Black Orchid (2006)
by Tom Ford

I've tried this a number of times now, and I'm still not sure if I can say whether I like it or not. It certainly has a lot of personality.

The top notes, as others have said, are the most interesting part - there's all sorts of things going on, and it manages to be a combination of floral, aquatic, gourmand, and earthy, all with a delectably over-ripe quality ( if you like a lot of "dirty" with your nice, this one is for you ). It's hard for me to decipher the fruity-floral notes out - I smell a jasmine-esque something that peaks in the heart - but it seems anchored in a doughy-vanilla, an aquatic note, that mysterious "dirt" note that some identify as mushroom but smells closer to an earthy vetiver to me, and most of all, patchouli. In the drydown it reached a point where it's simpler, only the dirt, patchouli, and aquatic edge remaining. There is a resemblance to Chanel's Allure Sensuelle, but Black Orchid's dirt note is preferable to Allure Sensuelle's cheese and plastic, despite the otherwise similar base.

The sillage and longevity are truly epic, and as a fan of both qualities, I can tell you it delivers both in quantity. It lasts through showers, baths, and an evening of swimming in the Atlantic. If you get any on your clothes, prepare to have a dedicated "Black Orchid" shirt for a few washes.

As some have said before me, Black Orchid is this decade's Poison. It's big, it's loud, it's complex, and it's a little weird. It's a fragrance phenomena, and well worth trying, for better or worse.

I adore this scent. I love everything about it: the opening, how thick and syrupy the scent presents itself, how it sticks on your skin and totally transforms into something unique.

It is an unmistakably heavy scent, and I can detect it anywhere I go when someone wears it. On the elevator, at a club, outside, no matter how crowded the place is, you can always feel if Black Orchid is present. Like I said, it is very thick. That being said, the scent on my skin doesn't remain too sweet, as many people complain about the fragrance. It transforms something quite spicy, and erotic. It is very dark. The black currant note is quite heavy in the opening, and I can also detect some bergamot, which gives it a very very slight citrusy note to my nose. I never had the chance to smell a pure ' black truffle note' as a scent, so I don't know what that smells like in particular, yet that anonymous note that hits my nose along with deep woods and heavy flowers can be the truffle in question, I suppose.

The most gorgeous state of the fragrance is the drydown though, it is almost cruel to the nose. It is so seductive and erotic. I claim there have been few scents that could handle vanilla this well. It settles into something warm, familiar, close to skin, and very hazy. Yes, it is sweet, make no mistake, yet it is a very sophisticated, well-thought-out 'sweet'. It is not 'delicious' like Lolita Lemplicka, Chopard Wish, or that monstrosity called Angel and the masculine versions of all those which I have listed. Black Orchid doesn't smell like food, nor desert.

I love this scent, it is a gorgeous creation from top to finish. I reckon it will always be a part of my fragrance collection. It is not just the fragrance that is unique, it is the whole experience. I feel like the great sultans or princesses of Arabia, or geishas of Japan must have smelt like this. It is an ultimate elixir. In general I love Tom Ford's creations, yet this is the first scent since his unmatched YSL m7 that I have been this excited about. He really shines in creating dark scents with flower-y accords and wood-y accents. Not only the scents, but also the bottles and packaging are also always gorgeous. The Black Orchid bottle, captivating like every fragrance bottle he designed, is maybe on the masculine side, yet also very user friendly. You can carry it anywhere, and it doesn't 'age' with time, look tarnished and all. Being skinny and curved, the bottle looks decadent and very soignee. It is onyx black with a gold plate on top, proclaiming the mysterious name. First I thought 'Black Orchid' was a tacky name, but now I am kind of used to it.

If you want a unique experience, you must test this scent. Whether you like it or not, you WILL have some sort of an opinion about the scent, which makes this a very special creation. It has an identity, and it sparks up discussion, because it is very different. Must test before buying though, unless you are buying it only for the gorgeous bottle, which would still be a justifiable purchase.

I was initially anxious about trying this. I'd heard it described as Voile de Fleur's older, more depraved sister. I love Viole de Fleur - it's dark but prettily feminine - and was curious to try the original.

I love it - it's one of my favourite fragrances. I fell in love with it immediately. I was swept away by the deliciousness of Black Orchid. On my skin, the creaminess of noir gourmand and vanilla tears show through quite early and perfectly complement the earthiness of the black truffle. On me, Black Orchid is warm yet mysteriously sexy. It is the only scent I own which causes my male friends to hover around me telling me how amazing I smell.

Whereas Voile de Fleur makes me want to drink intoxicating cocktails in a glamorous bar wearing a pretty dress and heels, Black Orchid makes me want to roll around on silk sheets and velvet bedspread with a tall, dark, handsome man. It is sex in a bottle.

Now I understand why this fragrance has an iconic following. Although only time will tell, forget Angel - Black Orchid is the Black Orchid of all fragrances. I had to travel 50km's in order to try this bottle and I must say, if I had to do it again, I would. The opening smells heavily of burnt syrup and liquorice. I did not immediately fall in love with the opening notes but when it dried down and started smelling like a medley of ripened cherries and mangoes, I just fell in love. It is not for the faint hearted and it does not smell like anything that I have ever smelled before. It holds it's own without using any other fragrance on the market as a crutch (like Euphoria used Angel to "crutch"on). Still, this fragrance is everything that I expected and more. When I smell it, it transports me to a classy cigar bar and I see myself with my long, jet black hair wearing a figure hugging backless black dress, red and sexy Mary Jane heels and a slick of red lipstick amid a cloud of cigar smoke, sipping cognac and exchanging looks with this one man that I know I am going to have for supper. It is not a fragrance - it is an experience. Bless your arrogant soul, Tom Ford.

Yuck, this "fragrance" is awful. Lovely bottle though.

Tom Ford Black Orchid EDP

Notes: Bergamot, Citrus, Mandarin, Black Gardenia, Jasmine, Ylang-Ylang, Lotus Wood, Orchid, Spicy Floral Accord, Orchid (Tom Ford Black Accord), Patchouli, Sandalwood, Incense, Vanilla (from Sephora.com)

Wow! All I can say is...wow, as in, this is really strange stuff! At first, I smell chocolate, mint, a green herbal blend, patchouli, coconut, vetiver, tar, woods, mixed floral notes, and ozone. Soon after, the mid notes reveal some fruit notes, the coconut becoming more dominant along with watery fruits such as watermelon, peach and strawberry. The thing that seems to make this fragrance so strange is that it is watery and fresh while also being bogged down in woody, camphoraceous notes which are quite dirty in comparison. It smells like all the subtle earthy, herbaceous, bitter and floral aromas which blend in a garden are selectively amplified so that each one becomes a caricature of itself. The dirt is more dirty, and smells of woody, dry roots. The herbs and leaves are especially bitter and pungent. The florals are neon in both color and scent quality, elevated to the point of almost being monstrous. And yet, I am sort of enjoying Black Orchid. It has the theatrical exaggeration that I would expect of a man eating plant in an alien's garden. I find it interesting and enjoyable and a tad shocking in a good way, but I am not sure I would be inclined to wear it on a regular basis.