Note Pyramid
Noir Extreme
Spiced, creamy and extremely easy to like, Tom Ford Noir Extreme Eau de Parfum is the bottle that converted a lot of people who thought they did not get on with sweet fragrance.
Cardamom and nutmeg open it, the cardamom cool and aromatic, the nutmeg warm and dusty, with saffron laying a dry bitter thread between them. Mandarin orange and neroli brighten the first few minutes, the mandarin sweet and juicy, the neroli cool and faintly soapy, and then the spice closes over the citrus and the scent settles down.
The middle is floral but never girlish. Rose, orange blossom and jasmine are used for richness rather than prettiness, and in this context they read as warmth and fullness rather than as a bouquet. The base is the reason people buy it. Vanilla is thick and creamy, amber adds a resinous glow, and sandalwood smooths the whole thing into something that genuinely smells like a dessert made properly rather than one sprayed from a can. Eleven materials, no bitterness at the end, and no complications.
Expect nine or ten hours at eau de parfum strength with strong projection for the first three, which is a great deal of sweetness for anyone standing close. Autumn and winter, evenings, and a wearer who wants to be complimented rather than analysed. It is aimed at men, though plenty of women wear it, and it is one of the few sweet masculine scents that works as well at a dinner table as in a bar. If you have tried sweet fragrance before and found it artificial, the sandalwood here is what makes the difference. The composition is Sonia Constant's, from 2015.
The founder spent roughly a decade directing design at Gucci and then at Yves Saint Laurent before launching a label of his own in 2005.
Please note: images are a guide only. Packaging and bottle design may occasionally differ from those shown due to manufacturer updates or promotions.
Similar Notes
The Scent Vault
Join thousands earning on every order
Earn points as you shop, redeem for money off, and unlock member perks.
Find out more
The Scent Vault Gift Cards
Give the gift of choice
One card, every scent. Let them pick the fragrance that is truly them. Send it instantly by email, or schedule it for a future date with a message of your own.
Shop gift cards
