Tom Ford Black Orchid

The first smell of Tom Ford's Black Orchid brought back the still-vivid memory of my very first taste of Thai curry years ago--the odd juxtaposition of the milky sweetness of coconut, the aromatic complexity of lemongrass and galangal, and the earthiness of chicken. At first whiff Black Orchid is milky and peppery, with what Victoria at Bois de Jasmin describes perfectly as an animalic growl. The unusual top note is black truffle, combined with the rutting, sweetly rotten scent of tubrous, jungly flowers and the comforting aroma of vanilla--with a mix of carnality and sweetness, this scent is both stirring and satisfying.

I tried this at the Nordstrom perfume counter, and was very excited to take a sample vial home. But almost as soon as it had made its first impression, this scent vanished completely, leaving only a vague outline of a perfume behind--not even a dry down, really. I'm not sure what to make of a scent that is this fleeting, but after such a sensual opening, I feel strangely cheated. It's like closing your eyes and getting the best kiss of your life, and then opening them to finding that it's from the Cheshire Cat, just a pair of lips with no body attached. Is it enough? Well, it is what it is. But I think the boudoir vixen in the ad here is more likely to prefer Rochas Femme.