Tom Ford Private Blend Patchouli Absolu
The other new launch is in Tom Ford’s Private Blend range, and is a very personal one for Mr Ford. He absolutely loves patchouli (so do I!) and has reinvented it in this wonderful private Blend, Patchouli Absolu. Patchouli is famed for its rich and mysterious sensuality and its long history in perfumery. Patchouli Absolu is Tom Ford’s personal ode to an ingredient that is intertwined with his own story.
The iconic olfactive note of the 1970s, it evokes louche sensuality and after-dark glamour, as well as the heady blending of masculine and feminine that defined the era. This Eastern oil perfumed the skin of late 1970s glitterati and bohemians alike, pervading the air of jet-set parties with a provocative, dark glamour. Patchouli fragranced the world that was to shape Tom Ford’s singular vision of style.
So, Tom Ford has reinvented this influential ingredient into a truly vanguard scent for a new era. Patchouli Absolu merges three opulent—and distinctly different—versions of this iconic plant ingredient. Patchouli oil contributes raw and primal texture; patchouli coeur, the ultra-luxurious, absolute extract of the plant, contributes an elusive and refined earthiness, and a breakthrough iteration of patchouli called Clearwood, used for the very first time in perfumery, is the most exquisite and pure rendition of patchouli’s darkly addictive signature ever captured.
This Private Blend rocks! It is SO rich, but they dry down is in no way overpowering, and has that Fresh Wood fragrance I love so much. The top notes are bay leaf, rosemary and moss, the heart is those patchouli notes with guiacwood, cypriol, violet wood and sheer cashmere woods, and the base is tonka bean and amber intertwined with musks and supple notes of leather.
By merging the three facets of patchouli, Tom Ford creates a uniquely unconventional heart of the fragrance. They reflect off each other to intensify the depth and intrigue we associate with patchouli. Please, rid your mind of incense sticks and hippies – this is a classy, gorgeous, fresh, clean and yet rich fragrance that both men and women will adore, I am sure of it!
Also, with Tom Ford’s Private Blends, don’t be afraid to blend and layer your scents. I actually picked up a bottle of an old Private Blend Twisted Florals Limited Edition Ombre De Hyacinth and blended it with this new Patchouli, and wow – a delicious new scent!
Tom Ford Private Blend Patchouli Absolu, £142, 50ml, available from September 1, at Tom Ford Private Blend counters, Harvey Nichols, Edinburgh and Fraser’s Glasgow, in Scotland
