Fucking Fabulous

Fabulous

Tom Ford 2017 Eau de Parfum

..it is often the hardest! For this often slightly deceptive (first) impression, there are many more examples in very different areas: fashion, art, football, or even with the unmatched acrobats of Cirque du Soleil.
During my first test a few months ago, I immediately thought: yes, it smells very pleasant, but somehow quite mainstream. I would equate mainstream here with ordinary. It was very difficult for me to reconcile the attribute "ordinary" with the purchase price, and it works very rarely in the world of perfume, actually never. The more ordinary a scent is perceived here, the more its price or its "exaggerated" marketing comes into focus, gaining more weight. It is often quickly referred to as a scam, rip-off, whitewashing, and blind following of its followers. Creed is a very popular victim here, as if these 2 brands had invented it;-)!
To get straight to the point, no, I don't have to justify this "mess" and this (over?)ambitious price, because I paid significantly less than the retail price through dear Mynos, so I was never in that predicament, and by the way, good marketing is for me the absolute top class, not necessarily required, but always exciting to observe why how what when works, a case study gladly under apple.com;.).
Anyway, despite quickly putting away the scent card, the fragrance stayed in the back of my mind, it struck a chord without me being fully aware of it.
Somewhere in my subconscious, it was stored and demanded more attention. With every visit to the perfume shop, I had to spray it on, yet I never managed to recall a similar, comparable scent. I tried it with Lumiere Blanche, with El Born, with Palo Santo, with Boy, Bois Dore, and also with Dries van Noten. Yes, everything is somehow not too far off or not completely wrong, but on the other hand, it doesn't quite fit. This wonderful creamy almond note (unsweetened) is absolutely unique to me. Initially accompanied by a 2-minute topping of fresh bergamot, it quickly transitions into the warmer part, warm-spicy, cozy, yes, one might think of Austrian desserts while skiing, but here nothing is filling. Sometimes I accuse Tom Ford fragrances of being overly eccentric, which often excites me, but on some days can be quite annoying. This results in me rarely wearing his fragrances two times in a row. Here it is so well hidden that I would almost claim that the art of omission was applied. This is exactly what stands out in a Tom Ford fragrance; everyone knows his magnificent all-time classics, and you can smell them from hundreds away, giving the impression that something is missing here. Nope..nothing is missing here, yes it appears slim and reduced and a bit simple, exactly that is the art of this fragrance for me. Exactly that is its magic, because it is incredibly dense, intense..yet it feels light.
What I like, which is also the parallel to Boy, is that it develops a masculine edge over time, before it risks becoming a bit monotonous. The edge is slightly herbal-spicy, could be Mysore sandalwood dipped in sage, which for me is always very aromatic-spicy, but also has that creamy melt. The entire fragrance smells incredibly valuable, exalted-nobility, which could be due to its iris-powderiness..this is simply wonderful.
I am sure this fragrance cannot be produced for 50,60 euros, because often this synthetic (fruit) sugar note comes through, becomes sticky, and starts to annoy. It’s like the difference between real vanilla bean and baking vanilla (best seen in the comparison Double Vanille-Eau Mission). Whether it has to cost 270€ for that, I haven't claimed, but for me, it is worth every cent of the price I paid.
The longevity is excellent with over 8 hours, the sillage quite strong, it couldn't have been more. Its great class only shows on cool days; on warm days, it loses its lightness. Chinos, jeans, suit..everything should be possible. For me, another highlight in an already very long line of Tom Ford fragrances.

Edit: 12.07.18
Now I think of another scent relative, Tragedy of Lord George by Penhaligons, which has a slightly milder and more restrained sweetness.