Tom Ford

Tuscan Leather by Tom Ford Review

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I’ve got a whole lot of Tom Ford fragrance write-ups to do over the next little while, so you can expect 20+ reviews, over the next months (?) as I get all of them written and sorted out. Today’s review, we have a fragrance from the Private Blend Collection, Tuscan Leather. It was released in 2007. How does this popular scent smell? What’s inside? How does it perform? Is it even worth a try?

What does Tuscan Leather Smell Like?

Notes include: leather, suede, raspberry, jasmine, olibanum, saffron, amber

Click here to try: Tom Ford Tuscan Leather Eau De Parfume Spray for Men, 1.7 Ounce

My Full Review

The opening of Tuscan Leather is obviously full of the headlining leather note, but it is also joined by saffron, which brings to mind Godolphin by Parfums de Marly. However, what separates the Tom Ford creation, is the addition of a light raspberry note which sweetens up the background. It isn’t super juicy or girly, but that familiar aroma is there.

The leathery fragrance is obviously going to draw a lot of comparisons with one of the newer Tom Ford scents, Ombre Leather. I think Ombre is a drier fragrance than this is, but I will do a full comparison in the future.

The leather note in Tuscan Leather is utterly phenomenal. I’m a huge fan of this ingredient in fragrances and it is done to perfection here. Rich and super smooth, only made more so by the addition of the black suede note. It all comes together as very dark and deep.

As it dries down further, there is a subtle smokiness to Tuscan Leather, and a warmth provided by amber. Beyond that, a faint jasmine note peaks in to the composition at times, but never quite unseats the saffron. In the end the main players are: leather, saffron, raspberry, and suede.

Leather and saffron are really great together in fragrances. Tuscan is a premier example of this, and that juicy raspberry note, just ties it all together.

Sillage, How Long it Lasts, and Versatility

Projection wise, the sillage on this one is really strong, at first. Then, it settles down into something more moderate. To me, I love its loudness and confidence, when it kicks off. I am reviewing the current formulation and the longevity isn’t what I remember it to be in the past.

It is still good, but doesn’t have that same all day and into the night performance that it used to. I can still hit around a standard work day with Tuscan Leather. So, now it’s about 8 hours. Before, it would get 10+ pretty easily.

Is this decline just in the batch I have? Not sure, but I’ve read some other reports of this as well. Nonetheless, Tuscan certainly isn’t ‘weak’ by any means. Maybe just lost a step.

Seasonally, this is a wintertime gem. It hangs beautifully in the chilled air. You could also break it out during the autumn months to great effect. I’d definitely avoid it in the summer months or if you happen to live in a tropical climate. Not great in the heat.

This Tom Ford fragrance is classy enough to be worn for business or formal occasions, but also, sexy enough to go out at night. It’s pretty much an anytime wear during the winter months. Maybe not for totally casual occasions or for really young folks, but it wouldn’t feel completely, out of place.

This is classified as a unisex fragrance and it does fit that bill. However, it does lean more toward the masculine end of things. That being said, anyone can really wear this one. The raspberry and jasmine notes, really help to give Tuscan a lighter touch.

Overall Impressions of Tuscan Leather by Tom Ford

Overall, do I like Tuscan Leather? Of course. It is a really great leather fragrance, that is sophisticated, well blended, and smells awesome. Smooth as hell and the saffron/raspberry really add a nice touch to the whole composition.

If you’re not a leather fan, obviously avoid this one. However, for anyone else with that kind of money to drop on a $200+ bottle of Tom Ford, this is an excellent choice.

This has a less dry and earthy feeling than does Ombre Leather, and I slightly prefer that scent from Tom Ford. However, this is still a really great perfume, maybe not exactly what it once was…but it holds up.

Noir EDP by Tom Ford Review

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I have been doing a lot of different reviews of other companies’ fragrances as of late, but I am indeed still working my way through a bunch of Tom Ford scents, and today will cover the popular Noir eau de parfum. This one was released in 2012 for the men’s lineup. How does it smell? What are the notes involved? Please continue below for my full take after wearing Tom Ford Noir for Men.

What does Noir Eau de Parfum Smell Like?

Notes include: iris, patchouli, amber, pink pepper, nutmeg, black pepper, civet, vanilla, vetiver, bergamot, rose, violet, and more

Click here to try: Tom Ford Noir for Men Eau de Parfum Spray 3.4 Ounce

My Full Wear Review

Tom Ford Noir is known to be a scent that can be hit or miss for a lot of people. I think a lot of that has to do with the opening of this fragrance and how polarizing it can be. It opens with a lot of patchouli and a good deal of pepper.

As such, that can turn off a lot of people, and honestly it’s my least favorite part of this one. It’s pretty strong and has a certain dirty quality to the aroma, plus, an animalistic aspect provided by the civet.

So, with patchouli, pepper, and civet being prominent in the opening; it is no wonder why this can scare a lot of folks off from wanting to wear it. Beyond those notes however, Noir also gets quite floral, the more it wears on the skin.

The most noticeable is definitely the violet at first, although, there is also rose and iris lurking around as well (iris later takes over). Noir becomes quite powdery and has a tinge of sweetness from bergamot and vanilla.

With a name like Noir, is this a ‘dark’ sort of fragrance? Yes, for something this floral, it does have plenty of warmth, spice, and a resinous ‘thickness’ throughout its life cycle. So, while it is floral, it still has an earthiness that many of the modern clean colognes just don’t. Noir is pretty old school in that way.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, Noir really bombs out a room at first. One or two sprays is huge and the sillage can make it across the room without issue. Now, it does calm down, and turn into something that is on the upper end of the moderate spectrum.

It just hits really hard at first. It’s not one that I’d go crazy with the sprays. The longevity is also very good and seems to be able to hit double digit hours fairly easily.

When testing it, Noir seemed to hang around for 11-12 hours. Though, I tend to lose track of fragrances, once they get past that point. So, it could’ve kept going.

Seasonally, this is for the autumn and winter months. I wouldn’t want to wear this in heat, so, if you’re in a warm and humid climate it might not be the best bet. Even if it is pretty popular, Noir always strikes me as something that is more niche.

It’s not going to be a crowd pleaser. It is best served to be worn in a more formal setting or at least in finer clothing.

Is it sexy? It could be considered that, but not really overall. It is mature, powdery, resinous, with spices. So, even if it does have good performance, I wouldn’t be using it as a nightclub scent. Also, probably not the best for younger guys.

Overall, do I like Noir? Personally, it’s not my favorite, but I appreciate it. This is one that just doesn’t fit my style but I can understand why some people love it so much. Then again, I also understand the hate some people have for it.

Not a universally beloved cologne by any stretch. However, it is an interesting throwback fragrance, that hits the beats that it is aiming for perfectly. Strong, long lasting, and develops a barbershop clean with its own twist. Best to give it a whirl, before buying a full bottle.

London by Tom Ford Review

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I’ve had a sample vial of Tom Ford’s London, for the past six months or so, and just never got around to writing up my review of it. I’ve worn it a few times, in the intermediate time, and so have gathered my thoughts on this cent. As usual, I will cover what in this perfume, what it smells like, how it performs, and whether or not it’s actually worth a purchase.

What does London by Tom Ford Smell Like?

Notes include: black pepper, tobacco, oud, saffron, coriander, jasmine, cedar, birch, cardamom, coffee, cumin, and more

Click here to try: Tom Ford London Eau de Parfum Spray, 1.7 Ounce

My Full London Review

London opens up with a lot of warm spice and some oud, which will grow in strength later. The spice aren’t really sharp, but there’s just a wide variety of them. Particularly, I get black pepper, coriander, and cumin. It’s sort of like a spice rack, you’d find in your kitchen joined with some indistinct warmth, and wood notes.

A few minutes into the wear, I get a smokey incense note, surrounding plenty of the cumin and coriander. At this point, I’m not sure what to make of this fragrance. It’s not really pleasant, but I don’t totally hate it either. Pretty much, indifferent to London, completely.

It all comes together as very dark, warm, and spicy. Then, as it dries down, I get more of the oud with some of the tobacco. It does have some similarities as Tobacco Oud, but I think that Tom Ford is the better scent overall.

The final part of the wear is heavy with the oud, smokey incense, musk, jasmine, and the cedar note. It’s probably at its best, during this stage. Less spicy, less sillage, and just more of a subtle fragrance with a masculine edge. I’m still not completely on board with this perfume, but it’s much less annoying to my nose, at this point.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, the sillage is solidly strong at first, but not monstrous. Then, it comes down into a much more moderate scent. You won’t bomb out a room, but it’ll get noticed.

The performance is good overall, from the sillage to the longevity, which lasts somewhere in the 8-10 hour range. After testing the sample out a few times, it doesn’t go beyond 10 hours on my skin. Not the best of the best, but great.

When paying Tom Ford prices, this is much more important to me, than it otherwise might be. However, it’s up to snuff with how it performs.

Seasonally, I could only see wearing London during the autumn and winter months. It’s a cold weather scent, all the way. The heat would take this warm oud and spice mix and make it unbearable to wear. So, if you’re in a tropical climate, this isn’t for you.

London is a fragrance that you could wear to the office or out for an evening or formally. I wouldn’t call it sexy, it’s more of a masculine scent. More niche, than crowd pleasing.

Overall Impressions of London by Tom Ford

Overall do I like London by Tom Ford? Ehhh, it’s okay, but I don’t really enjoy it. I’ll never understand these high end designers, complete obsession with oud. It’s in like every damn scent they make.

Here it’s quite strong and when combine with coriander and pepper, it can kind of take on a body odor smell, at times. Not the whole way through, but there are definitely spots, where it’s not great to wear.

Again, this one is going to have a very limited appeal. Oud fans, who like lots of cumin and coriander? I guess, but for most of the rest of folks out there, London won’t be worth the price of admission.

Tuscan Leather vs Ombre Leather Comparison

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In this head to head comparison, we are going to take a look at two of the Tom Ford leather laden scents, Tuscan Leather vs. Ombre Leather 18. Ombre Leather was released in 2018 and is a variant of a 2016 release with the same name. Which of these unisex fragrances smells best? Which has the better performance? Which is a better buy overall?

Tale of the Tape: Tuscan vs. Ombre Leather

Tuscan Leather

Notes include: leather, suede, raspberry, jasmine, olibanum, saffron, amber

Click here to try: Tom Ford Tuscan Leather Eau De Parfume Spray for Men, 1.7 Ounce

My original Review: Tuscan Leather

Ombre Leather

Notes include: leather, moss, jasmine, amber, patchouli and cardamom

Click here to try: Ombré Leather Eau de Parfum Spray, 1.7-oz.

My review: Ombre Leather

Opening

Tuscan Leather opens up with a fantastic and rich leather note plus saffron. It reminds me a lot of Godolphin by Parfums de Marly. Also, Tuscan features a smooth and familiar black suede note and a bit of juicy raspberry to change things up a bit.

Ombre Leather, is actually closer to Godolphin than is Tuscan Leather. It shares notes of jasmine, leather, moss, and amber with that fragrance. The leather is just like that in Tuscan and better than the Parfums de Marly fragrance.

It is a dark, dry, warm, and supple scent. Much more like a leather jacket and earthier than is Tuscan Leather.

Which do a I prefer? I think that Ombre is the more interesting opening, it doesn’t have that hint of raspberry, but it does have a dry rugged quality that isn’t found in Tuscan Leather. I just like that opening better.

Edge: Ombre

Projection

Both fragrances start out strong and then move into a more moderate scent. However, Ombre Leather, reaches a higher peak in its sillage before moving into the moderate and feels more intense when I have it on than does Tuscan Leather.

Neither of these is a sillage bomb. However, they do both have a good amount of power, and Ombre is the better of them.

Edge: Ombre

Longevity

With the latest batch of Tuscan Leather that I tried, I got about 8-9 hours of wear from it. While Ombre Leather has a bit better sillage, it lasts on my skin from 6-8 hours, and doesn’t quite keep up with its predecessor.

Tuscan is marginally better, but it definitely has the edge on my skin.

Edge: Tuscan Leather

Versatility

Both of these scents are mostly for the autumn and winter months. Both can be unisex. Both can be worn casually or dressed up without problem. I don’t see a real edge in this category. They pretty much assume the same role.

Edge: Push

Overall Scent

I will start off by saying, that I enjoy both of these scents a lot. They are fantastic examples of leather used in fragrances, both have good performance, and smell great. They have a whole lot in common.

However, I am going to give the edge to Ombre Leather 18, over Tuscan Leather. For me, the newer scent has more going on and isn’t a linear as Tuscan Leather. Yes, they both start close to what Godolphin smells like, but Ombre Leather,

Ombre has a light addition of warm amber, dry moss, and earthy/slightly spicy patchouli. Add to that, a wonderful dry down in which jasmine gets paired with the leather to add a floral element to an already great fragrance.

Tuscan is great, but Ombre Leather has won me over versus that scent, and I’m going to give it the win in the head to head match up.

Winner: Ombre Leather

Noir Anthracite by Tom Ford

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I haven’t posted anything on the site for over a week now,as I took a trip to Las Vegas and then got stuck there for a number of days more due to all of the weather-related travel cancellations. I did however, get a chance to sample some new fragrances, during my time there to write up some one-time wear reviews.

One of these scents is the new tom Ford launch, Noir Anthracite, which is a flanker fragrance to the original Tom Ford Noir. So, I’m going to delve into my initial impressions after wearing a few sprays around for the day.

I would’ve liked to spend some more time with it, to truly get a full picture of this scent, but this will have to suffice. Note: I have updated the post, after more testing.

What Does Noir Anthracite Smell Like?

Notes include: Sichuan pepper, bergamot, tuberose, ginger, cedarwood, santal, and galbanum

Click here to try: TOM FORD NOIR ANTHRACITE EAU DE PARFUM 3.4 OZ/100 ML SEALED (3.4)

My Full Wear Review

The opening of Noir Anthracite starts out with a bang. It’s spicy, intense, and the bergamot was most prevalent to my nose at this point in time.

Some of it seemed vaguely familiar, which now that I’m home, I realize it’s the Sichuan pepper note that is also found in my sample sprayer of Amouage Journey.

There is a definite overlap between these two scents, though Journey Man is smokier in my opinion. However, Noir Anthracite does kind of seem like it could have been an Amouage release, as it fits right in with that line.

I cannot think of the other cologne that Noir Anthracite sets off memories of but it does feel like deja vu.

The cedarwood and santal gives Anthractie its woodsy/smoky aroma which complements the spiciness provided by the Sichuan pepper and ginger notes. It’s actually quite a masculine scent but doesn’t overdo it in my opinion.

What’s interesting about this cologne is that it doesn’t take the route of so many others and use its spiciness to create an enveloping cloud of warmth around the wearer…maybe it’s supposed to be ‘warm’ but it never seemed like it.

Perhaps, it was due to wearing it in a desert climate. It’s a pretty strong scent but it doesn’t feel all that heavy to me, more like a dark, rich, and deep aroma.

Noir Anthracite also eschews sweetness of any kind, which is a nice change of pace versus other popular scents of this era. Yes, there is a bergamot note, but it was mostly confined to the very start of the scent’s life cycle.

After that, it’s spicy/woodsy with a smokiness that is fairly mesquite. When you get right down to it, this cologne isn’t all that complicated and stays along the same line, for the rest of the wear.

Sillage, How Long it Lasts, and Versatility

Projection on Noir Anthracite is pretty darn good. It’s strong, but not overly powerful, to the point of annoyance. The sillage also sustains itself fairly well, over the life of the wear. It doesn’t just quit a few hours after spraying.

The longevity during my wear was around 7 hours. I also spent some time outside in the heat, so that probably effected it somewhat. I’d say this is best for fall/winter and I’d need another few rounds with it to properly gauge its longevity.

Update: Yeah, it’s about 7-8 hours of wear, in the colder weather too. It’s nicer when the air is crisp, but still didn’t wow me.

It strikes me as a versatile scent, that could be worn in a business or business casual situation but also work well for nightlife at a restaurant or lounge-type of atmosphere.

It is a mature masculine kind of cologne, so I’d say skip it, if you’re still in school…at least while in the classroom.

I know a lot of Tom Ford scents are pretty unisex but this is one that leans heavily toward the more traditional masculine kind of cologne.

Again, fall/winter seems like the perfect time to wear and I’d lean more towards saving it for the nighttime. It’s not really a sexy fragrance and I don’t know how most women would react to it.

Noir Anthracite seems to be stuck somewhere between niche fragrance and mass appeal. Dark, spicy, woody, and warmth has its appeal…just not one everybody would go crazy for.

Overall Impressions of Noir Anthracite

Overall, would I rate Noir Anthracite a buy? I sort of like it, but I’m not crazy about it. It doesn’t quite fit my personal style or tastes but I know a lot of men would really enjoy it. If you’re into spicy woods fragrances, you should check this one out.

If you like sweetness or aquatic types, then, this one probably isn’t for you. There is a lot that this scent does well and I honestly can’t say anything about it is ‘bad’, it all comes down to whether or not the composition fits your lifestyle.

Ultimately, there’s a lot of peppery spice, wood, and some smoky aromas. For most people, I don’t think that it’ll blow them away, and some might hate it entirely. There’s a whole lot of Tom Ford scents, that I’d rather wear, but this one is decent.