Vert de Fleur Tom Ford 2016

There is usually a lot of fuss surrounding Tom Ford fragrances. There is general excitement when a new scent is announced, money tends to flow quite freely, and many fragrances enjoy great popularity.
I took a look, and the average rating of all Tom Ford fragrances listed here is 7.9, which is really a very respectable score. Until a few years ago, the ratings for fragrances were given in percentages here at Parfumo. I thought that was very good too.

I probably don’t need to say anything more about Tom Ford himself. It also probably doesn’t need to be mentioned that he doesn’t stand at the lab table himself, diligently handling test tubes.
Not all fragrances enjoy widespread recognition. Some are quite polarizing.
Vert de Fleur is one of the less common fragrances. But it is one of the scents that I find particularly appealing, so much so that I absolutely had to have it.

Anyone who knows me a little better knows by now that I am very fond of fragrances with floral notes. I also really like green notes in fragrances, and when Chypre notes appear, I am usually over the moon.
Vert de Fleur embodies all of this.

Created in 2016 by the French perfumer Yann Vasnier, who works for the Swiss flavor and fragrance manufacturer Givaudan and has created various scents for brands like Comme des Garçons, Jo Malone, Divine, and of course Tom Ford. Currently, 26 people own it, including 10 female and 16 male noses.

Here, classic ingredients have been mixed in a modern way, with some differences from the "great old Chypre fragrances."
The opening is already very floral and green, a big splash of galbanum brings this rich, gnarly-green note that persists throughout the entire fragrance. Galbanum can often come across as a bit unwieldy, but I have grown very fond of this note over time.

A distinct hyacinth makes itself known very quickly and remains present throughout the entire fragrance journey. I have noticed that I really like hyacinth in fragrances; it is also very noticeable in Cristalle EdP.
As a houseplant, I don’t like to have hyacinth around, as its penetrating scent often gives me headaches. However, in fragrances with various accompanying notes, it is a lovely note. And hyacinth is inherently rather unsweet, which I also appreciate. It always brings a certain sharpness that clearly runs through this fragrance.
The hyacinth has several floral companions, none of which really step into the foreground, but together they show a certain fleshiness that suggests a hint of animalic quality. However, a true animalic component, as often found in classic Chypre fragrances, is absent here.
Towards the base, it becomes a bit darker and earthier. I also notice that the fragrance has a generally cooler aura. With the vaguely defined green notes and the moss, the fragrance has a certain underlying "swampiness." Such notes sometimes bother me because they can remind me of old, musty floral water. Here, it fits perfectly and ensures that the fragrance doesn’t slip into the overly floral and generic. Counterpoints are important in fragrances; otherwise, they quickly become boring. And I don’t find this fragrance boring at all. It also exudes a large portion of self-confidence, which fits the image of the Tom Ford brand excellently.

Vert de Fleur has good longevity; the fragrance can be perceived for 8-9 hours and radiates quite well for the first 2 hours before it then pulls back.
I see it in spring and in the not-too-warm summer; at temperatures above 25 degrees, the fragrance could be too dense and might feel too cool in the cold season.

That there is a certain synthetic quality hovering over everything cannot be denied. But so much synthetic material is now used, even in the high-priced segment, and if it is well integrated, I can handle it well.
The fragrance is labeled as unisex here. I believe that floral fragrances can work well on men. And the slightly higher proportion of male owners apparently confirms this.

However, I do have to nitpick a bit. Specifically regarding the craftsmanship of the bottle. Certain details are not attended to very closely.
As valuable and appealing as the design appears at first glance, I cannot overlook a few flaws. For example, the label is a bit crooked, and the cap sits quite loosely.
You have to be careful when taking the bottle out of the outer box.
I find this a bit annoying, as the exclusive series is not exactly one of the budget fragrance lines. While the content is what counts, the packaging is also part of the purchase, and this one is a bit sloppy.

Vert de Fleur came to me some time ago in a sample package from Kovex and sparked such enthusiasm that I had to quickly add it to my wish list. Now the fragrance is quite hard to find, and I had no choice but to look in a well-known online auction house. After some searching and a bit of patience, the fragrance then arrived from Great Britain. And at a more than acceptable price.
I thank Kovex for allowing me to get to know this fragrance, and I am very pleased with it.
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Just a small note: I did not fall for a fake; the bottle and fragrance are real. I have noticed several times that there are occasional lapses in the craftsmanship of the bottles. My Mandarino di Amalfi Acqua (purchased at Karstadt) has similar small flaws.

I am a big fan of the green collection, but I can't find anything appealing about this scent, try as I might (although I would have liked it for the collection).
No images or associations come to mind for me. What I miss the most are the flowers. Everything is green and remains green. Just green. And while green is very beautiful, without any additional splashes of color, it becomes rather boring to look at over time.

I do enjoy wearing so-called women's fragrances from time to time. 'So-called' because these are perfumes that the manufacturer has categorized as women's scents at some point - what the individual makes of it is entirely a matter of personal preference. I don't even register this in individual cases (anymore) when I do - let alone that it would be a conscious decision - much less intended as a deliberate provocation.

Particularly the highly esteemed Mr. Ford operates with many of his perfumes in the border area between supposed women's and men's fragrances. And Vert de Fleur - the last of the four new 'Les Extraits Verts' collection that I tested - masterfully plays with this very ambivalence. Quite sincerely - more than with Vert des Bois and Vert Bohème, similar yet entirely different from Vert d'Encens - I am thrilled.

Vert de Fleur begins with the grandiose quote of a women's chypre reminiscent of the 80s - dramatic and full of grandeur. There is a hint of Alexis Colby in the air - enough to draw attention - but not so much as to be tacky or outdated. And then - only from the heart note, which is as remarkable as it is fascinating - it develops a radiance that seems to grow stronger and brighter the longer it lasts. This is unusual - most fragrances tend to darken during their development. Its name should not mislead: Vert de Fleur is not a floral scent, not in the sense of the delicate waters that usually call themselves 'floral.' And it can only be limitedly described as green in the sense of herbal (and even less so as fresh). It is confident and - like so many of its brothers - clearly situated in an urban context for me - a fragrance for men who appreciate quotes from feminine scents on themselves - and for women who enjoy powerful and expressive fragrances with an androgynous, perhaps even masculine allure.

Conclusion: 'Everything is illuminated' was the debut novel of the great New York writer Jonathan Safran Foer, who made it famous almost overnight fifteen years ago, and I had to think of its title while wearing Vert de Fleur. Because here too, everything shines.