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Neroli Portofino Forte by Tom Ford

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In today’s review of a Tom Ford fragrance, we have a flanker scent from the high end designer brand, called: Neroli Portofino Forte. This one came out back in 2016. I am going to share my thoughts after wearing this perfume around. I will cover how it smells, what the notes are, when it should be worn, and if it is even worth a buy?

What does Neroli Portofino Forte Smell Like?

Notes include: neroli, leather, bergamot, blood orange, orange blossom, musk, woods, basil, lavender

Click here to try: Tom Ford Neroli Portofino Forte Eau De Parfum 3.4oz/100ml New In Box

My Full Review

The opening of Neroli Portofino Forte was trying its hardest to get me to hate this fragrance. It’s a musky/spice white floral with the citrus notes only being a side attraction. The basil seems pretty strong at the top and contributes to this being way too much to take all at once.

Neroli is naturally leading the way, but I think it gets distracted from, by everything else going on. Musk and basil are overkill, here.

I really don’t enjoy the first five minutes of this scent, but luckily it does improve quite a lot from there. It’s strange, because I do like basil, usually.

Once you move past that opening, Forte really starts to take on the smell of the citrus notes. Kind of backwards, usually the citrus notes will lead off a fragrance. But here, the come on strong after the initial wave.

Blood orange and bergamot come together to create quite a zesty and deliciously juicy aroma. Forte does still have that soapy sort of vibe, that the original Neroli Portofino does, but the citrus is much stronger in this flanker. Forte just feels like a bolder fragrance than the original.

As we dry down further, there is the addition of a leather note in this one. It’s kind of subtle and doesn’t have the same sort of smell as Tuscan Leather, but it is there and does create an interesting element in the heart of this perfume.

There is musk and woods, to go with the white floral notes, as well. The spiciness of the basil, is pretty much gone at this point.

Ultimately, what I am left with is woods, leather, some musk, blood orange, neroli, and orange flowers. It’s later stages, are probably the absolute highlight of Forte, I feel that this is when the perfume really stands out and distinguishes itself.

If I could skip the opening and get to the citrus, leather, and woods…I’d be much higher on this fragrance.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, moderate, but stronger than the original. Neroli Portofino Forte, doesn’t have huge sillage but it will extend about 4-5 feet from the skin for the first few hours, and then come in closer. It never seems weak, but is pretty steady throughout the wear.

For the price, it delivers something solid and doesn’t completely leave me wanting more.

Longevity, is good, better than the original. It stayed on my skin for maybe 7-8 hours, which while not amazing, is a solid workday. Really, with what you’d be paying for this Tom Ford scent, it’s not at all spectacular.

So, projection is worthwhile and it lasts about the minimum I would want to acquire a bottle.

Seasonally, Forte is for warm days. Every aspect of it is absolutely built for the sun and gives off that spring/summer feeling to a tee. It is unisex, but another one that leans more towards the feminine end of things.

Not that it’s girly or anything, just much more in line with perfumes you’d find on the women’s side of thing, as opposed to men’s colognes.

It is classy, somewhat mature, and not a casual summertime scent. It can be worn at the office or other semi-formal or dressed up sorts of events. It’s attractive, but not a sexy or seductive fragrance. Luxurious with plenty of depth for something that is worn during the summer months.

I want to wear this in the daytime. Neroli Portofino Forte isn’t something for the nightlife.

Overall Impressions of Portofino Forte

Overall, do I like Neroli Portofino Forte? I do somewhat. The opening turned me off, but the dry down brought me back in. I think that it is a nice perfume, has a really good blood orange note, and a unique use of leather.

Is it amazing? Not in my mind. It is also a really expensive scent, so, even if I wanted to spend that much money it wouldn’t be a top choice for my personal collection. It’s a well put together fragrance, that smells good, and has an interesting character.

I really don’t like the initial basil blast in the opening and how it interacts with the rest of the composition. This is one that definitely gets better as it moves on. Ultimately, it’s just not a must have for me.

Fougere d’Argent by Tom Ford

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I’m back again, with another Tom Ford fragrance review. I’ve got 3 or 4 more to go, in this current batch, and hopefully I can pick up some others in the collection. Anyway, today’s entry is a review of Fougere d’Argent, which isn’t a particularly well know Tom Ford cologne. It was released in 2018. What does it smell like? When should it be worn? Is it even worth a try?

What does Fougere d’Argent Smell Like?

Notes include: lavender, ginger, labdanum, orange, tonka bean, akigalawood

Click here to try: Fougere D’argent by Tom Ford Eau De Parfum 1.7oz/50ml Spray New In Box 

My Full Review

Before we get into my own review of Fougere d’Argent, let’s see what Tom Ford describes it as: Impeccable. Dashing. Provocative. New and unabashedly bold, Fougere d’Argent is a legend redux that converges impeccable decorum with the modus operandi of an agent provocateur. Tom Ford’s sleight of hand redefines the classic fougere in an exquisite work of beauty. 

The opening of Fougere d’Argent gives me a clean and spicy aroma. I pick up a lot of ginger, with lavender being the second in command, with wood and light citrus bringing up the rear.

The ginger note here, is particularly intense and sharp, which I actually like a great deal. The aroma is a classic gentleman’s clean, a barbershop quality, with the rough masculine edges smoothed out by notes such as tonka bean and lavender.

After the first few minutes, the orange note seems to get stronger to my nose. I’m not sure if that’s just the case for me, but it honestly feels weak after the initial spray, and then is quite prominent.

I like its combination with the lavender and ginger spice, which does help Fougere d’Argent have a more modern edge, versus the classic fougere colognes.

As it dries down further, the ginger and orange, begin to fall off. Lavender takes ahold of the reins, along with what I guess is the akigalawood, and what definitely is tonka bean. It’s really smooth, woody, fresh, with a hint of powdery spice.

There is something that is so simple, yet so utterly appealing with a fragrance, like this. So many fougere fragrances for men, that I come across, are really dated in how they smell. Fougere d’Argent doesn’t hit my nose that way, at all.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Sillage wise, this is a lighter moderate scent. It’s not going to project like crazy, but will stay in a small radius, around the wearer. Will you forget that it is on you skin, at times? Sure. However, you will also unexpectedly catch a whiff of it, randomly during the day.

While the sillage isn’t a complete monster, the longevity is actually quite good. 7-9 hours on my skin, seems to be about the norm for Fougere. Not an elite wear, but certainly nothing to scoff at either.

Seasonally, this is versatile enough to be worn, almost anytime. I’m not convinced of it, in the summer heat, but outside of that this will work great. It absolutely can be worn for any occasion, also. It does seem like a formal fragrance for some of the wear, but it isn’t stuffy, and can go casual.

It’s not really a nightlife beast, but again, it wouldn’t be out of place. You’d just not be projecting your fragrance all over the bar or club.

Fougere d’Argent will get some complements, has a pleasant appeal, but isn’t necessarily ‘sexy’ with its scent. It’s definitely appreciated and adds something different from most of the modern fare.

This is listed as a unisex fragrance, though, it really leans masculine. It’s not too heavy or anything to preclude women from wanting to wear it, but it definitely favors one side of the perfume spectrum.

Overall Impression of Fougere d’Argent

Do I like this fragrance? Yes, it I really did, much more than I thought. When I see the word fougere, I have my doubts, that it’d be my style. This one, however, got my attention and admiration.

Is it the most amazing thing out? No, but it does give you an option, if you’re looking for a very well put together modern take on a classic concept. It’s not overly complex, but smells wonderful, and is of high quality.

It’s not going to be for every man. Some will want more strength, from their colognes. Others, might find this style to be boring. For me, I think that it’s a very good fragrance, albeit at a hefty price point.

It doesn’t seem to be around at every store, that the more popular Tom Ford scents are. So, you might have to go through the online route. I don’t think it’d be a bad blind buy, it’s got a easy to like scent and the performance is good enough.

Tobacco Vanille by Tom Ford

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For today’s review, I am finally getting around to doing a full write up of Tobacco Vanille by Tom Ford. I am still getting through my reviews of fragrances from this designer and this is among the most highly regarded of the bunch. This one came out in 2007. But how does it actually smell? Does it have good performance? What are the ingredients?

What does Tobacco Vanille Smell Like?

Notes include: tobacco, vanilla, dried fruit accords, cocoa, tonka bean, wood sap, spices

Click here to try: Tom Ford Beauty Tobacco Vanille Private Blend Spray/3.4 oz.

My Full Review

Tobacco Vanille opens up with a lot of very sweet tobacco, vanilla, cocoa, and creamy tonka bean. It is loud and really sweet, which I think puts off many people from giving this a fair shake, because it can kind of be overwhelming at the start.

The sweetness is somewhat offset by a layer of unnamed spice, but from what I can tell is mostly cinnamon. It’s a warm enveloping cloud of tobacco and familiar gourmand notes.

One thing about the sweetness is that it has a dry and powdered quality to the aroma. The cocoa note smells like cocoa powder and the dried fruit accord provides a different type of sweet scent from that of the strong vanilla and cocoa.

As it dries down, it becomes less sugary sweet, and more of a rich and dark aroma. It’s a very thick fragrance, smooth overall, but notes like the wood sap give it a resinous undertone.

As it dries down, I get more of the tobacco as a stand alone, that is less drowned out by the gourmand notes. It’s a green leafy tobacco, not a cured and toasted one. This is surrounded by sap and spices.

Plus, the sweet combo of the cocoa and vanilla, which lend it a creamy powdery disposition. It’s pretty much what I get for the rest of the wear.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, the sillage of Tobacco Vanille is really quite strong at first. It’ll stay that way for a few hours, but I’d put it on the upper edge of moderate for the rest of the wear. It isn’t a super bomb scent for the entire way, but it can hit hard at first.

Longevity is great. It’s an all day wear, and can hit double digit hours of wear, with only a couple of sprays. Probably in the 11-12 hour range, at its best.

This one has always stuck to my skin very well and kept going. I’m not sure everyone will experience the same, but it’s one of the best performing Tom Ford scents for me.

Seasonally, it’s a cold weather scent. Too much warmth and sweetness to be of use for me in the spring/summer, but it’s great when the temperatures drop. Very versatile, sexy enough to be worn out at night, but mature enough for office wear.

Doesn’t offend and gets positive reactions from people, as long as you’re not doing a crazy number of sprays. Also, it’s more masculine than anything, but it is still within the realm of being a unisex scent.

Overall Impressions of Tobacco Vanille

Overall, do I like Tobacco Vanille by Tom Ford? Yes, it is a very good tobacco based fragrance. The dry down period is my favorite part, because it doesn’t have the same in your face sweetness, but I cannot say that I totally dislike the opening either.

It is expensive, but this is one of the Tom Ford scents that has really great performance, while being pleasing to wear. If you live in a very humid climate, it might not be the best choice. Obviously, you’ll also need to like the smell of tobacco.

For me, this is one of the Tom Ford perfumes that I can and do enjoy. Though, it isn’t my favorite or one that I personally want to wear all of the time. Especially since, the autumn and winter is when I get to break out a whole host of other scents with a dark, sweet, spicy profile.

Other Tom Ford scents like: Noir Extreme and Parfum. Different high end stuff like Oajan, Angels’ Share and Chanel’s Egoiste.

So, I do recommend giving this one a try at least. But, I already have a glut of fragrances with a similar use case, and this one gets left out of the mix for me.

Fleur de Portofino by Tom Ford

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Continuing on with the Tom Ford fragrance reviews, we have a rather popular scent from the line up, Fleur de Portofino. In this post, I want to share my experience with this scent, and what sets it apart from the pack. What are the notes? What does it smell like? How does it perform? Is it actually worth a buy or is it over-hyped?

What does Fleur de Portofino Smell Like?

Notes include: bergamot, Sicilian lemon, bitter orange leaf, tangerine, violet leaf, magnolia, white acacia, orange blossom, jasmine, vanilla, acacia honey

Click here to try: Tom Ford Fleur de Portofino Eau de Parfum Spray, 3.4 oz

My Full Wear Review

Fleur de Portofino is a part of the Neroli Portofino line of fragrances by Tom Ford. So, yes, they do have some similarities but each is fairly distinct, in my mind. The opening features a great blend of citrus notes, mostly a lemon and tangerine.

However, it isn’t a pure citrus start, as I pick up on floral notes, honey, and some subtle ‘greeness’.

This perfume does smell a bit different, particularly in the floral notes. It is led by white acacia flowers, as well, as having a healthy dose of acacia honey.

I wasn’t familiar with the scent of this flower, but it does offer a nice change of pace, from the usually neroli found in a million other perfumes.

After about 20 minutes, the citrus notes start to really take a backseat to the floral notes. They never completely vanish for me, but they don’t completely permeate things, either. I really get a lot of magnolia and what I guess is the acacia, it is a distinct white floral aroma.

The great thing about Fleur de Portofino, unlike some of the other Tom Ford perfumes, is that the floral notes are tempered enough to prevent them from becoming overbearing.

The sweetness of the honey smooth things out and the citrus, retains a light touch, to keep it from becoming a giant bouquet.

Finally, I do pick up on a decent amount of jasmine in the dry down. Now, not to the same extent as say in, Jasmin Rouge; but it does come on fairly strong. Nonetheless, it never fully occupies the composition, and the other two florals remain strong.

In the end, I get this blend of white floral notes, honey, some citrus, and an indistinct mix of some other flowers.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, it starts off with pretty strong sillage, but it’s not a bomb. Later, it lightens up quite a bit, but still stronger than a skin scent for me.

The longevity isn’t amazing, but it’s solid, giving me about 6 hours of wear. These style of perfumes, never seem to go super long, but Fleur de Portofino holds up well enough.

I do with I could get a few more from this, solely because of what this fragrance costs. It just doesn’t work out that way.

Seasonally, this one is a spring/summer wear, all the way. While it technically is unisex, this leans much more feminine, in my opinion. Not super girly, so men can indeed, wear it safely.

Some of the others from Tom Ford that are in the same style as this one, can lean more masculine.

This strikes me more as a casual daytime wear or something that you could wear to the office. Not one for a night out or as something which could considered to be a romantic wear. Mostly something to wear, as you’re out and about on warmer days.

Overall Impressions of Fleur de Portofino

Overall, do I like Fleur de Portofino? It’s nice enough. Even if it is still a pretty basic white floral and citrus blend, it changes things up enough with the acacia, to make it distinct. The performance is pretty standard, but it is a very nice smelling perfume.

It doesn’t amaze me, shares some similarities with Sole di Positano, but overall I enjoyed wearing this one. There’s a lot of different fragrances like this from Tom Ford and Acqua di Parma, so, they all start getting jumbled together in my mind.

That being said, it’s one of the better examples. I like the citrus notes in the start and the honey which gives it something somewhat different.

It’s somewhat safe as a blind buy, if you know that this kind of perfume is your style. At the price it sells for, you may want to try it first. Though, I don’t think you’d be all that disappointed if you didn’t test it beforehand.

Noir de Noir by Tom Ford

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For this edition of my fragrance reviews, I have another entry from the Tom Ford Private Blend lineup, Noir de Noir. The scent is one of the more popular perfumes offered by the brand, but does it actually smell any good? How does this black of black perform? Is it even worth a try? I’ve been testing it out for a while and here are my results.

What does Noir de Noir Smell Like?

Notes include: rose, oud, patchouli, black truffle, tree moss

Click here to try: Tom Ford Private Blend Noir De Noir Eau De Parfum Spray Edp 3.4 Fl / 100 Ml

My Full Wear Review

I’m not too much of a fan of rose, as a note in fragrances. Especially, rose dominated scents, they usually never really strike a chord with me; even if I don’t hate the way it smells. So, Noir de Noir shouldn’t be a perfume that I enjoy, but I actually do.

When I saw that oud and patchouli were added to rose, I had the preconception that it was going to smell exactly like, every other Middle Eastern inspired fragrance out there, with a huge rose and overpowering spice. What I got from this Tom Ford scent, was quite different.

Noir de Noir does indeed open up with a familiar aroma of rose, however, it seems sweeter, while at the same time dirtier than other rose scents. But this is what makes it such a good smell.

It is paired with patchouli at the start and this provides an earthy spice, that not super intense but allows the scent to be dark and not just another in your face rose.

The oud sits at the base, along with the slight mossy element in here. However, the key here in my opinion, is the black truffle and vanilla. I didn’t see vanilla listed as a note, but I get that sweet creaminess peaking through during the dry down.

This is when Noir de Noir is at its absolute best. I love the balance here, one minute it is rosy and floral, the next dirty and spicy, and then it is sweet. All wrapped up in a dark and enveloping warmth. The oud is the sturdy heart of the perfume, but it stays out of the way, and isn’t super overt.

Sillage, How Long it Lasts, and Versatility

Projection wise, I don’t find the sillage of Noir de Noir to be all that powerful. It isn’t weak, but it didn’t make me recoil when applying it. It’ll stay in a nice little 3-4 foot radius of you during the wear and you will catch nice whiffs of it throughout.

It also stayed on my skin for about 9 hours or so. Wasn’t insane, with the longevity, but it is certainly very good. On a colder day, the performance does stand out. The longevity is good, but what’s impressive is how it sticks around with a good amount of power.

This is a unisex scent, maybe leaning more towards a woman’s fragrance, but it doesn’t really seem as wholly feminine. Noir de Noir works fantastically on me, as a man, so I wouldn’t worry about seeming too girly with it.

Either way, I liked wearing it in the cold weather recently, and don’t think that it would be too successful for anyone in the summertime. It’s a bit too rich for any time with too much humidity or heat.

Noir de Noir is a sophisticated scent, as such, I probably wouldn’t wear it casually. This is more of something to wear on an evening out, whether that is in a suit or a dress. Anything with a bit of style to it. It is sexy in its own way, not super seductive, but inviting and intriguing.

Overall Impressions of Noir de Noir

Overall, do I like Noir de Noir by Tom Ford? Yes, if you couldn’t tell. I think that it is a highly enjoyable fragrance, that captures a lot of different moods, aromas, and skirts the line of masculine and feminine.

It successfully managed to take notes that aren’t usually my favorites and make me enjoy wearing it. This is a wonderful piece of the Private Blend collection.

The truffle is a fantastic addition, getting paired with the more commonplace vanilla note. They sweeten and calm, what would otherwise be quite an intensely earthy sort of perfume.

Nonetheless, it ultimately is an earthy experience. The rose note is surprisingly good, when paired with patchouli. It comes together as a very dark, warm, sweet, and powerful wear. Noir de Noir is a fragrance, I wouldn’t have expected to enjoy, but really did, in the end.