Estée Lauder Tom Ford Black Orchid

This is one of those perfumes where you only need one spritz or you will be suffocating yourself and everyone else around you. It dries down to pure woodsy notes on me which I don't mind but I get an element of something powdery which actually turns me off of the scent. Not one of my favourites, though lasting power and sillage is immensely good.

Ok when I first starting wearing this over 2 years ago it was the bomb. Now everyone wears it and I can't stand the smell. So upsetting.

Will always have a bottle of this around the house, great for night time as totally unisex

I am surprised by the low rating on this one. I think it smells so sexy, and on the two occasions that I have worn the sample I got, I received several compliments. I definitely plan to purchase a full sized bottle. Honestly, it reminds me so much (for anyone who may remember) of a scent BBW used to carry called Black Amethyst (which I'm sure was a knock off of this finer fragrance). Love it.

...... Oh my. This is hands down the most exotic, sexy, alluring scent I have ever worn or smelt. I am allergic to flower scents. I sneeze for a week! I honestly can't say what I want to on here but DAMN GINA! Seriously ladies! It is awesome. AND it stays for 48 hours at least!!! ~~ Thank u Tom Ford!!!

Okay, so let me start off by saying my personality as well as my body chemistry can really handle strong scents... I was doing some reading of reviews for certain perfumes and this one came up in my search, it intrigued me because it seemed like people either really loved this one or hated it, so that kind of created a spark in me to go try it. Next stop? Sephora! I went there and asked the fragrance sales lady for a sample, and when she came back with the bottle she had a very awkward sneer on her face, it was pretty obvious she didn't care much for it, and frankly neither did I upon initially smelling it, but I got the sample, took it home and sprayed it there just incase I didn't like it I could shower and wash it off. One spray, and after the dry down, which for me was about 20-30 minutes, I noticed I couldn't stop sniffing my wrist! It was one of the most alluring, sexy, powerful, decidedly naughty scents I had ever had the pleasure of smelling on myself. To really test it, my bf had come over that night so I kept it on to see if he noticed it. When he hugged me he said whatever I had on he loves it!! He couldn't stop touchin me! Bonus! I also sprayed it on him to boot and it smelled great on him as well, but it smelled like two separate scents, but equally as alluring. Basically, I have totally fallen in love with this scent and I'm planning to buy the full size. That little sample lasted me for quite a while because you literally only need one spray of this stuff, it's that potent! If your the fruity, floral, sweet smelling type of gal, this one is not for you ladies.

I love it! This is a strong, sexy perfume. It has a great staying power.

It's a little too intense for the daytime or work.

Wow. I was taken aback when I first smelled it in the store aisle. But then, give it a few minutes and WOW again: I love it! I have heard many people say it smells like sweaty crotch or mushrooms, but I only smell a full enchanting not too sweet deep forest chocolate spice. And yes, I DO get compliments on it! Lasting power-- 6-8 hours. Yes, it is spendy, but it is like a new pair of downhill skis -- very exciting to put on! My other favorite scent is classic Chanel no 5. I consider Black Orchid to be its bad girl partner! They are now sitting happily together on my perfume shelf: Classic Queen and Black Goddess!

I urge those, who call it sex in a bottle ( and like it ) - try Boudoir by Vivienne Westwood or Kingdom by McQueen: ( with Kingdom you literally feel it's having you against a wall: I am so speechless it'll probably take me months to come up with a comprehensive review! ). Tom Ford's Black Orchid is a late hour seduction game with a reverse sex roleplay. It's a thick liquoir of dark berries, liquorice and the indestructable olfactory champion ylang-ylang ( that's the most frequent cause of headaches in perfumes by the way, so test before buying, if you are prone to face-numbing migranes! ). Yes, it is an odd kid on the block among thousands patchouly-phobic florals out there, and it is the most obvious unisex /bisexual perfume I have ever smelled: the stage is totally feminine with all the heavy florals, but the vetiver stands there in the center and it is very much a boyish figure! - the sugar somehow just didn't quite fuse with it here. I would call it the Marlene Dietrich of all perfumes: it is neither of the sexes, yet very attractive to both. My husband sniffed it at a local drugstore on my recomendation and said: "I wouldn't mind wearing it myself!" Considering he is open to experiments and happened to play for "the other team" in his distant youth, this did not surprise me in the least. And since I occasionally find other women attractive, I guess it also explains why I like Black Orchid's double nature. For me this is THE perfume to wear with a black tuxedo on a naked body with hair swept back in a sleek bun and red lipstik burning on the lips. Kim Basinger turning up in front of Rourke, wearing a suit with a fake moustache in 9 1/2 weeks is this scent's ideal visual portrait. The only "wrong" thing with it is that it lacks dryness. This could have been a sensation, if it had had more "dry wine and powder" in it and less obvious modern "moisture".

Black Orchid is a weird sneaky creation. It shouldn't be sold as a perfume but as a magic potion. If Black Orchid can't make you feel confident I can't imagine what could.


It starts with a strong grand entrance and a lot of drama. Right on the borderline between rocking your world in the most amazing way and hunting you like the devil himself. If you don't like this stage you'd better run and hide because there's no turning back. It will fill the room immediately and then stay strong on your skin for 12+ hours. I've warned you, it's a stubborn evil thing. Upon application there's no way to ignore it, it will definitely mess with your mind. If that's a good or a bad thing depends on your personality and preferences. By the way, speaking about personality, Black Orchid has loads of it. Try to find a similar scent and I guarantee, you won't be able. Because it plays on it's own league.


Anyway, back to the scent. First act: top notes. Anafi lemon, bergamot, ylang- ylang, gardenia, jasmine, tuber, black currant and mandarin orange.
Second act: middle notes. Orchid, lotus, fruity notes and spices.
Third act: base notes. Vetiver, sandalwood, patchouli, amber, incense, vanilla and chocolate.
Each one of them is present. Each one is potent. But the most prominent on me are chocolate, gardenia and vetiver.


I have to add: please, no more than a single spray. A second one and you're looking for serious trouble like a day long headache or suffocating people.
This scent is for strong characters. Women or men. Can be loved or hated to death. It's deep, dark, mysterious, opulent, dense, bold, voluptuous, extravagant, over the top, edgy, dominating. A secret weapon. The black art deco bottle fits the juice pretty well. Use with caution - you won't be able to pass unnoticed even if you try to.


Edit: I forgot to mention an important fact. The epilogue is quite different from the start. To my nose it has morphed to a totally unisex ''oceanic gourmand'', it must be the stand out vetiver. I have to admit I don't find it breathtaking as the beginning, but that's what makes it more wearable, beyond gender orientations and more addictive to me. I find myself hopelessly wanting to spray one more time after it fades to experience the fascination of the start. One more tome... One more time...


One last thing: it is a complex creation and challenging. BUT body chemistry has a lot to do with this one. On some skins many notes may not show up, most of the times the spices. So, lots of people describe it as fruity chocolate/ after eight kind of thing etc and don't get what all the fuss is about.
Worth a try to see what Black Orchid can do for yourself!