Black Orchid Voile de Fleur

This is clearly related to Black orchid. You could describe this one as a more friendlier, luminous version IMO. It's more like they took all of the funky patchouli/chocolate/truffle notes out of BO and replaced them with a bouquet of sparkling flowers, fresh plums and sweet, full cream. It's quite floral - you really have to love white flowers in order to appreciate this flanker of BO. It opens up really 'fresh' - I can't really come up with another word since I haven't experienced an opening like this before. The cassis is slightly pissy, but perfectly balanced by the rather sweet and floral ylang ylang. The heartnotes soon take over and it's a rhapsody of flowers; gardenia makes her entrance along lily. They steal the spotlight, only to be interrupted by the sweet plum. I can't really make out the pepper and signature orchid note though; they seem to be drowned in the gardenia/lily combo. I guess the honeysuckle contributes to the fresh and sparkly feeling of the heartnotes. As it dries down it becomes warmer - the most noticeable basenotes are sandalwood, warm milk and a slight pinch of cinnamon. I really love it and I'm quite sad it was discontinued. Sillage is huge in the beginning and stays moderate during it's longevity, which is about 8 hours. P.S: It's not as unisex as BO, since it doesn't contain the heavy patch/chocolate/incense combo which make the original such a delightful genderless creation. Still recommended to lovers of BO who would like a lighter and more floral version BO.

I was very surprised by Voile de Fleur, because, in my opinion, it does not smell very much like the original at all. Many of the dense earthy-gourmand notes that make Black Orchid so distinctive have been softened or omitted entirely and replaced with rich florals. Gardenia and ylang are specifically very present. I am obsessed with fragrances that have prominent milky/dairy notes (if you are too, check out Gold Sugar and Le Feu d'Issey) and I love the way that the creamy note at the center of this composition adds a beautifully soft, comforting quality to the fragrance. Voile de Fleur is the kind of fragrance that reminds me of the absolute majesty of white floral notes when they are done well. For me personally, it's like they tickle this part of my brain that appreciates beauty and splendor. This fragrance has very large sillage and respectable staying power. One interesting quirk about the way this fragrance is composed is that it has almost no top notes at all. It's comprised mainly of very solid base notes and heart notes. Because of this, it is somewhat linear and does not change very much from the onset to the drydown. But the fragrance itself is so stunning that I don't view this as a negative at all. A superb, artistic fragrance that is an absolute pleasure to wear. Bravo.

As much as I love Black Orchid, and that love is considerable, it was the rough draft before this masterpiece! Black Orchid is made milky here. Made considerably more floral and more feminine. Yes, I know fragrance does not have a gender designation, but Black Orchid Voile de Fleur absolutely does. The gardenia sees to it. It's in the original, but it doesn't find expression until this very necessary flanker. Gardenia replaces the dark chocolate, which was brought to heel, as the most prominent note. The patchouli still speaks to me, which is always a good thing, but it's tempered, more palatable for the patchouli shy, a good thing for everyone else. I also detect the plum, but it's not so much a solo fruit note to my nose. It's not quite a cocktail, but it doesn't stand unassisted either. It's sprinkled with cinnamon, for a softer bit of spice. The orchid still presents and is lovely, but it was one of the main floral attractions in the original fragrance. That's no longer the case. As someone who frequently suffers from flanker fatigue, Black Orchid Voile de Fleur is my beautiful reward.

First of all Voile de Fleur has absolutely nothing in common with the original Black Orchid; they are both deep and intoxicating but that's all. While the original is more creative and harder to pull off with the thick dark chocolate, patchouli, incense, truffle and a base heavy on the vetiver, Voile de Fleur is much softer, a luscious bouquet of slightly indolic white flowers without dramatic changes towards the drydown. On me the most prominent elements are honeysuckle, gardenia and ylang ylang. There's definitely an animalic aspect here, probably the floral notes along with the plum and black currant. I also enjoy the addition of soft sandalwood in the lightly oriental base which has a creamy quality that compliments the buttery gardenia nicely. I can see Voile de Fleur working well during warm summer evenings when the honeysuckle blooms naturally but I like it even better when it's cold outside. It smells retro and contemporary at the same time, very feminine. Lovely.

Black Orchid is a strange, yet interesting fragrance that at first sniff was very sharp & floral.. I recently wore this to my brothers wedding & let me tell you... THIS STUFF LAST FOR AGES!!!!! I put this on & my mother claims that she could smell this before I came down stairs... IT WAS THAT STRONG! However, the scent is rather a creative masterpiece from Mr. Tom Ford! I really dont like it for the first 30-45 minutes, but I tolerate it, then the worst note of this frag appears.. That awful rotten mushroom smell which I just find simply dreadful... Thank goodness it does not last long & the best part kicks in which is the base! SIMPLY MARVELOUS! When I took my rental tux back the next day, the lady who opened the bag to make sure everything was there she said MY U WORE SOMETHING THAT SMELLS JUST GREAT! WHAT IS IT???? Mind you I did not spray any on the tux. I grinned & said Black Orchid! She smiled back & said I'll have to give that a go!