Tom Ford Noir Review: Special Event Superstar Cologne? [Answered]

Tom Ford Noir is a 2012 cologne release for men. Noir is a powdery, amber, and floral scent, possessing bold and alluring qualities. Due to its challenging nature, Noir wasn’t hyped much at release, and has flown under the radar ever since. I classify Noir as a situational superstar – to discover why, read on!

What does Noir smell like?

Tom Ford Noir contains notes of violet, pepper, iris, amber, rose, vanilla, patchouli, and leather.

When first sprayed on skin, I can immediately smell the musky, powdery element of Noir. This is most likely coming from the iris accord. It could almost be associated with talc powder, as it possesses a similar ‘foggy’ type texture. The powdery iris is the most prominent aspect of Noir in the beginning.

Accompanying the powderiness is a resinous amber accord. This gives the opening a slightly sweet, warm, and mysterious depth.

Furthermore, the opening aroma presents some spicy pepper. It’s shrouded behind the powder and amber, mostly operating in the background. It does just enough to tickle your senses when smelled up close, adding to the daring nature of the opening.

After that, the musky powderiness somewhat pulls back. Floral violet and rose accords emerge, alongside a pleasant injection of vanilla. However, this isn’t your typical synthetic vanilla note – it has a soft, waxy texture which is blended well amongst the composition.

In the dry-down, the powder recedes even more. A deep, earthy, patchouli note emerges, coupled with a dry leather accord. These two subtle notes work so well alongside the resinous amber, vanilla, and florals.

Overall, Tom Ford Noir is a powdery amber type of scent, drying down into a floral, subdued version of the same. The scent profile of Noir is truly representative of its name. It’s dark and brooding – imagine the smell of a shadowy gothic-type environment.

Similar to other Tom Ford colognes, Noir has an old-school vibe with a modern twist. It has a ton of personality and smelling it is a transportive experience.

Check out this reviewer’s thoughts on Noir:

To describe the smell… is hard. Powdery, dark, classic, bold… I like what Mo Choudhury said about “every time I wear TF Noir, I’m dressed in all black like the Omen”. That pretty much covers it. It does smell a bit like something a villain would wear.

Fragrantica.com

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Does this scent have good performance?

From my testing, Noir has average projection and high longevity. In detail, it projects out from the skin for the first 2 hours at most. After that, it sits closer to the skin and has total longevity of about 10 hours.

Ultimately, I think Tom Ford has configured the performance just about right for a powdery scent like this.

When and who can wear this?

Now for the downside of Noir.

Noir is a bold, situational scent. Therefore, I wouldn’t consider this a signature or everyday wear. This is something a confident, mature (age 30+) man would apply as a special occasion scent. Additionally, evening dates or night-time social gatherings are ideal since Noir has a ‘nocturnal’ quality about it. If you’re a man who enjoys musky-floral type scents, you’ll like this.

In summary – Tom Ford Noir

In summary, Tom Ford Noir is a daring mystical scent, well earning its name. Its powdery and floral essence will not appeal to everyone. Nevertheless, the subset of men who I’ve described above are best placed to unlock its potential.

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I’ve reviewed other musky-floral type scents as well, one of which is Prada L’Homme.

I want to hear from you. Let’s keep the conversation going in the comments. What are your thoughts on Tom Ford Noir?