Tom Ford Lavender Palm

by Tom  –

Celebrating the opening of Tom Ford’s new boutique on Rodeo Drive, Lavender Palm is his ode to all things Los Angeles.

I don’t know why lavender in particular would evoke LA for Mr. Ford, unless the fact that it and rosemary are sort of the go-to plants garden designers have been using here for the past 20 years.  So much so that they’re kind of the Pasta Salad of the gardening world.  Not that I don’t like lavender; scents like Andy Tauers Reverie au Jardin, Vero Kerns kiki or Roxana Illuminated Perfumes Vera all star the note (and the latter is actually made in Los Angeles) and are all big favorites of mine.  3eme Homme de Caron is an older lavender scent that does fascinating things with the note and can be had online for around $40. There are also perfumes that were created for and dedicated to Los Angeles, such as Le Labo Musc 25, Mulholland, created by LA area resident Keiko Mecheri, or Roxana Illuminated Perfumes Chapparal. They’re scents that while totally different, capture some of the spirit of the city of the Angels.

Then there’s this.

I do like some of Tom Ford’s scents, and appreciate that he does some that are pretty out there.  He’s clearly not afraid to create something memorable that will challenge the usual department store shoppers.  I wonder why he didn’t this time.  It’s a rather pedestrian little thing, with lavender, citrus and vetiver.  On me it was undetectable after three hours.

I usually don’t ask about price until I’ve tried the juice,  so it doesn’t color my perceptions.  I’m glad I did, since I just checked with the boutique to confirm what a commenter on Now Smell This wrote: the 50ML bottle is $250, while the 250ML is a whopping $950, which takes this from “meh” to “are you on crack?”

Sorry, but at the price point Mr. Ford should be dropping in to personally spritz me with it, and tell me I’m pretty..

Tested at the boutique.

  • Tennismom says:

    Have seen this on ebay in like a sample size sprayer, may have to try it to see what the $950 fuss is about… and to say I have. Ryan Reynolds can spray for me!

  • Ann says:

    Not that $550 was a bargain, by any stretch!!

  • Ann says:

    Good grief! I just realized that the number was $950, NOT $550, as my poor, old feeble eyes registered it on first read.
    Holy moly, that puts it waaay out into the stratosphere — even beyond the uber-pricey Xerjoffs! I’d like to know exactly who will be shelling out that much for this (and then invite them to have their head examined)!!

  • Tom says:

    …and that was the PG-13 version of the comment..

  • nozknoz says:

    “…takes this from ‘meh’ to ‘are you on crack?'” ROTFL! Perfumes like this DO perform a vital function, i.e., to put us in touch with our joyous inner b*tch, producing new classics in the art of review and comments!

  • maidenbliss says:

    It’s from Smitten’s kitchen–she has the best foodie blog, IMHO. A tiny, teeny kitchen in NY. Her photography is insane. I always ‘tinker’ w recipes and did so w this one. It’s Martha Stewart’s creation. Who cares? It’s enough to make you sneak into the kitchen after lights out and grab a spoon.
    http://smittenkitchen.com/2008/05/marthas-macaroni-and-cheese/

  • maidenbliss says:

    Elvis song comes to mind, lyrics about….’in the ghetto.’ I’m sure you understand, Musette:0). What wasthe name of that song?
    Speaking of crackalicious…my favorite Mac n Cheese is a/k/a Crack n Cheese. Too bad it’s spring,
    this is a heart-thrashing in front of the fire meal.

  • maidenbliss says:

    I’ve sampled several of his scents, Japon Noir being my favorite although Tuscan Leather is mighty fine. But $950? Whoa, pardner, pull the reins back! Even if, and that’s a big if, it was
    crackalicious there’s no justifying the big price tag in my mind.

  • barbara says:

    Laughed my…hmmm…..off….I have spritzed many of Tom’s frags-maybe it is my chemistry,but ended up at the sink,even though ingredients should be a lovefest…..

  • Rappleyea says:

    Loved your review, Tom. Thanks! The basic notes used in this are fairly inexpensive ingredients (even the best raw ones), so that bottle must be platinum.

  • maggiecat says:

    Thanks for the morning chuckle! I liked Tom Ford’s Jasmine Musk, but not as much as the price point would seem to indicate I should like it. At that price, it should be a life-saving drug, not an accessory to which there are many other options. Too bad!

  • March says:

    WOW. I pretty much don’t pay attention to the price either, and that’s …. some aspirational pricing right there. Made me aspirate some of my coffee, just reading it.

    I think everyone should say who has to spritz the perfume. I want Jonathan Rhys Meyers, but he has to show up sober and freshly showered, what are the chances? Also, can he do more than tell me I’m pretty?

    • Musette says:

      Okay –

      For this price, The Rock (yeah, yeah, I know. I’m boring with the whole The Rock thing) AND the guy who scrubs the Pine-Sol lady’s floor would have to be wearing flimsy loincloths spritzed with this stuff….so if I hate the scent I could just……

      😕

      xo >-)

    • Tom says:

      I’ll take Mr. Old Spice. He’s not and funny..

      • Tom says:

        that should have read “hot and funny..

      • Gretchen says:

        Mr. Old Spice is going to have to commute up and down the coast, because I’m booking him too.

        • Musette says:

          I didn’t realize who Mr Old Spice was! 😮 (I thought you meant somebody like the Gorton’s fisherman or something – don’t ask…8-|

          Okay! Yeah. Uh, once he travels up and down the coast, can you send him inland? A certain >-) would like to make his acquaintance…

    • Francesca says:

      I didn’t use to pay much attention to the price during the brief period when I had some extra $$ and was seriously collecting antique/vintage Mexican designer jewelry. Those were the good old days.

      • Gretchen says:

        Ooh, midcentury Mexican silver. . . with the right budget, I’d be collecting that too.

  • Francesca says:

    Tom Ford nothing. For $950, Colin Firth would have to spritz me himself and tell me I’m pretty.

    But I do like Tobacco Vanilla, even if just applied by myself.

    • Ann says:

      Ooh, Francesca, now there’s a lovely idea!

    • Tom says:

      what the heck, I’d want Colin Firth, the John Lautner house and the Mercedes from the movie as well. Why not dream big?

    • Marle says:

      Make that Colin Firth in wet shirt and britches fresh from the pond in Pride and Prejudice walking up to me with said bottle of Lavender Palm in hand saying- my darling, how long I have waited for you, now it’s just the two of us forever in my extremely large country estate with my massive fortune, oh and this extremely expensive bottle of stuff.

      • Francesca says:

        ummmm, Colin Firth fresh from the pond spritzing me would have to be worth at least, what, a couple of ounces of really old vintage Apres l’Ondee or antique Mitzy? Far more than 950.

  • Olfacta says:

    Maybe somebody at TF saw a jacaranda tree in bloom and wanted to use the phrase I remember, “Lavender Snow,” but then somebody in Marketing said “Snow? L.A.? Does not compute” and so they changed the name to “Lavender Palm” ’cause, y’know, palm trees and L.A. and everything.

  • Ann says:

    Hi Tom, thanks for the heads-up on this. Now I can absolutely, totally ignore it at the TF counter. I’m not a huge fan of lavender anyway, although I do kind of like Kiki and Caron’s Third Man.

    • Tom says:

      It’ coming to your Tom Ford counter in September and I think you should give it a sniff. I don’t think anyone really needs to take a special trip to Rodeo Drive to sniff it though.

      Even if you’re standing on Canon.

  • Louise says:

    Tom F. does some nice scents, indeed. I love his Amber, and appreciate the d/c Moss Breche a good deal. I am looking for some Italian Cypress for the bf (and for me to snitch), but thinking that it may be pulled as well.

    As for this one-thanks for the meh heads up!

  • Andy says:

    Tom
    here’s a treat for you.
    You are pretty.
    Cheers!

  • Melissa says:

    This one sounds like one very expensive yawn. And if I’m going to yawn, I want to do it on the cheap. Oh, and I should admit that I’m a bit predisposed to wrinkling my nose at lavender, so maybe I’m biased too. Sorry Tom. You do big, overblown orientals better methinks.

  • singlemalt says:

    I love (LOVE) Tobbacco Vanille. I look out for Youth Dew Amber Nude. I adore Nu. It’s the only perfume for which I have backup. But I think Mr. Ford is marketing to the niche market known as The moneyed who will buy any thing with his name on it. Too bad and so sad. This is how boring is born

    • tmp00 says:

      I loved several of his which went against my preconceived notions about what Tom Ford was about. Which made his delivery of room-freshener all that more disappointing.

  • Daniela says:

    “Sorry, but at the price point Mr. Ford should be dropping in to personally spritz me with it, and tell me I’m pretty” – hahaha, i agree, at that price, wow! especially since you say it’s nothing special. it’s really too bad because, given his popularity, Tom could really do anything in terms of fragrance. he could be really out there and exciting and provocative (like in his Gucci days), but everything i’ve smelled so far have been two-note “mehs”.

    • tmp00 says:

      actually there are a few of his that I liked but I think the ones I liked best (like Moss Breches) were discontinued.

      This was just sort of nothing at all. As a long-time Angeleno I sort of feel like being told that I’ve been bought a gift that is so right for me and se emblematic of my general wonderfulness and being handed a flowered muu-muu..

      A little insulted..