Black Orchid (2006)
by Tom Ford

I like quite a few of Tom Ford's scents, although I would not call myself a full-fledged fan. I can see why BO has admirers; this is definitely a scent I can see many people considering luxurious, dark, mysterious, and sensual. On paper it sounds like something I would love! But it really smells obnoxious to me. The very prime top notes hold some promise with some nice ylang and jasmine with a bit of currant, but immediatly the whole thing starts to develop and completely loses its balance with a sickening combination of aroma chemicals that try as they might leave absolutely no impression of any orchid I have ever smelled, instead they take all the worst headache producing aspects of a floral oriental and turn the volume up to full blast. When the dry down eventually (and thankfully) comes it is an anti-climax of monumental proportions weaving in the blandest interpretation of woods, ambers and gourmand notes I have ever smelled. It is a big seller for this house, and I guess my tastes are absolutely not with the masses on this one. This is one expensive, over the top mess.

Black Orchid to me is a swirling drama of spice, sweets and darkness. I do not find the aquatic note distracting- it lifts the darkness a little . I also find the truffle/ mushroom unobstrusive /it just adds a little quirkiness to the opening. I can imagine this being a black orchid flower that grows in the swamps of Florida - a much desired orchid whose intense aroma is fills the humid night air . This is not the mild vanilla scent of any ordinary orchid , it is an alien orchid with a strange but delectable scent that seduces.
Lasting power is very good for an EDP.
Packaging and advertising all point to a retro - style powerhouse fragrance ,glamorous,loud,diva - like and big. However, I think it is a very modern interpretation. So Tom Ford and I love it.

I've been wearing Black Orchid a lot lately it just makes me feel so good. Peoples reactions when I wear it are always so positive and that's always a nice thing. I noticed some negative reviews so not everyone shares my passion for this frag. That's okay though we can't all like the same things and I enjoy reading all the reviews good and bad. I wish I was better at writing reviews but it's not really my thing I just know what I do and don't like. So maybe everyone can forgive my lack luster opinions but I just love perfume.

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 want to like this perfume, and it isn't that I find it bad. Of the reviews that I've read (here and elsewhere), I haven't found anyone else who shares my opinion of the scent. On my skin, Black Orchid is completely linear. I've sampled it three times now, and I don't notice a change from the top notes to the base notes. If I had to pick one dominant note, I would say gardenia (and I adore gardenia). I also notice the vanilla and patchouli, and they work well with the gardenia. But somehow this perfume misses the mark: I wish it would evolve on my skin, I wish it had a little extra oomph, or that it was a tad darker. It does have amazing lasting power on me (and not too many perfumes do). I do agree with other reviewers that the bottle itself seems a tad cheap.

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.