Something Cuir

Tuscan Leather (2007) from Tom Ford's Private Blend collection? In a word, suave. And in your face. Much like Mr Ford's chest. When I examined the eau de parfum out of the black apothecary bottle, it was a gorgeous medium-gold hue which itself reminded me, like it or not, that what I was handling was precious ... in every way. At upwards of USD 160.00 per 1.7 oz. of EDP, it was certainly not something I was going to use as roomspray. Applied to the stretch of skin between the elbow and wrist of my left arm, it gave off topnotes of sweetened leather (saffron, red fruit) which conjured up memories of the leather seats in my uncle's old Jag; after a few minutes, something petrol-like surfaced alongside the olibanum (Boswellia serrata), a member of frankincense's extended family; after twenty-five or so minutes, it was drying down to an amber wood accord. All in all, this is a very seductive fragrance that, applied judiciously to the right places, elicits the same sort of green-eyed fascination with which people approach Ford himself. Many will balk in their usual fashion, but behind closed doors will assume, je pense, a different position entirely. Next up: Moss Breches (2007).