Neroli Portofino (2007)
by Tom Ford

Beautiful. Sweet and deep flower opening but not heavy or cloying (like some others in the TF line). Doesn't develop much but that is fine with me as it has a nicely complicated depth to it. Good silage and longevity.
Very much a unisex scent and for me, the best thing Tom Ford has done.

I usually love true orange blossom scent but this was putrid to me. I was at the fragrance counter at Sak's sampling many of the fine Tom Ford Collection scents and this one was a stand out! Reminded me of a Motel 6 I stayed in in Winnemuca, NV in 1983-linoleum floor cleaner. Definitely interesting the role of the olfactory sense in our memory.

I joked when this was released, that the name Neroli Portofino sounds like a condominium complex. I kept secretly hoping that I wouldn't like this, since if I bought a full bottle of it and people smelled it and wanted to know what it was, I'd have to say this silly name out loud.

I think NP is best summed up by calling it an Eau de Parfum formula of a classic neroli eau cologe (like 4711) I love eau colognes and while most of them are designed to wear very lightly with no 'oomph', which is disappointing since I want citrus scents to last. I thought that was impossible.

Well NP has this. I used to have difficulty differentiating neroli and orange blossom but ever since I tried NP now I understand completely how different neroli is. Just so fresh and bracing.

The scent has very little complexity and doesn't really 'develop' at all. It lasts longer than the eaux de colognes, of course, but not much more longer than 4-5 hours.

At it's price point (upwards of $150 a bottle), it's hard to fall in love with NP over other 'more affordable' neroli fragrances (Neroli by Czech & Speake comes to mind).

The sweetest and most flowery of the Tom Ford collection, this orange blossom is fantastic! That tiny little flower opens this frag with a bang, and then a nice little suprise of citrusy lemon joins in for a fresh & bright white floral treat! It gives me the impression of Goutal's Eau d'Hadrien being infused with neroli ~ completely beautiful! Did I mention it is sweet? Even so, it isn't a bit cloying IMO! Excellent sillage and longevity for a citrus/floral. I highly recommend trying this little gem.

I rather enjoy this one. The opening is without a doubt a very heavy yet airy Neroli which seems to stay throughout the entire drydown process. As it starts to develop a few more florals lightly come out. Next, a VERY nice crisp citrus note that reminds me of the smell of orange and lemon fruit stripe gum starts to dominate for a little while (a stage I find extremely satisfying)! Lastly, the bottom amber notes become more apparent ending in a very sensual and almost effervescent way. All the while the scent never, ever comes close to being a let down - every step is a good one.

Brilliant work. Thanks, Tom :-)

The worst side of neroli: pure cleaning fluid. Sickening.