Tom Ford fragrances are so unpredictable. Each one has its story to tell, its characters, its audience of lovers and haters. So far, all the colognes I blindly bought from this brand have not let me down. "Black Orchid (Eau de Toilette) | Tom Ford" ,
Oud Wood Intense ,
Tobacco Vanille Eau de Parfum ,
Sahara Noir , and
Ombré Leather (2018) Eau de Parfum are all damn good and unique. Fabulous is not what I supposed it was, though it is very dramatic. It has a soapy, creamy, and powdery take on leather that I have never met in others. In fact, this perfume is unlike any I own. I want to provide an overview that reflects what Fabulous represents to me as much as possible. The fragrances are so personal, and everyone collects distinct notes. Scents smell differently on everyone, and everyone has different preferences. I can only let you know my feelings about the fragrance, and that's pretty much it.
Aromatic, herbal, and slightly sweet accord welcomes me when the cologne touches my pulse points. There is no harshness in that blast but a fresh green burst from the bitter clary sage and the soothing lavender. In the initial stage, and on my skin, the cologne takes a masculine slant, no matter the mellowed coumarin presence, and the leathery nuance is still dozing and weakly perceivable. Right off the bat, you can associate Fabulous with a kind of fougére, very herbal.
It takes quite a few moments before reaching the middle stage. Notes of bitter white almond and powdery iris are the first things I smell from the heart. The blend of milky and dry notes creates a soapy-like accord, which blends gracefully with the leathery nuance now getting more apparent. It is a brushed suede-like leather, velvety, tamed that grows and grows. Not at all off-putting; I can get small whiffs of it throughout the wearing. A copious touch of the leather changes the rather dominant, sharp, and sweet blend of tonka and almond, relatively dirty. Luckily, the almond does not smell on a par with
Hypnotic Poison Eau de Toilette because it annoys me and gives me a bit of sickness the way it smells in there.
The roughness becomes noticeable in the drydown when the cashmeran kicks in, and the leather takes on a shoe-polish aroma. A creaminess takes the stage with a rugged tonka that gives an additional depth. The trail is luxuriously self-indulgent. Close to the skin, I catch the mossy face of musk, animalic, and not in a clean laundry style. So, these come together under the soothing scent of dried clary sage, lending a lightness to the entire symphony.
Performance is excellent, certainly not near the beasts of the Private Blend line, but strong on projection for a few hours before softening out and overall having outstanding longevity on the skin. Does it smell f@king fabulous? I am afraid not. But, if you like spicy, leathery lavender with hints of vanilla, amber, and bitter almond, then it smells fabulous, absolutely. To my nose, and those who have smelled it on me agree, iris root and clary sage add a masculine breeze to the first spritz. I enjoy wearing this kind of genre during cold months. Fall suits better, but even winter seems good. It is a nighttime cologne for evening and events out.
I base the review on a decant I have owned since January 2022.
-Elysium
Bitter almond
Tonka bean
Lavender
Leather
Clary sage
Iris
Vanilla
Amber
Blond woods
MrFumejunkie
ScentedSalon
Toreter
Hermesh
Theris
AJG
Moshikoko
Rezkitomford
Astralmonad
Ean10775
