Tired of Tom Ford yet? No? Yes? Doesn’t matter, I shall continue on because I’m still obsessed with them. They have been a lot of fun to go through, and I’ve still got some of the scary ones yet to do. Tomorrow is “scary perfume” day, with a shower to start and a shower to end, and Velvet Gardenia and Purple Patchouli in between.
Amber Absolute – Notes of amber, African incense, labdanum, rich woods, vanilla bean. Let me start by saying amber is normally not my friend, we snarl at each other a lot. It usually has some kind of musty smell on me that hurts my nose. Not all amber-dominant perfumes, but most. Amber Absolute is not only an amber I can wear easily, but one I love. Yes, there is amber, but it is so surrounded with the other notes, it is like a woody, incensey, ambery bouquet, softened with the vanilla and full of comfort. Where I normally find amber-heavy perfumes too harsh, this one remains rich and full, just a little bitter, but that adds character to it instead of making it annoying. I remains at the top of my list of favorite Tom Ford’s because it made me love an amber perfume.
Oud Wood — Notes of rosewood, cardamon, Chinese pepper, oud wood, sandalwood, vetiver, tonka bean, vanilla, amber. I have been on the fence on this one for a while. Not that I disliked it at all, but I just couldn’t quite get a handle on its character or hook, if there was enough there to keep me interested. So while the best description I could come up with is a smooth, beautiful woody scent that is very pleasing, I found myself constantly putting this one back on. Why? Because it just smells great, the sillage is terrific on it. It’s not a breakthrough in any way, it’s not “interesting” or “difficult” or “challenging,” it just smells good, and I love smelling it on me. Isn’t that a great reason to love a perfume?
For those of you that did NOT vote for Heather Mills on Dancing with the Stars so she finally got the boot, you have my thanks, though I’m a little miffed it took that long for that hussy to get the boot.
Tip for the delicious somewhat healthy snack food of the week, go to Just Tomatoes and get a vat of the Just Veggies. It’s dried veggies like corn, peas, peppers, tomatoes, and somehow they have dried them so they are crunchy, but they have stayed delicious — better than normal veggies taste. Way better than that bag of Reisens I got to tuck in packages that wound up tucked in me during all the Ebay and Polkadotpeckie hoopla.
Also, the Perfume Shoppe has resumed their sample program! Most of you know I’m a huge fan of Naz and her customer service, and she has a great lineup of perfumes.
Hello,
I love your posts and I finally had the time to reply…I’m a huge fan of oud, thanks to Nazrin, and I wanted to know if you found any similarities between Tom Ford’s oud and the Montale oud series.
Parisa
Thanks, Parisa!
The oud in the Montales are much sharper. Tom’s is a more tame oud. For some people, that will be a god thing, and others won’t think so. 🙂
awwww…. but but but… jonathan is such a sweet guy. hehehe… incidently… i saw anna trebunskaya 3 weeks ago while my DBF and I were having sandwiches at a local deli. i can’t believe heather managed to talk jonathan into getting his chest waxed. i think that cost them votes last week.
yes patty, repeat after me…@-)@-) diorissimo is FBW…FBW… FBW @-)@-)….you will sell EvilP 20 ml decants… @-)@-)@-)
hehehe
I have Diorissimo! 🙂
There be some crazy business going on. One feller selling homegrown vintage, decanting now a federal crime, posse giving out free samples to commenters and I missed it! Dogs and cats living together – mass hysteria! Please give out more free samples and I promise not to lurk.
I haven’t done a giveaway for a while. Hmmm, maybe tomorrow?
I love Just Veggies and so did our gerbils!!
Oh, and I love the Amber Absolute and Oud Wood, too.
Thank you for another wonderful review.
Hmmm, no gerbils to try it on, but the “men” in the house turned their refined meat ‘n taters noses up at them. Oh, well, more for meeeee!
Which one(s) wound up being your favorite?
So far it’s Moss Breches. I love it with wild abandon.
Wait…Did you mean the TFs or Just Veggies?
My favorite JV is the corn.
Both! 🙂
I have to say both the amber and the oud sound lovely. Oh Tom Ford, why do you hate me and my wallet so?
However, I have to say Heather Mills for being a money grubbing hussy, showed a hell of a lot of balls by being on Dancing with the Stars. Dare I say, I almost have some respect for her due soley to her participation in the show.
Tom is just wicked, that’s for sure.
You know, I got to give it to Heather for doing it, for sure, and I had a grudging admiration for her, but I did get weary of the judges overhyping her ability. She was okay, and she was ballsy to do it, but I still can’t like her.
The amber note doesn’t usually count me in its fan base but once in a while something comes along to make me sit up and take notice and then to love. I suspect this Amber will be one of those – maybe its the prominence of the incense note. Anyway I am enjoying the reviews and the anticipation prior to having a sniff myself!
It is the incense that makes it work, though the vanilla helps as well, just to soften some of the roughest edges so the amber can be strong but not in that Ambre Russe killer amber kind of way.
Even if the scent doesn’t please me in every which way I just want you to know that you give me (oud) wood twice over.
:”>
You truly are the most incorrigible flirt ever.
Such a cute image, of you and an amber scent, snarling at each other :d I am still not hooked on Oud Wood. I don’t mind that it is not “difficult” (gosh, I am tired of those scents, I don’t want to “work” to like something anymore, you know?) It is just that I would have liked it to have a little more oomph and character.
Give it time. It’s the sillage on it that won me over. Just a spritz on the chest, and I would catch the most wondrous smells throughout the day.
BTW, don’t tell anyone, but I’m learning to love… LotV. Can you believe it?! I think I’m possessed and in denial.
PBI. Oh. My. Word. Looks around nervously for signs of the four horsemen. Did Ellie start this?
*whispers* Yes, it was Ellie. Then Diorissimo. I’m still not a fan, but I am learning to tolerate the stuff and ever, well… love it?
Oud sl*t that I am, I should have been the one to be disappointed w/ Oud Wood for not having enough oomph, but I actually adored it madly from the start and immediately felt I needed a FB. As Judith said, it layers well w/ the others and, for me, layers well w/ almost *everything*. And on its own, it’s just a delicious comfort scent – not a serious oud scent, but extremely lovely anyway.
The amber is gorgeous, but I’m still trying to decide if it’s essential to my continued existence. Have to draw the line *somewhere* w/ these.
So how many Fbs of these are you up to that you *need*? :d
It is a conspiracy. The good news is I don’t see anything else that exciting on the horizon until… fall maybe? Hopefully?
I’m not letting myself count. It’s far too painful.
I really love Oud Wood! It disappointed me at first, because I was expecting an exotic, “out-there” oud, and it is not that, but grew quickly on me, haunting me with its lovely sillage and forcing me to order a bottle. I find it really addictive, and I have been wearing it a lot since (it also layers very well with all the others).
I really like the Amber as well, but I am holding off on this one until the weather turns cooler again.
Yeah, that was my feeling about the Oud Wood. I had high expectations for it, thinking it would be more Montale’ish, so when it wasn’t, I just set it to one side, but it does wear sooooo well.
I’m finding the amber pretty perfect for this chill spring, but I think during winter, it will be just awesome.
I’m with you on the Amber (BTW I have been very slow testing these, they just haven’t matched up with the weather/mood.) I’m not the big amber-over either. But this one! I love that big ol’ burst of frankincense at the beginning. It wavers in and out on me, and I like it better when it’s there. So far the only one I really don’t like is Purple Patch.
Yeah, the incense really renders the amber a different animal — still amber, but better!
it’s been fun to go through thes slowly. None of them are these big, complex masterpieces, but they are well done and completely different, and there’s nothing dainty about them at all, except maybe the Neroli, which is softer, as is the Japan Noir.
Oh, my! I love amber, as does my skin. I recently discovered Youth Dew Amber Nude and flipped for it. I’m sure at least a decant of Amber Absolute has my name on it. I also like oud, even that first medicinal blast. I understand that this version is very civilized. That’s too bad, but your enjoying it is a good sign.
I actually can’t think about much other than the fact that on Friday my DH and I are driving six hours to L.A. to meet Andy Tauer at the Scentbar. I expect my cheeks will get very red and I’ll say something utterly silly, but he’s a kind person, so he’ll try to make me feel at ease. Okay, I’m officially freaking out. I can’t find a freaking-out emoticon. 8-} This will have to do.
Maria,
Maria,
I’m sure it will be Andy who is enchanted. So go on with your charming self, girl.:”>
Gosh, Bryan, thank you! :”>
Hi Maria – My name is Gina. I’m a certified perfume addict. ha. Anyway, I’m going to see Andy tonight at 7pm at Luckyscent. I’m very excited, too!
Oh, wow, Gina! What fun! I admire you for being excited but not hysterical. Honestly, I was NOT one of those girls who screamed at the Beatles. I thought they were silly. Now I understand. 🙂
I am actually sort of shy, so I’m nervous as hell and covering it. HA.
Gina, I’m shy too. Oh, and I didn’t mean that I thought the Beatles were silly. I thought the screaming girls were silly. Just for the record.
I didn’t for one second think that you thought the Beatles were silly…I agree wholeheartedly about the screaming girls, though. I’m sitting here thinking something silly like “What perfume should I wear? Or should I not wear one at all? (which feels a little like going naked, but not quite, for me)”. Most women worry about what clothes to wear, ha…oh well. I am very much looking forward to meeting Andy.
AHHHH! I just realized that you’re going on Friday, Maria! Oops. I’m going tonight…
Gina, yes, I realized you were meeting him tonight. In fact, it’s 8 p.m. PDT, so you’ve already met him!!!!!!!!!!! I hope it was a very enjoyable experience. I have a sample of Reverie au Jardin. That’s the fragrance I’m going to wear.
Ah, he’s so nice, Maria. You’re going to love him, he’s just a lovely man. I wore Le Maroc pour Elle. You’re going to have a great time.
I think you’ll love both the Amber and the OUd and maybe the Moss Breches and Noir de Noir, best guess. 🙂
Oh, throw yourself on Andy and give him hugs from all of us!!!
Yep. Unfortunately, the Amber, the Oud, the Green Pants, the Noir de Noir. Ahum. And then of course, there’s a leather one and people seem pretty excited about the tobacoo-vanilla one. Yeah, I’m not in trouble at all.
I’ll bring Andy the Perfume Posse’s group hug.
By the way, Patty, your niece is lovely. Very nice photo.
Isn’t she gorgeous? Lovely girl too — spitfire and sassy, but just an original.
Hello my love! I must say I’m very excited to try amber absolute. Amber and I get along, but I tend to grow tired of the note rather quickly. I mean I need more than just a sweet frolicking trip down comfort food road. Tom’s amber sounds a bit mysterious. That’s a good thing. I can’t wait to read what you have to say about Velvet Gardenia. I just got my bottle this morning and by evening I was thinking, “I’m going to need a bigger boat.”….bottle. I adore it….and the drydown…oh!
I *knew* you would love that gardenia. Anyone who loves JAR Jardenia should adore it. I’m getting ready to try it and the Purple Patch today. I may need a steel brush. Gardenia and I normally do not get along, except in the Isabey version.