Noir by Tom Ford

It’s an Amber Pour Homme Intense by Prada, though this smells more like soap, whereas the Noir is the evening version. It carries those vintage orange accents reminiscent of Habit Rouge, very pronounced here, and at times it briefly evokes the legendary Egoiste by Chanel. It’s a fragrance that needs to be worn with care; certainly not for the generalist.

I tried the EDT a while ago and it didn’t fit my tastes; I found it too sweet. Recently I tried this one and things changed; although it also has sweetness, it’s of a different kind, drier and more ambered. It seems a darker scent, my style, and yes, it lives up to the name ‘Noir’. It opens with a sharp violet, quite challenging if you’re not used to that note. The dry-down is quite prominent in patchouli to my nose. It seemed very similar in dry-down to Davidoff’s Zino. Regarding bottle quality, I agree with what’s said below: it leaves something to be desired (this and the entire Noir line); not even the cap holds the bottle securely.

Excellent fragrance. On my skin, perfumes don’t last, but this is the exception: it lasts a long time, over 12 hours, and its trail is subtle but noticeable. For me this is a plus, as it doesn’t cause olfactory fatigue. Those who wear it enjoy it, and so do those nearby. I think it will be my favourite for special events.

The worst fragrance I’ve ever heard of. Horrible smell, unbearable. It gives me a headache.

It’s like a son of Shalimar after a wild night with Habit Rouge. Absolute class and elegance! A 10.

Tom Ford Noir. First time testing it on skin. The first impression is its extreme longevity: I wore it last night, had a shower, and I can still smell it. It is dense, mysterious and dark, distancing itself from current perfumery. It’s bold and different, with floral, earthy nuances and a salty touch. Then vanilla appears, adding sweetness. That is Tom Ford: elegant and sophisticated. Brutal. Totally recommended.

Very good proposal, it just lacks longevity and projection.

I’ve always been critical of Tom Ford, feeling they are overpriced, but this one has pleasantly surprised me. I will write a deeper review later. As a fan of ‘Shalimar’, I couldn’t not like it, although they aren’t super similar. The 4 notes I perceived most when spraying were the iris and powdery vanilla from the Guerlain classic, along with civet. There is much more here: it’s a fragrance loaded with components. It has a wonderful ionone combined with a powdery and soapy rose. I’ll give it a few days to see its performance, as I feel this is the Achilles’ heel of most of their fragrances.

Tom Ford Noir has pleased me. There is a scent that perfectly defines the term ‘Noir’, and in my judgement, it is this one. It has a vintage style that catches the eye, and mind you, I’ve never been a fan of rose. When you come out, it opens powdery and spiced; the flowers take the stage quickly with that violet and iris, but not in the Dior style, it goes another way. Then a very discreet rose arrives, flowing in harmony. The powdery phase is maintained and combines with vanilla and patchouli until the dry down. Obviously there are more accords, but I would define it as a floral, sweet and powdery scent. Tom Ford Noir is complex, dark, nocturnal. Summament elegant, gothic, nostalgic. I love its nuances. Women like it and I understand why, because in some facets it reaches unisex. I also say that not everyone will appreciate it, which I like more. Its performance is outstanding, around 10 hours, projecting well for the first two or three hours. Its seasons are autumn and winter, even cool spring nights. To dress formally, with a black suit it goes perfectly. Good value for money. It generates good comments.

What nonsense. At first it reminded me of Narciso For Him in that cold, musty and gloomy forest sensation. The punch, however, isn’t as intense in this Noir from Tom Ford. But it does have an air, at least in my clumsy nose. In any case, I don’t smell any resemblance to Dior. Not even half. I know they all carry iris, but nothing to do with the Dior homme. Noir starts masculine and cold, a lot. Cutting, sharp, hard as a stone. So much so that at first I thought I couldn’t repeat and wear it, due to such force. However, the ‘shock’ lasts little, it fades and sweetens in its development, making it warmer and androgynous (not much, eh?). I think this is due to the powdery and dusty sensation that I usually like. There are floral tones of rose and an amber that gives warmth, but it doesn’t cloy. It stops being the patchouli bomb and that violet from the start that reminds me of Narciso. This seems to me, within its strength, more versatile and elegant, not suffocating. It is formal, serious, very serious, but you don’t turn into a werewolf on the third spray, it’s not that dark. They say that, despite the youth of their fragrances, Tom Ford has already reformulated their perfumes, decaffeinating them a lot. If so, I don’t know what the original version of this Noir would be like, but I do say that this is totally wearable in formal situations and with a decent dress for a dinner, for example, and with cool or cold weather. I’ve liked it very much, unlike Tobacco Vanille, of which I can’t say the same (pleasant, linear and gourmand, like ‘rice pudding’). This is much more complex and adult. I would change the names: for Noir, black black as coal, Narciso Rodríguez.

Smells very similar to Heritage EDP, except for an opening that is overly talcum-powdery and a rose that seems very artificial. It reminded me of my grandmother’s soap that left the whole house smelling of that repulsive scent. Although reading other reviews suggests it might suit my skin, the bottle remains at the bottom of my wardrobe as a mere relic of my collection.

Decadent, heavy, gothic, sinister, sharp, and narcissistic. If it were a person, they would be unreliable; if a paranormal entity, a lamia or a Persian/Greek demon disguised as normal. It begins with a smoky whack of herbaceous patchouli with memories of cooking and potions, a patchouli that drives you mad and dizzy, shaped like a Chinese sorcerer’s nails. This patchouli, which could be the breath of a dragon, combines with a mercury-like amber that burns your eyes, reminiscent of the 1970s uralite-flavoured amber. It is a terrifying, dangerous, and uncomfortable combo; you don’t know if it smells of herb vapours or keratin. It has something of a dry and damp ossuary, mouldy, where time does not pass, full of living and dead matter, a perfect mix of morbid and aged notes with what comes next: seductive resins and cold, velvety flowers that elevate the spirit. At first, over the patchouli/amber, there is a balsamic background of pine needles, rosemary, and apothecary, something acrid, refreshing, and woody with a fougère barbershop aftertaste, which fades as it evolves into the heart phase, a pity because I love it. In the heart, the tone of the first shot prevails, accompanied by cold, smooth, and morbid flowers and spices, with an alabaster and truffle texture. Noir doesn’t smell of truffle, but it has that tactile feel of a piece of truffle or a hashish cone dissolving between your fingers, something floral-spiced, orgasmic, and delicate that twists your eyes. In the dry-down, I dislike it too much; it sweetens excessively; it is not a gourmand sweetness, but balsamic and spicy, like white chocolate with floral brandy and wood, similar to Good Girl by Carolina Herrera (minus the bottle and name, it is decent). Noir has seemed like a marvel to me; the fewer perfumes I try that surprise me, the more this one has done so, although due to its heavy and sinister body I don’t want it for myself (I lean more towards soft formulas, perhaps I am getting old and zen). Fragrantica categorises it as aromatic spicy, but for the love of god, this is a bookish Oriental Fougère, a demonic yet educated thing, contradictory, like the perfume of a well-dressed 1970s doctor who suddenly strips off, paints a pentagram, and performs a satanic ritual. Half baroque fougère, half acrid, half sober Eastern pagan rites, excellent quality and without that plastic aftertaste found in some Tom Fords. PD: My review is of a 7ml mini gifted at launch, first formula. PD II: The opening is very masculine, not serene or formal, but a muddled masculinity with sharp edges. In the heart phase it becomes more androgynous and the dry-down is unisex. Yes, at first it might air with Prada Amber Intense pour homme; in fact, when I smelled the cap I thought I detected myrrh, but as it takes its path it moves away from Prada, which is flatter; Noir has countless nuances, although you may not feel comfortable with it. PD III: I don’t believe in perfumes for seduction; in the end, it matters the person and their vibe. But this Noir is created for going out with one sole intention: to return home accompanied. *Edit: The perfume I tested doesn’t resemble Dior Homme at all; the iris adds only a tone of cold, waxy flower in the heart.

A proper work of art!

If the EDT has quite a bit in common with Habit Rouge, this one, taking many elements as is logical from the EDT, gets closer to Heritage by adding a strong load of patchouli and amber, which is what I smell most. It was just a spray on the nape (let’s ignore the jokes, it’s because it lasts longer on hair, hehe), so I didn’t pay excessive attention, but I felt it was good, seems to perform well… what I didn’t notice initially was a talcum-powdery violet or iris.

Tom Ford Noir is my first review on this author, courtesy of Jerry Drake. We are talking about a mysterious gentleman who emerges on Venice Carnival Night, ready to astonish us with his changes of appearance. It begins with a wonderful incense-drenched oriental accord. The structural composition is worthy of the best perfumers of my native Cordoba. With mastery, the balsamic and incense-drenched exudation of benzoin blends with the sensual and disturbing sweetness of amber and vanilla, and the irresistible floral embrace of a dense rose and concentrated iris. There is a slight memory of Encre Noir motivated by that unmistakable presence of Iso E-Super, a mix of vetiver and violet that I particularly love. Just with this aromatic accord, Noir by Tom Ford would already have me irresistibly in its arms. This series of olfactory notes intoxicates my senses, clouds my mind, and transports my consciousness to distant places where silks and taffetas, spices and censors blend with every cell of my body in a communion that goes beyond space and time. But the mysterious gentleman changes his oriental mask for an acrid and bitter one, which could well be a reinterpreted fougère with Oriental hints. Caraway appears in this phase, with its aniseed air; a root vetiver, stuck to the earth; spicy and mentholated clary sage; the citrus touch of lemon verbena which this time is more bitter. And again the black gentleman returns to the oriental mask to which he adds leathery and slightly animal adornments. The intervention of galbanum is very contained, and both it and the leather do not contribute animal aggression but majesty and depth. With a natural and discreet gesture, the gentleman alternates these masks so quickly that we barely distinguish the different accords, and a complex, very complex but compact aura takes over the scene. At this stage of my test with Tom Ford Noir, I am ecstatic. It is a mysterious, dense, velvety, oriental perfume, with a masterful composition of animal and herbaceous elements of very difficult balance. Highly recommended for lovers of warmer and sensual oriental perfumes. If it were not so expensive, I would wear it daily, although it is more recommended for night outings. It is potent and long-lasting. What a pity it is a niche and that its cost corresponds to it!