Estee Lauder • Tom Ford Black Orchid • Fragrances

Where To Buy?

*TOP REVIEWER* luckylouie on 10/2/2008 12:47:00 AM more reviews by luckylouie

Age: 44-55   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Brown    

Every time I wear this perfume people comment how good it smells on me and ask what I'm wearing. My husband can't keep his hands off me. I agree it's too potent to wear to the office and will be too heavy for many women, but if you can pull off strong fragrances, go for it. On me the floral notes wear off quickly, drying down to a mixture of woods, vanilla and musk. It's incredibly earthy, smelling like the warm fur of a healthy young animal that has been rolling around in the earth and flowers, before rubbing up against the bark of trees. This is a fragrance that is both sophisticated and natural, combining the best of both haute couture perfume and hippie chick essential oils. Incredibly rich smelling without being stuffy or old fashioned. I agree with many other reviewers that it is indeed unique.

9 out of 10 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

cocopuff72 on 9/13/2008 10:55:00 PM more reviews by cocopuff72

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Green    

Black Orchid is a dark, rich delight for the olfactory senses. Every note seperates itself each giving its own magic and bewitchment to finally blend together forming a sultry cloud of enigmatic power to the wearer and those who follow in their path. The very scent of this perfume is pure voodoo weaving its spell leaving you breathless and obsessed with every deep inhale. Black Orchid conjurers up images of select people and places, dark gothic cathedrals on a snowy blanketed street, the smell of deep, earthy incense floating thru the air like wispy, dark shadows. Old, magnificent castles encompassed by thick, foggy mists, dark, corner coffee shops bursting with the scent of earthy chichory and espresso beans on a pitch black rainy night of terrential downpour. I could see strong, mysterious and bold, wildly sexy femme fatales wearing such a fragrance like Bette Davis, Mae West or Sara Bernhardt. Women who already contain a potential magic about them that only a fragrance like Black Orchid could spark a further enhancement of what they already possess. Black Orchid is not for the shy, sweet good girl who does what she's told, its for the wicked and wild, for the woman who doesn't know conformities or rules. This is liquid sex and raw fire in a bottle that will spark magie noire in any woman who dares to spritz even a touch. In a word, charmed, Black Orchid is a very charmed perfume and will go down in history as one of the best of the best.

13 out of 15 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

*TOP REVIEWER* luloo on 9/8/2008 4:31:00 PM more reviews by luloo

Age: Unknown   Skin: Combination, Fair, Neutral   Hair: Other, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Other    

Very unique. I think it goes on a little too strong for my taste, but the dry down is lovely. I don't like the packaging.

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

*TOP REVIEWER* doree_001 on 9/7/2008 6:17:00 AM more reviews by doree_001

Age: 44-55   Skin: Dry, Fair   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Hazel    

Finally a grown-up perfume, strong, complex, opulent, impressive, 'rich'. Yes, it is heavy, sultry, sexual, but not vulgar and there is nothing 'cheap' in it. I was sure that I would not like it: truffle and chocolate, incense? Khmm... I don't like any of these notes in a perfume, so I was very doubting. After initial spray I said to a saleslady: "This is not for me - too heavy"... Anyway, something completely unexpected happened: I was quite impressed with the fragrance. It is wild: it is warm, hot, complicated, with a weird truffle-chocolate-incense notes and at the same time there is something green and natural in it (lotus wood, fruity notes, blackcurrant, orchid?). After half an hour it settled into a very chic, warm, alluring, sexy, sensual, close to the skin scent on my skin (pleasant and chic sandalwood, vetiver, vanilla drydown)...all those 'weird' notes settled down and I found it a rather pleasant (but at the same time exciting) fragrance to wear.

Verdict? Very interesting fragrance. I appreciate it: After years and years of cheap, synthetic, completely mediocre fragrances finally a gem - bravo for Tom Ford!

I will probably buy it for winter. I'm sure it is great for evenings out, even as a signature fragrance if you wear just 1-2 spritzes. A good-quality fragrance, longlasting, seductive and fine sillage.

Ragarding packaging: I usually like simple and modern bottles/packaging but I would probably make a tad more 'complicated', sumptuous bottle for such an opulent, rich scent.

8 out of 8 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

autumnrythm on 8/4/2008 5:13:00 PM more reviews by autumnrythm

Age: 30-35   Skin: Normal, Fair   Hair: Red   Eyes: Green    

This is heavy stuff. I like it, but I am not sure if I would (or coud) wear it.

First the scent is very smokey (incense & patchuli) but I also get slight notes of something green & airy light - like cucumber. It mellows down and becomes a bit softer on some edges but also gains a soapier note -- still it remaining moody and dramatic.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

evavongeigern on 8/4/2008 1:05:00 PM more reviews by evavongeigern

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination, Fair   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Green    

Sleek, black and stylized bottle with an unusual and moody juice. Tom Ford's Black Orchid is going to smell different every time you wear it! I personally loved it the first time, so when I took my bottle home I was shocked and dismayed to find that it had a mushroomy or rotting smell that made me nauseated. Despite the fact that my body doesn't like it, I have to say I can see the value in this scent, so I recommend anyone interested to try it a couple of times before you buy it. It's fascinating, complex, and intriguing, bold as Linda Fiorentino in The Last Seduction, dark and moody as Helena Bonham-Carter looks. ;)

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

carela13 on 6/8/2008 8:08:00 PM more reviews by carela13

Age: 30-35   Skin: Sensitive, Medium   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Black    

Ireverent and seductive. It's all I can say about this one. I love it. . .

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

IncaColaCutie on 6/2/2008 11:38:00 AM more reviews by IncaColaCutie

Age: 25-29   Skin: Normal, Olive   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Hazel    

I normally do not go for department store fragrances. My taste runs toward quirky and I like fragrances that I can call my own. With that said, I am a very big fan of Tom Ford. I loved his fashion designs and was despondent when he left Gucci. I don't really know why, but his stint at YSL didn't seem to produce the same iconic pieces. But enough about fashion and on to the fragrance!

I was very anxious to try this scent because of my admiration for Ford and because it was billed as an "oriental chypre" and that is the way some of my all time favorite fragrances are categorized.

Let me say to all those who turned away from this scent at first blush: GO EASY WITH THE STUFF. If you splash this all over yourself, I suspect you will choke. It opens with a bang. Used judiciously, it is complex, unique, and just incredibly sexy.

It reminds me of my other favorite non floral floral: Viktor & Rolfs Flowerbomb.

The florals are dark and heady and tempered with lots of sugar. I also pick up some citrus notes and a tiny bit of fam. But what makes this very special is a dark, earthy undertone that I really can't identify. It stops the scent from being sweet and knocks it vaguely off-kilter, but in a good way.
After a time, a smooth, creamy vanilla that I didn't detect at first begins to emerge. But, the fragrance never gets "foody" (for me, a good thing). It goes thru a couple of other incarnations during the course of the day. Unlike some fragrances, it lasts and lasts, is always interesting, and, if I can make it wearable during the summer as well, this may very well be one of my new signature scents. Kudos to Mr. Ford!

3 out of 5 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

NorthernLadMSP on 4/23/2008 10:25:00 AM more reviews by NorthernLadMSP

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Blue    

This review is for the original Black Orchid, not the Voile de Fleur. I am a guy and I LOVE this fragrance. I wear it myself, and it gets me more compliments than anything else I own (about 30 different colognes). On me, the opening is earthy yet sweet, like a dark chocolate and rasberry Ghirardelli chocolate bar. That heavy sweetness fades after about an hour and that is where the magic begins. The spiciness and earthiness comes out here in the middle notes. After a little while the incense, vanilla, vetiver and sandalwood creeps in and mix with the still lingering sweetness (although less sweet than the opening). It's very unisex, with hints of both masculine and feminine notes and lasts longer on me than just about everything else. The thing that I wanted to point out also, because a lot of the reviews say it's very floral, is that there are, in fact, two different fragrances in almost identical bottles. The original Black Orchid is in the black bottle with a gold metal plate on the front. This is the scent I'm reviewing here. The other is the Black Orchid Voile de Fleur, which is housed in the same black bottle, but the metal face plate on this is black. This is the only difference in the bottle. I'm wondering if some reviewers here actually smelled the Voile de Fleur, rather than the original. The Voile de Fleur is not quite as earthy as the original and MUCH more floral. With the original, I do not get any florals. BTW, some stores market the original Black Orchid for both men and women. I was in Houston, TX about a month ago, and stopped in Saks at the men's fragrance counter, and they had Black Orchid sitting right next to the actual Tom Ford for men. They were selling Black Orchid right along with all of the other men's fragrances!

6 out of 6 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

*TOP REVIEWER* Faster on 4/17/2008 12:04:00 PM more reviews by Faster

Age: 19-24   Skin: Dry, Fair   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Blue    

I got a sample of this & my first thought when i sprayed it on was ''My 85 year old nana would like this''. Its very overpowering, very VERY floral - It reminded me of another suffocating fragrance Lancome's Poeme. The dry down was not so bad - i got spice & perhaps some sugary from it, but i still found it to be a very heavy & 80's fragrance.(i am calling it overpowering inspite of the fact that my all time HG fragrance is Christian Diors Hypnotic Poison - i am not a fan of floral fragrances, but i really found Black Orchid too much!).

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

amwong on 4/14/2008 4:49:00 AM more reviews by amwong

Age: 25-29   Skin: Acne-prone, Fair-Medium, Cool   Hair: Black   Eyes: Brown    

First off, I'm not surprised at the mixed reviews here - it's a very 'love it or hate it' type of perfume.


The scent is extremely strong and makes a sort of WOW, BANG statement. It's floral but HEAVY (so so heavy) and dark. The scent of truffles (really quite earthy in a musky male sort of way) came through surprisingly strong on me. I'm not sure I liked that part very much since it got a bit too much after a while and I remember trying to rinse my wrists in the mall bathroom in order to dilute it a little. But I think it's definitely a 'sexy perfume' - something you'd wear on a night out ... as long as its not in cramped spaces with lots of ppl or else everyone else will be choking on your perfume. Like another reviewer said, it's likely that others will either love it or get a headache from being near you.


The bottle itself is amazing. Black, simply and gold edging. It's expensive but a little goes a long way.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

*TOP REVIEWER* snarkyharper on 4/10/2008 9:39:00 PM more reviews by snarkyharper

Age: 36-43   Skin: Normal, Fair   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Blue    

Feminine and sophistocated. It opens pretty strong, with a deep eathy undertone, a creamy floral (LOVE this floral note, and I can't pull off most florals), and a sort of...berryish feel. This will sound strange, but it smells dark velvety purple to me. Very sexy and attention getting - a fragrance for a diva. No unisex here! As it dries, more woods and mild spice come out, but the opening notes remain detectable.
This certainly won't be for everyone (especially lovers of fresh scents or the lighter fruity florals), but I think it is destined to become a modern classic.

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

kdefurio on 3/28/2008 5:03:00 PM more reviews by kdefurio

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination, Olive   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Brown    

We all know Tom Ford is brillant, but this might be the most distinct, unique smell of times. Atlas i have found a fragrance that wears all day. When i wear Black Orchid, i literally want to make out with myself. It's that good. Oh and Beware, if you wear this out, you will have a cloud of men lurking behind you. My boyfriend loves the smell so much i caught him wearing it, no joke. I recommend giving this fragrance a smell.

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

*TOP REVIEWER* condesadepitimini on 3/12/2008 9:40:00 AM more reviews by condesadepitimini

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination, Fair, Warm   Hair: Blond, Fine   Eyes: Green    

Dark lady and vampish wiht a caress all into one, if that makes any sense.
This is not a fragrance you would wear in the office or to the gym. It's deep, dark, bitter sweet as dark chocolate.
Makes a statement in the room when you enter..... that said, it's a love or hate fragrance; many people find it too cloying (better not overdo it: one spritz will suffice for on day!).
The patchouli and ylang in it makes it sexy, dark lady like.
I think Marlene Dietrich or Greta Garbo when I wear it.
I love it in winter, even if somebody will say it's very heady, don't mind them: it's high class, made with the best ingredients on the market (and expensive too).
Ungaro's Diva or Opium wearers will love it (although it's a completely different perfume) as the feeling it gives you it the same: glamour and seduction and self confidence.

______________
notes as per Osmoz:

top note: Truffle, Ylang-Ylang, Bergamot , Black Currant
middle note: Orchid, Fruity Notes, Lotus Wood
base note: Dark Chocolate, Incense, Patchouli,Sandalwood, Vanilla, Vetiver

3 out of 5 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

juliaruth87 on 3/6/2008 3:24:00 PM more reviews by juliaruth87

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Fair   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Blue    

I cannot see the grandma factor in this at all.
Most florals remind me of old women, not spicy mixes with vanilla like this one. It is sophisticated and dark. It starts medicinal but when it fades a tad
(tad being two hours or so)...you smell beautifully spicy.

I went to the grocery store with this one on after the day was nearly over and had two women positively-interested in the smell.
Its deep, potent in its difference, and spicy with a touch of sweetness coming in after a little while. If you can't wait for the sweetness I would put some vanilla into an empty bottle and combine it with water and Black Orchid.

This is not a scent for everyone. It is unique.

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

*TOP REVIEWER* cavalletta on 2/29/2008 9:14:00 PM more reviews by cavalletta

Age: 25-29   Skin: Sensitive, Fair   Hair: Red   Eyes: Brown    

EDIT : I was given a nice big sample of this and gave it another try. I dont love it but it is growing on me. It is very unique. Still dont know how i really feel about it. Men hate it, that is unanimous but ladies seem to LOVE it (except me, i guess) it is very flowery and deep smelling. Im giving it more credit now even though it still confuses me.

I happen to know a lot about orchids...most smell of nothing, some smell of something rotting , and a very, very few smell nice. Obviously this smells nothing of any I've ever smelt, but comes pretty close to the rotting end of the spectrum.
This is the stuffiest fragrance I have ever come accross. There is something I like, the very odd sweetness but ends up far too cloying. But the bad part is just too bad for me. My husband rarely HATES a perfume. For him, it is "that smells nice" or "wow, that is great". He said "awful" to this. It is so strong, to breathe is a task.
The part I dont get is the "sexy" aspect of this. This scent is almost granny-ish to me, except for that sickening sweetness. It is musty, not musky...like an old, dank attic-hence the grannyishness, . Nothing "dark" about it unless not being able to breath makes it somehow dark...2.5 lippies for originality and the bottle, which I adore.

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

neene on 2/22/2008 11:41:00 AM more reviews by neene

Age: 30-35   Skin: Normal, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Green    

This is my all time favourite fragrance, so beautiful, rich and unique!

Unfortunately I am not good at describing fragrances, but HaloOfAshes has written a very accurate description in her review below and I totally agree.

I have neglected all my other fragrances since I've bought this in August. I wear it everyday and get so many compliments both from men and women!!

Anyway, I do not work in an office and strong fragrances are not considered offensive here in Italy, but I can see how this might be too strong for some people. This is definitely not for everyone and it smells very different depending on your body chemistry.

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

*TOP REVIEWER* TRKK on 2/15/2008 11:58:00 PM more reviews by TRKK

Age: 25-29   Skin: Other   Hair: Other   Eyes: Other    

This, to me, is not an everyday fragrance. It's the perfume you wear when you're seducing someone. It's dark, mysterious, worldly and womanly. Possibly the most interesting of all the "counter" fragrances that I've smelled.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

kiki321 on 2/11/2008 1:43:00 PM more reviews by kiki321

Age: 36-43   Skin: Dry   Hair: Black   Eyes: Black    

This is an absolute disaster. How did they even come up with this? But the Voile de Fleur is something else.

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

mllebovary on 2/11/2008 1:40:00 PM more reviews by mllebovary

Age: 30-35   Skin: Sensitive, Fair   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Blue    

I was so anxious to try this out after all the hype I'd heard. So finally I made it to the store to check it out.

My husband and I couldn't decide if it smelled worse than diptyque's "L'Autre" (indian food + BO) or not. It was strong and dark smelling--maybe a little like black truffle (and I love truffles) but whatever the notes, I was just overwhelmed with some odor I didn't like--I kept getting the smell of something rotting. Needless to say, I didn't keep it on long enough to figure out its staying power--I headed straight to the restroom and washed it off. The Viole de Fleure, however, smelled divine. Personally, I'd pass on this one and go with that. Much better!

Summary:
Oh. My. God.

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No