Tom Ford
Tom Ford
114 votes
A unique visual signature based on accords, character, and seasonality
Galbanum's sharp green whistle cuts through immediately, backed by bergamot's brightness, whilst lavender adds a herbal dimension. Within moments, freesia and rose bloom through the green veil, creating an almost contradictory impression—citrus-herbaceous-floral all at once, slightly soapy, distinctly cool.
The florals coalesce into a unified, honeyed bouquet where rose absolute and gardenia dominate, yielding a creamy, almost white-floral intensity. Jasmine adds a fleshy, slightly indolic richness, whilst the honey note creates a subtle sweetness that feels organic rather than added. The spicy accords (likely from ylang ylang and the woody-spicy base notes) create a faint peppery warmth beneath the florals.
Cedar and sandalwood emerge with clarity as the florals fade, supported by earthy patchouli and a whisper of resinous character. Tonka bean provides a subtle vanilla-like warmth, whilst moss adds a cool, mineral earthiness. What remains is a refined, woody amber—sophisticated and linear, with the rose's memory lingering as a soft, skin-scent suggestion.
Arabian Wood arrives as a peculiar contradiction: a fragrance that wears its woodiness like a veneer over a distinctly rosy temperament. The opening volleys of galbanum and bergamot create sharp, almost green angles, yet they're immediately softened by a generous handful of white florals—Bulgarian rose, freesia, and orange blossom—that refuse to let this be purely a woody composition. What emerges is something altogether more intriguing: a rose-centred fragrance masquerading as an oud-adjacent woody.
The heart is where Arabian Wood reveals its true character. Multiple rose iterations—May rose, rose absolute, alongside gardenia and jasmine—create a lush, honeyed floral mass that smells almost creamy, thanks to ylang ylang's buttery whispers. There's a distinctly animalic quality here, a skin-like warmth that prevents the composition from tipping into saccharine territory. This is no delicate rose perfume; it's voluptuous and slightly indolic.
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3.7/5 (301)