Cologne and perfume ads from designer brands try to give you an idea of what a scent smells like, without you being able to actually smell it. An attractive, young Hollywood starlet is holding a bouquet of soft, pink roses in one scene and flirts with a young man during a night out in the next. I imagine this fragrance to be a sweet, floral scent, soft and romantic. It makes me wonder…what does your choice of perfume or cologne say about you? Does it reveal what type of person you are (or want to be)? So today, instead of just testing fragrances and describing what they smell like, I also describe the type of person that would suit the fragrance best.
Our perfume partner selected a few oriental scents from designer brands for us to review. For men I reviewed; Versace – Oud Noir and Tom Ford – Noir and for women I reviewed; Tom Ford – Black Orchid and Reminiscence Paris – Oud. All four scents include oriental elements, two of them include Oud. Oud also known as Agarwood or agar is a dark resinous heartwood that forms in Aquilaria/Gyrinops trees in South-East Asia. Oud is formed when the tree gets infected with a certain type of mould. The tree produces a dark aromatic resin. The resin embedded heartwood has a very distinctive fragrance and is used for perfumes.
Fragrance Review
Tom Ford Noir – Men
Ingredients: includes bergamot, verbana, caraway, pink pepper, violet (top notes). Black pepper, nutmeg, Tuscan iris, geranium, Bulgarian rose and clary sage (middle notes). Opoponax, amber, Indonesian patchouli leaf, vetiver, civet, vanilla (base notes).
Review: This fragrance is very sweet and spicy. I am not sure if it everyone’s cup of tea. It would suit a man who likes to travel, a cultured person. One who dresses casually and likes comfort. A person who is always on the move and eager to try out new things and meet new people. Suitable for a young and carefree type.
Versace Oud Noir – Men
Ingredients: includes leather, agarwood (oud) and spices.
Review: Very fresh, spicy and masculine. When you spray it on and breathe in that strong scent, it instantly awakens you and gets you focused. You feel like you can take on the world. I like this fragrance although some might find it a tad too strong. Suitable for a man who takes his work seriously. A gentleman who likes to dress to impress. A mature, sophisticated type.
Tom Ford Black Orchid – Women
Ingredients: includes French jasmine, black truffle, ylang-ylang, black currant, effervescent citrus, black orchid, patchouli, sandalwood, dark chocolate, incense, amber, vetiver, vanilla and balsam.
Review: Rich, super fruity and very sweet (candy cane). It has a flowery freshness to it. It would suit a creative woman. A spiritual and romantic type. This scent is very much like a spring-summer night, it is warm and fragrant. Perfect for a girl who likes to be outdoors.
Reminiscence, Paris Oud – Women
Ingredients: includes pink pepper, cardamon, saffron, rose, patchouli, amber, castoreum and oud.
Review: Fresh, sweet and a little soapy. It is strong but quite plain and simple. It would suit a strong and individualistic woman who lives in the city. One who is fierce and in control. This fragrance can be worn both during the day and night. I quite like it, but somehow I feel there is an ingredient missing. It does not have many layers to it.
Fragrances selected for The Fashion Orientalist by Parfumerie: parfumerie.nl
