Tom Ford Private Blend Tuscan Leather: fragrance review

Created in 2007 by perfumers Harry Frémont and Jacques Cavallier for the Tom Ford Private Blend line, Tuscan Leather is an atypical leather fragrance not quite for everyone; leather enthusiasts might find enough quirks and crannies to elaborate on, but still be puzzled by its antithetical, polarising nature.

via stickssn.org

On one hand, the introductory blast of petrol fumes plus red fruits (mainly the tart scent of raspberries) is not exactly conductive to what people have come to expect from luxury leather blends. The expected pipe tobacco-leather upholstery richness with its fruity, bittersweet and whiskey nuances contrasts intellectually with the effect witnessed here. We have also been familiarised with the fuzzy apricot and amaretto-apricot-pits ambience of Lutens's Daim Blond, for a suede-like scent, but the tartness of berries offsets the leathery pungency here rather than mollify it. The leather perfume note in the Tom Ford is rubbery, smoky, like shoe polish and cool tires. If your elegant leather ideal has always been Chanel's Cuir de Russie, Tom Ford proposes a modern take on leather, but with much less vanilla and musks than in Bvlgari's rubbery Black.

On the other hand, pungent but restrained and under specific circumstances even velvety, with a true leathery note like a nubuck handbag fresh off the mending shop, Tuscan Leather is a cross between luxury items, new bucket seats in your new Bentley and furniture polish smeared generously on wooden planks. The leathery nuance by saffron, bittersweet,  fits perfectly. There is even a hemp like note, and I was under the impression I was delusional until I saw The Non Blonde claim the same. The terpenic, pine-like facets, revealing themselves through resinous citrusy elements (frankincense being one), are jarring, instead of airy or citric like in Etro's Gomma. Perhaps even more jarring by the addition of an oud base, a direction in which Montale followed with his Aoud Leather two years later. Perversely, the more the fragrance stays on, the more the raspberry comes through. Trippy!

Essentially linear, Tuscan Leather projects well and lasts average. In a pinch, if you sprayed Givenchy's Hot Couture over a gritty leather armchair, preferably in a newly polished library, you might start getting what this is all about. Butcher on women's skin than on men's but also sweeter in the final whisper, it's a unisex fragrance like all the Tom Ford Private Blends, which demands trying on first. It's not for shy, girly-girl women or men lacking self confidence.

Notes for Tom Ford Private Blend Tuscan Leather:
Raspberry, thyme, saffron, jasmine, olibanum, leather, oud/aoudh/agarwood.

Tom Ford Tuscan Leather is available in 50ml and 100ml bottles (from what I have seen, other Private Blends come in 250ml) of Eau de Parfum in select doors where the Tom Ford Private Blend is sold.

Related reading on Perfume Shrine: Leather Fragrances reviews series, Tom Ford news & reviews

Guerlain Muguet 2012 and Mon Precieux Nectar: new fragrances

Guerlain is re-issuing their ultra-limited-edition of Muguet perfume, each year with a new twist, for May 1st 2012, celebrating the good luck charm that is lily-of-the-valley given on that day. This year, Guerlain head perfumer Thierry Wasser signs a perfume adorned with a valuable "necklace" from the French house of Gripoix. This limited edition circulates in only 1250 flacons worldwide.

Guerlain Muguet 2012 includes fragrant notes of lily of the valley, lilac and rose. The light green juice, symbolising freshness and coolness is held in a bottle that holds 60ml/2oz. The perfume is sold at Guerlain boutiques on April 30th ONLY.
Previous editions of Guerlain Muguet can be seen in this collage photo below.And here is a short guide into identifying the various editions of Guerlain Muguet perfume per year of release.

Mon Précieux Nectar by Guerlain is a re-edition of a previous extrait de parfum composition from 2009 which had been offered only in 1 litre Val Saint Lambert "urn" numbered bottles (1 L pure Parfum at the retail price of $9,000 or 6000 €!). Now the scent is presented encased in the classic "bee" bottles of the boutique exclusive Les Parisiennes line. (270$ for 125ml of Eau de Parfum extrait de parfum). *[NB. There is some discussion as to whether this is  EDP or the actual exrait de parfum formula: Mr.Guerlain has posted a Facebook photo in which "extrait" is written on the tester bottle right besides the Parisienne bottle, which makes perfect sense. This is actually the case as confirmed, so then allow me to consider Guerlain was seriously ripping everyone off just 3 years ago....tsk tsk tsk....]

The fragrance itself is credited to Thierry Wasser and -as before- includes fragrant notes of petit-grain, bitter almond, orange blossom, jasmine, sandalwood, gaiacwood, vanilla, white musk and incense. (see the description of Mon Précieux Nectar extrait de parfum from 2009 here).

Obviously the 1L parfum idea hasn't gone down as well as anticipated commercially....?

collage pic via www.perfumediary.com, other pics via mr.Guerlain facebook

Dior Escale a Parati: new fragrance

Christian Dior and their head perfumer François Demachy are continuing the Cruise Collection of "Les Escales" (port of call) fragrances for summer-wearing with Escale à Parati for 2012. Previous offerings in the Cruise Collection include Escale à Portofino (2008), Escale à Pondichéry (2009) and Escale aux Marquises (2010).

Escale à Parati by Christian Dior finds its inspiration in Brazil; not coincidentally, taking in mind that Brazil is the most rapidly growing fragrance market (remember the launch of Batucada by L'Artisan Parfumeur?). Parati (or Paraty) is an historical tourist town in Brazil, situated on the Costa Verde near Rio de Janeiro.
Dior's Escale à Parati is meant to be shared between the sexes, providing a light air inspired by the Costa Verde and its atmosphere of fun, dance and music. The fragrance includes citrusy and woody notes of bitter orange (bigaradier), lemon, petit-grain, rosewood, mint, cinnamon, red berries and tonka bean.

Available as 75 and 125 ml Eau de Toilette from June 2012 at major department stores.

Serge Lutens Santal Blanc: Paris exclusive line in bell jar bottle

Just the other day I was saying how my rumours of more than two years ago were slowly materialising one by one. No need to gloat or repeat myself, just a confirmation that reportage goes a long way and things take an extremely slow route when getting changed: Santal Blanc, a former Lutens export fragrance is becoming a Parisian exclusive in the bell jars. (there's still some stock on the oblong export bottles, so grab those if your life depends on it). It's official folks, stop denying it. And yes, I know one needs a compass and a guide to make way out of the changing policies of the Lutens line. *sigh*

You know what follows right? (Don't say I didn't give you ample warning)

Hermes Discontinuing Ambre Narguile in the USA?

The info originated from a newsletter email from a personal shopper on Ebay, who assures that availability of the scent is sustainable in France (and the rest of Europe I surmiss, wherever the Hermessences perfumes are available of course). This does taint the news a bit beyond the 100% certified, but phonecalls to the NYC Hermès boutique seem to confirm there are no bottles left right now. A quick check on the US Hermes site also indicates there's no Ambre Narguilé to be sold, though there is some on other international official pages. This latter evidence isn't conclusive nevertheless, as in the past whenever there was some shortage of supply, there was an occasional dissapearence of something from the pages. But all combined, they do pose a weird situation.

Given that Ambre Narguilé has been a steady best-seller in the Hermessences (especially in America) from day one and that the cut-off of distribution seems regional rather than pandemic for the moment, it does present its own little puzzle: It can't be IFRA ingredients restrictions, as that would mean a global cease on production, not just a localised one (plus it would make sense there would be first a European shortage and only later a US one, not the reverse). It can't be a distribution problem, as Hermès is itself responsible for that and what goes for one would go for all. It can't be low sales, because....well, you know that ain't it.

Plus, a tantalising detail for those who are meticulous: If you go to the US Hermes site and try to fill a gift box with all four travel bottles of Ambre Narguilé, then lo and behold, it lets you do it and the item goes into your shopping basket, no questions asked.

Bottom line: Something smells fishy; I smell a false rumour.

This is how the delicious Ambre Narguilé fragrance is officially described:

"Amber honey with swirls of smoke from the East. Savory, sensual, enveloping.

"Amber, the Western expression of Eastern fragrances, has a warm, enveloping, almost carnal smell. I wanted to imbue this idea of amber with the memory of the East I love where tobacco - blended with the smells of fruit, honey and spices - is smoked in narguilés, or water pipes, and where swirls of smoke diffuse a sweet sense of intoxication. 

Jean-Claude Ellena

Be sure to click on the little icon under the JCE quote on the UK official page to hear the perfumer talk about it and to hear it pronounced properly in French.

For those in the US who are desperate to get their Ambre Narguilé fix, in the meantime, you can appease yourselves with -if not an exact dupe, then a close alternative- Spicebomb by Viktor & Rolf.

Related reading on PerfumeShrine: Hermes news & fragrance reviews