An American perfume with a faux French name made by a fake ‘niche perfume house’ owned by a multi-national in conjunction with a celebrity known more for fashion than fragrance who doesn’t do that much designing anymore but does make films…
If any perfumes more precisely encapsulate today’s topsy turvy world of scent better than those like Ombre de Hyacinth from one of Tom Ford‘s micro ranges produced in conjunction with Estee Lauder and some of the biggest names in the business then I don’t know which they are.
Apart from the olfactory history perspective though, this particular aroma does point to an often unmentioned fact
Out there amongst the endless ‘prive’ lines and not so exclusive ‘exclusif’ collections there are a wealth of well made, relatively widely available and, in this case at least, quite unusual fine fragrances.
While bone dry, high tech, galbanum and blue flower ice queens like this can slip beneath the corporate radar perhaps there is still hope for mainstream perfume even if it resides beyond the headline scents…
Many, many thanks to the estimable Ginzaintherain of The Black Narcissus for brining this bottle of grey mist anti-joy to The Dandy’s attention.
Backwards through time we go…
Yours ever
The Perfumed Dandy.
The Perfumed Dandy. 
I’ve yet to try my sample, but I will some day soon. I have to work up my courage to wear TFs.
Dearest Lily
Happy 4th July!
Now why is courage required for Mr Ford? On account of their strength… unpredictability?
Yours ever
The Perfumed Dandy
Thank you for the July 4th wishes. It’s a rainy one where I am, but flags and bunting are fluttering and small town barbecues smoking nevertheless. It is the strength of the Tom Fords, yes. I find them all (the ones I’ve tried) overwhelming. They wear me. I loved Velvet Gardenia, but that one was discontinued. I don’t know whether I would still like it today. My tastes have changed/evolved into a new phase.
That does sound interesting. I’ve sniffed a few T.F.s, but never yet been tempted to buy one. I quite like Tuscan Leather (described by Turn as ‘new car’!) and almost bought Neroli Portofino, but then discovered Seville a L’Aube. This is a very amusing description of the odd commercial approaches of the perfume industry Sir T.P.D.!
I must say I was impressed by Tom Ford’s film-making talent in ‘A Single Man’ – it was outstanding wasn’t it? I’m currently wearing a sample of L’Artisan’s Havana Vanille which seems to suit that era and style, very lovely but I do smell a bit like expensive pipe tobacco!
Dearest Rose
To be honest the Tom Fords are a somewhat mixed line… some are quite lovely,, others wholly uninspiring.
The Private Collection line is more interesting though sometime the scents leave one feeling as though they are little more than a half worked out idea.
I certainly don;t think they bear good comparison to Dior’s Haute Collection or some (though far from all) of Chanel’s Exclusifs.
Tuscan Leathr is really rather lovely , though on balance I prefer both Cuir de Russie and especially Lancome’s sadly discontinued and quite breathtakingly beautiful Cuir.
Portofine is no match for Seville, or indeed JoLoves Green Orange and Coriander.
Now I do like a good handful of golden rolling tobacco, it reminds The Dandy of his grandpapa who was a pipesmoker par excellence. Illumium do a so real I can touch it wild tobacco, whilst the new Comme des Garcons with al the 8s is very god too,
I’ll definitely give Havana another try though as for some reason it hasn;t lofged in my memory.
Gosh, so many perfumes, so little time….
Yours ever
The Perfumed Dandy
So it worked? Did you get the Arcadia, at least briefly?
I am saving my small bottle for my holidays. I know I will need it.
Dearest Ginza
I tried but I did not buy, I’m not sure why for it was truly transportative.
I have a handful of hyancinths that are vying for my attentions just now and I have become something of a paroxym of indecisionbag the lot at some point, but I have to make at least a show of holding out!
Yours ever
The Perfumed Dandy
I’m sure I’ll buckle and
Which others are good? I would love to know what decent hyacinths are abounding.
This one was my favorite out of four in that release and I’m thinking about wearing it … now (after I post this comment).
Dearest Undina
Oh do… I’d love to hear your view. I really rather like it, but often have changes of heart over Tom Ford’s so am very interested in other opinions.
Yours ever
The Perfumed Dandy
I don’t know why but I liked it at first.After 1 hr it turned into Geoffrey Beene’s Grey Flannel on my skin..
By the way that is a fragrance I used to like but now cant stand.Reminds me of methylated spirit??
Am I going strange?
Dearest Funnyboy
Oh no… that is very unfortunate!
I can only imagine that the violet leaf comes through agresively and rather too sharp on your sin. I can;t say that it has left the same impression on me.
As for Geoffrey Beene, without wshing to pun unecessarrily I can’t help feeling that this is not what is once was… a has Beene?
Yours ever
The Perfumed Dandy
I fell in love with this fragrance the first time I smelled it. I remember the SA at the Tom Ford counter telling me that it was very green, dry and had a bitter vibe to it and it probably would not be the one I liked based on my taste then. He did give me a small sample vial of it to take home anyway so that I could give it a better try. I tried it a couple more times and bought a bottle after as I really loved it. I don’t know how to put it in words but just like the way this fragrance works on me.
Dearest Marco
It’s odd isn’t it? Sales assistants the world over seem to be trained to conceal green fragrances lest they hould cause unsuspecting members of the public long term harm.
I remember practically having to wrestle my first sample of Chamade out of th hans of an otherwise charming Guerlain representative.
Yet once you show you actually like the sensation that galbanums, greens and more restrained flowers bring the flood gates open. Suddenly th Eau de Campagne’s, the No 19s the Dioressence’s come pouring forth… amost as though they were dealing in contraband!
I’ve tried yacinth a few timnes now, but have yet to tak the plunge and buy a ful bottle, I feel though it must be only a matter of time, for it i, as you say, quite exquisite.
Yours ever
The Perfumed Dandy
Flawless introduction. Highly amused. Yet to try this. Maybe it is also the name of an upcoming film noir?
Dearest Jordan
Hahaha.
Yes a film noir… a French Italian co-prouction following a police investigation into the Mafia. Hyacinth is the unlikey agent name of our protaginist… I’ve heard a sequel *Tuscan Leather* is already in production!
Yours ever
The Perfumed Dandy