Tom Ford Noir Extreme and mini Private Blends

3 min read

tom-ford-noir-extreme-What will your weekend smell like? Mine will smell of booze, pubs, good food, maybe the odd cigarette, and the much more fragrant Tom Ford!

Tom Ford fragrances are my absolute favourite – expensive, but worth it. They smell heavenly and they last forever.

I’m told there is a new Private Blend coming in the summer – can’t wait for that – but in the meantime let’s look at the latest launch, Tom Ford Noir Extreme.

Available for a limited time at Harvey Nichols counters, Noir Exteme doesn’t launch nationwide until May. I know, I know, you’ll have to scent this weekend with something else, but let’s chat about Noir Extreme for now. And yes, that is Tom himself in the campaign shots for this.

It’s totally different to Noir. I’m not sure if I love it as much, but it is a much more feminine scent. I can see it being popular with women, even though it is one of Tom’s men’s fragrances. It’s a woody oriental, with a lot of amber in it, and it has an array of floral notes – rose absolute, jasmine accord and orange flower.

tom-ford-noir-extreme-campaign-shot

It has mandarin and neroli oil, which provide sharp contrast to the vibrant, synergistic blend of saffron, cardamom and nutmeg. At its heart is Indian Kulfi—an accord inspired by the ancient royal concoction prepared for 16th century Mughal Emperors. This milky creation, which traditionally consists of Himalayan snow combined with hints of pistachio, is delivered unexpectedly into the core of the fragrance via lentisque resinoid, which is chosen for its crisp, cool, yet lactonic effect. Interesting!

A woody, amber-drenched impact defines the dry down – as well as amber the base note is vanilla ember. It’s a rich, warm, lovely fragrance, but to me, nothing at all like the original Noir.

Also hitting Tom Ford Private Blend counters soon, are little mini Private Blends – 30ml bottles to be precise – of Costa Azzurra and Mandarino Di Amalfi, which sit in a little mini-collection with best-seller Portofino Neroli. This little collection launched last year, and the idea is that the scents are a trio to be worn throughout the day – Mandarino Di Amalfi in the morning, Portofino Neroli inthe day, and Costa Azzurra when the sun goes down.

tom-ford-limited-30ml

Buying all three in regular size would be a bit much. Buying all three in small size is still a bit much, but at £92, if you just want to buy one, and you have never had a Private Blend before, I’d say go for it, and embrace the wonder that is Tom Ford scent. These are all Eau de Parfum, but hark back to the old school colognes – perfect summer scents.

Tom Ford Noir Extreme and Madarino Di Amalfi and Costa Azzurra Private Blends are available at Tom Ford Private Blend counters nationwide – Noir Extreme from May.