Estee Lauder will launch the Tom Ford Estēe Lauder Collection for Summer 2007 this coming April. Last year’s collection included Azurée Body Oil Spray, a modern reinterpretation of the 1969 classic fragrance inspired by “the Mediterranean near Mrs. Estée Lauder’s vacation home in Cap d’Antibes, off the coast of France”.
Those of you who missed out on the Azurée Body Oil last year…
As previously reported, Tom Ford will launch Private Blend, a collection of 12 unisex fragrances, in March. The fragrances are Amber Absolute, Noir de Noir, Velvet Gardenia, Black Violet, Tobacco Vanille, Oud Wood, Purple Patchouli, Bois Rouge, Moss Breches, Tuscan Leather, Neroli Portofino and Japan Noir, and here are the few scent descriptions we have so far, courtesy of Women's Wear Daily…
Black Orchid is the debut fragrance release from designer Tom Ford, whose eponymous beauty line under the Estee Lauder brand has been awaited with anticipation since it was announced last year. It is an “oriental chypre” and the notes include black truffle, ylang ylang, bergamot, effervescent citrus, black currant, jasmine, Tom Ford black orchid, “spicy floral and fruit accords”, lotus wood, patchouli, incense, vetiver, vanilla, balsam and sandalwood.
Black Orchid starts right off with a bang — it is a statement fragrance, make no mistake about it. There is citrus, there is lots of sugar, there are heady floral notes, there is jammy fruit. Tempering all of that is a strong undertone of something earthy and dark (the black truffle accord, presumably) and vaguely off-kilter, in a good way.
As it dries down, the earthy-dark stuff fades, the vanilla steps up and the florals turn creamy and smooth…
Tom Ford will launch Black Orchid in November. For the fragrance, Ford sought out a recently introduced black orchid “with the barest hint of aubergine”:
Using headspace technology…[the] team captured the black orchid’s essence and replicated it molecularly. The fragrance, by Givaudan, has top notes of French jasmine…
Today Marlen and I are debating the merits of M7, the fragrance launched by Yves Saint Laurent in 2002. It was the line’s seventh fragrance for men, and the first under the creative direction of designer Tom Ford. M7 was created by perfumers Jacques Cavallier and Alberto Morillas, and includes notes of agarwood, Haitian vetiver, bergamot, mandarin, rosemary, amber and musk.
He says: I first tested M7 on a warm spring day in Kyoto and immediately thought, “Well this isn’t the best time of year to launch this.” The scent was heavy and rich, masculine and earthy. The most prominent feature was the centerpiece of vetiver…