Black Orchid
Parfum, Tom Ford (2020)

It took some time, a lot of appointments, a few bottles of medication, and many hours on a chaise longue, but Karen is finally tolerable. Actually, and in fact, I am enjoying her company and finally seeing the interesting and personable character behind the harridan. In the EdP (the original) and the EdT, Tom Ford let Karen run amuck. She was out of control. Everything shouted at you, one sentence to the next was barely cohesive little alone intelligible, every material and accord was designed to be pushed - and to push you - to maximum bounds of tolerance. This parfum concentration yanks on the reigns and pulls everything in, getting the materials and accords under control, and making them taut and lean.

The opening focuses on the ripe plum accord accented very minutely with truffle. This far more minimalist approach to the top notes - especially relative to the EdP and EdT - do the opening of Black Orchid a massive favor. It immediately feels more focused and driven. And, most importantly, it's actually quite pretty in a mouthwatering and decadent sort of way. These fade fairly quickly to reveal a rum-soaked ylang-ylang heart on a foundation of very rich but not cloying patchouli. The heart and the base carry on the more minimalist approach, stripping down Black Orchid to its fundamental essences and cornerstones, and presents itself as very smooth, very opulent, and very chic. Do not think Black Orchid will no longer challenge you; Karen still has claws, but she's more like an Elvira than a feral cat trying to eat your eyes.

Sometimes less is more, and I think this parfum concentration proves that with Black Orchid. The DNA that made the original such a (commercial) monster is very much intact, but the person to whom the DNA belongs has mellowed and matured. Could it use a bit more of the EdP's/EdT's energy? Ehh, maybe just a touch more. There have been some wears when I thought it was a bit too close to the skin, at times feeling more like it was caged rather than showing self-restraint. But, as a whole, it is hands-down the best of the three Black Orchids.

Sexy, dark, and rich scent for a sensual and confident individual. Heavy patchouli and chocolate with an interesting dirty truffle that peeks its head out every so often. I have the 2023 reformulation as well which I also really enjoy. They are sisters, not twins. The Gold has a chocolate note the 2023 version does not. I’m also surprised to report that, on my skin at least, the Gold doesn’t last as long as the 2023. I don’t find them redundant but I would welcome anyone to sample them both and compare. The bottle is gorgeous and unique. Overall I’d give this perfume a 9/10.

This is one l had to try as a devotee of the original. l'd say it's more harshly woody in the opening, with more fruit & less of the creamy, coconutty floral notes, but as it dries down any differences are much more subtle. lt radiates less, but in the end l think it's so similar to the original that owning both would be redundant.

The original Black Orchid (2006) was a big statement on the mindset of Tom Ford as a creative director for perfumes, only barely touched upon with his work for LVMH in the form of fragrances released for Yves Saint Laurent and Gucci before both were sold off to L'Oréal after his departure. Black Orchid was bold, marketed to women, but embraced by all genders in a similar manner to classic Guerlains, and proof of concept that LVMH made a mistake by letting him go so easy. Maybe he was going to leave regardles, who's to say? But I know the commercial creative nadir being experienced by way of incessanant algorithmic releases at the houses he left behind shows what happens when "innovation under Capitalism" takes precedence over having an actual soul, even if such a soul is deliciously tainted as Tom Ford's likely is. Black Orchid Parfum (2020) is also a big statement, touted as the most intense version of Black Orchid ever created, but with no perfumer taking credit for it (not even the original's David Apel) as if no one wants to risk backlash if it bombs in the eyes of die-hard fans. Well, I'm here to say Black Orchid Parfum isn't actually more intense, at least not in performance, because nobody really beats the near-noxious projection and sillage of the original (especially in vintage), although in a sensual sense it does just about outdo the OG. How? Easy, let me explain: Black Orchid Parfum tosses out what residual woody amber dryness the original had in its late-stage wear, and doubles down on musks, adds sweetness and booziness, blurs the gender lines even further, but stays close to skin, foring you to move closer to get a whiff.

The opening of Black Orchid Parfum is gorgeous, even more absolutely resplendant than the original, with a lot of the controversial floral elements manly-men like to bash on dialed back in favor of an enhanced truffle note like Tom Ford Noir de Noir (2007) from the Private Blend line, mixed with the sweetness of a boozy plum. Anyone who has smelled the original Michael for Men by Michael Kors (2001), a scent made under Ford's watch by LVMH for Kors before the latter spun off into having Interparfums handle their fragrances, knows this boozy plum. Yeah, it's not real booze or real plum, and registers more ambery than anything, but it mixes with synthetic ylang-ylang (because IFRA) and the entire composition of the original Black Orchid in a trick reminiscent of Guerlain's "Guerlinade", eventually moving into a base that feels more oriental than the eau de parfum. Patchouli, some tonka sweetness, amber, vanilla, and some nondescript creamy woodiness mix with what remains of the original Black Orchid's somewhat neon dry down, absent a lot of the trailing aldehydes that give the classic version it's big-hipped vavoom. Is this more masculine? Yes. Is it masculine enough to make the grade for guys that still call everything "cologne" and need "for men" on the bottle somewhere to feel secure in themselves? No. Wear time will be very long legged as this is a parfum, but after the first 35 minutes, this scent implodes on skin. Use romantically, or even layer with the OG if you want more top notes, but make no mistake, this is no easier of a wear and not to be taken to the office or in crowded places unless you're comfortable with conjuring the ghost of Zsa Zsa Gábor wherever you go.

The other good news is this only ranks $15 to $20 more per 100ml than the original Black Orchid at retail, meaning it isn't any more overpriced really than most of the newer Signature line fragrances, and after it filters down into discounters, will be found there for the price of nearly any other designer at retail rather than at sub-niche prices like TF seems to expect at counters. If you're a huge fan of Black Orchid, trying this is a no-brainer, and goes to the opposite end of the Black Orchid spectrum from Velvet Orchid (2014), which was a more floral experience comparatively. I don't think Black Orchid Parfum will really convince people on the fence about the line, and the super-close but dense wear will be annoying for people who want to smell their fragrance without sniffing their wrist or over-applying (especially at the price), but as a parfum seeking to be what it claims, Black Orchid Parfum mostly succeeds. The experience is more intense, even if that is translated aesthetically and not literally, and the source material is highly respected, although there isn't anything particularly natural about the way it smells. Nothing will ever recapture the intial zeitgeist Black Orchid unleashed upon the world, and I'm glad to see Black Orchid Parfum doesn't try to, and had it been released at the same time as the eau de parfum, would still feel like it fits its own nomenclature. If the Black Orchid eau de parfum is destined for the red carpet, this parfum iteration is a smoother, muskier, more-passionate but soft-spoken vibe meant for the after-party. This one is fairly easy to sample, so there's no reason anyone should have to take my word for it, just temper your expectations a tad. Thumbs up.