Fleur de Portofino Tom Ford 2015 Eau de Parfum

To make it short: Fleur de Portofino Eau de Parfum is for me one of the most underrated fragrances ever and at the same time the epitome of a masterpiece.

When I think of Tom Ford, I associate this house with bold fragrances that disregard conventions, set new standards, and cross boundaries "Outside the Box." Some masterpieces, such as "Tobacco Vanille (Eau de Parfum) | Tom Ford," "Oud Wood (Eau de Parfum) | Tom Ford," or "Fucking Fabulous / Fabulous (Eau de Parfum) | Tom Ford," are exactly that - unconventional milestones in the world of fragrances.
But let's be honest: In recent years, little revolutionary has come from this house, a bit "naughty" here, a bit "provocative" there - but nothing that would make you want to fight for it.

So I tested Fleur de Portofino Eau de Parfum with a rather negative predisposition and wonder why this fragrance has hardly experienced any hype and why there are very few reviews about it on YouTube.

*OPENING*
The fragrance starts off zesty, citrusy, and alcoholic, and at first seems completely overloaded and unbalanced. However, the one-dimensional and alcoholic, stretching citrus fades away within just a few minutes and leads directly to the heart note, which gives the fragrance its unmistakable soul.

*HEART NOTE*
After just a few minutes, the heart note sets in and gives the fragrance substance and character - its soul, if you will:
The fresh citrus takes a back seat and hands over the scepter to acacia, mimosa, and osmanthus.
The acacia notes are initially somewhat sweet but quickly become citrusy-woody-fresh with a certain earthiness. This strongly reminds me, especially in the first hours, of the woody-citrusy-aquatic component of Costa Azzurra Eau de Parfum and "Costa Azzurra Acqua | Tom Ford," although this note in Fleur de Portofino Eau de Parfum is immediately accompanied by mimosa and osmanthus.
The mimosa in this combination makes the fragrance smell violet-like and gives this masterpiece a very special dusty-powdery vibe that I have never smelled anywhere before. Additionally, sweet-fresh notes come into play, giving the fragrance a creamy cleanliness.
Osmanthus, a floral blossom that originates from Southeast Asia and is omnipresent in certain regions there, gives the fragrance a luxurious character reminiscent of high-quality green tea. And indeed: In some regions, osmanthus is used to give oolong tea a floral note. Furthermore, there is also a very subtle, absolutely non-intrusive vibe of freshly cut apricots. And these notes have been masterfully implemented in "Fleur de Portofino (Eau de Parfum) | Tom Ford," preventing the fragrance from becoming too sweet and imparting a floral-dusty earthiness to the citrusy woods and creamy freshness.

*BASE*
After about 3 to 4 hours, a very gentle, soft, minimally waxy note of acacia honey is added to the composition described above - clean and transparent, beautiful and bright. The honey feels very natural, like freshly harvested, and even carries a hint of honeycomb. It underlines the different accords of slightly aquatic freshness combined with floral, powdery, and lightly dusty notes and the subtle woodiness. The honey never becomes intrusive or overwhelming in any way but remains in the background, wonderfully complementing the olfactory experience.

*LONGEVITY*
Surprisingly, the fragrance lasts a good 8 hours on my skin, even in spring and the beginning of summer. On clothing, the notes can even be sensed the following day. So basically, a very solid performance.

*SILLAGE*
The Fleur de Portofino Eau de Parfum is only a little loud at the very beginning, but it quickly knows how to settle down and only captivates those who come close. The sillage in the first 2 or 3 hours is perhaps an arm's length, and then it becomes "only" a skin scent, which is also clearly reflected in the rating of 6.5.

*VERDICT*
What excites me so extraordinarily about this fragrance is, on the one hand, the scent progression itself: the complete counter-program of linearity - the Fleur de Portofino Eau de Parfum is anything but linear, allowing the different accords to "play" together while still remaining true to itself as a clean fragrance with a luxury vibe. For me, the fragrance is also the epitome of unisex, although it tends to lean slightly towards the feminine side.
On the other hand, I am thrilled by the uniqueness of the fragrance: I have indeed tried quite a bit, and yes, I admit I am also a fan of Tom Ford, but this fragrance truly smells very unique, special, and incomparable to others. I am really glad to have discovered this underrated masterpiece for myself and could imagine that the fragrance could even be chosen as a signature scent in spring/summer.