Voile de Fleur is modern and timeless.
Tom Ford believes that nothing is more desirable than that which is unattainable. The ... more
discovery and acquisition of the most elusive hybrid, a black orchid, has inspired him to create this luxurious and sensual fragrance. Black Orchid Voile de Fleur by Tom Ford is a lighter, iconic twist on the original Black Orchid, evocative of famous fragrances of the past that enhance the skin's natural perfume. With its sensual accords and alluring potion of black orchids and sultry woods, Tom Ford Black Orchid Voile de Fleur is modern and timeless.
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