Venetian Bergamot

Somewhere between today and tomorrow, you let your mind wander, aimlessly. You see faces you had forgotten and some that you're sure you've never seen....the scenery in this bizarre moment is as elusive as the memories that are washing up on the shores of your vastly empty mind. The salty air pervades your thoughts, clinging to it is a potent and peppery bergamot. The face of a past lover flashes into your mind, the golden hues of her hair flash brilliantly in the sun hiding behind her. You smell the coconut lotion simmering on her supple skin...you look deeply into her piercing aquamarine eyes and get lost. In another moment, you are walking through a glimmering garden brimming with the most fragrant gardenia....your raven-haired beauty pulling your eyes away from the serenity of the surroundings. In her hair rests a small bouquet of narcotic ylang-ylang, it contrasts her darkness exquisitely....you follow her into the thicket of cedars and myrtle to get lost in the bliss you so desire. The woods open up to a grand bedroom - yet another past love is awaiting your arrival in the most elaborately carved wood bed fit for the grandest of Kings and Queens. Her fiery amber locks bounce gently as she chuckles at your surprise. The room is awash with the scent of warm floral skin and sandalwood - she pulls back the sheets and invites you in...this is all just a dream collected from fleeting moments and forgotten lives. You remain lost in thought, alone. Day 64 - The lost ones Listening to: Gotye - Somebody I Used to Know Notes: I secretly love just about everything bearing the name of Tom Ford. I only own one because I simply cannot afford these complex beauties...what I would do to make a few more bucks! Well, this fume opens with possibly the best bergamot opening I have ever smelled - a lush and vibrant bergamot is accented perfectly by the pepper combo and a hint of ginger. This is slowly coated in a thick and heady gardenia that smells like it has been hanging out with some coconuts making it very rich and creamy...and a bit feminine. Ylang-ylang sneaks into the frame to cut some of the creaminess with its slightly sharp and narcotic scent - a very delightful duo! There are some woods, but they are fairly nondescript on my skin - my skin does massively play up floral notes so the wood may have been lost in translation. This slowly fades into a very warm, floral musk and amber...a very beautiful scent that is reminiscent of a beautiful woman's skin. Quite lovely and I feel it is more suited toward women - it might just be my skin though! Lasts for a good 12+ hours and it seems to share some of the floral and musk drydown of Champaca Absolute...an interesting take on bergamot!

Tom Ford has many citrus and warm weather scents, but they almost all have major issues (with the exception of Grey Vetiver, which I own and adore) - horrible performance, smelling cheap or boring. None of them really caught my attention enough to justify the price tag, but I always wanted a Tom Ford Private Blend for warmer weather. I always ignored Venetian Bergamot for the warmer offerings by Tom Ford, but once I paid attention and gave it a fair chance I fell in love. In my opinion this is easily the best of all of Tom Ford's warm weather/citrus scents in the Private Blend. No wonder it won Men's Luxury Fragrance of the Year at The Fragrance Foundation Awards. Venetian Bergamot feels like a cold and chilly storm with warm rays of sun that penetrate it's heart. Creamy gardenia, well-behaved ylang ylang and sweet magnolia grown in the damp cool shade, zest shaven off of frozen bergamot, ginger pulled from cold wet soil are thawed by warm buttery toasted sandalwood, hot pink peppercorns and spicy black pepper. I adore gardenia and it is nice to finally have gardenia in my collection that doesn't feel too feminine. I could see how some guys would find this to be too feminine for their liking though. It also does reminds me of a much better version of Soleil Blanc. Although natural bergamot fades quite quickly, the cool, creamy fresh ingredients paired with spicy peppery warmth emulate a long-lasting bergamot super realistically. It reminds me of what was done with Eau des Sens by Diptyque to emulate long-lasting neroli/orange blossoms. Unlike many fragrances, this lasts ages on me and seems to pulsate throughout the day. I tested around 5:00 in the evening alongside Oud Wood, Plum Japonais, Noir de Noir and Champaca Absolute and when I woke up in morning over 16 hours later this was the only one that remained (although as a skin scent). Shocking how the citrus fragrance outcompeted all the heavy Orientals.

I find this fragrance quite captivating. Yes, it's feminine with it's abundance of florals and probably too feminine for some men to wear, as noted below, although interestingly this scent won the Fragrance Foundation award for best new men's fragrance last year. White florals are, by their very nature, naturally feminine but there's enough spice and wood here to add another dimension. There's a juxtaposition to this fragrance that I just love and I feel quite comfortable wearing it. The initial spray is fantastic, with a spicy, bergamot-banana, tropically-tinged opening although this is only fleeting before settling down to a creamy, spicy, soft-woody floral although the initial tropical elements do linger ever so slightly in the background throughout the duration. As many have said, it is a shame that the stunning opening doesn't last longer as it is rather special. Reading the reviews, it's clear that people get different things from this so it's worth a try even if the reviews don't grab you. On my skin I certainly get the florals but I also get a lot of spice and wood. In fact, I have to be careful not to over-spray as the spices can turn quite bitter on me. Longevity is great although silage is relatively soft - which is okay by me. Tom Ford Private Blends are polarising, much like Creed. Expensive, yes and certainly not everyone's cup of tea but well-presented and often unique. This is one of my favourites from the line.

Contrary to the name, its the ylang-ylang centered scent for me. Btw, I'm surprised that only one of the negative reviewers @fleike points out how odd is the name for this fragrance as there is no bergamot orange growing around Venice. But I find the name is quite clever and in perfect harmony with the concept- its a nod to the wealth and the history of the region and to Venetian traders who, although having brought in bergamot from Arabs, couldn't make it work in the region. Imo, if you expect this scent to be citrusy and typically bergamot-led, you'll be disappointed. Its not a freshy, far from it. Instead, it's smooth, inviting and warm. Because VB is contrary to its name centred around golden ylang-ylang, reminding the decadence and real wealth of Venetian Republic back in high middle ages when they traded successfully with Byzantine Empire. I believe the concept is wonderfully supported with mix of spices and light woods. Beautiful, very warm and intoxicating mix of ylang-ylang with some gardenia where mix of spices and tempered bergamot-related freshness are meant to keep the balance not to lead the game. Its my favourite TF for its smoothness and uniqueness, as this creamy and warm bergamot vibe is really unusual. Although it's not a loud shouter, it smells luxurious and the sillage is decent. Yes VB is feminine-leaning, but still can be easily worn by a man. Just expect a elegant warm take, not another cirtus scent.

Possibly my favorite of all time. I’ve got a lot of fragrances (50+), including some heavy hitters from Creed, Kilian, Clive Christian, and other Tom Fords. I’ve certainly sampled hundred, too. And I’m all that time, I kept talking myself out of this. I guess maybe because I never saw the right deal. Man, I sure wasted time. Finally, I pulled the trigger and bought a 100 mL. If/when I run out, I’ll probably buy an 8.4 oz decanter I made my couple samples last. Every time it wowed me. I live in the Southern US, and people here aren’t really into “our there” niche scents, so I generally avoid them; this fits the ticket perfectly for me. It’s just so smooth and fresh, all without having an aquatic vibe that’s generic. You don’t smell this everyday, although I wish I could; I could bathe in it. There’s a touch of wood and spice to balance out the light floral aspects, making it perfectly suitable for men to wear and helping to make this a year-round beauty. 10/10 masterpiece, best of the TF collection. 10/10 sillage for what it is and not at all harsh on the nose, 8/10 longevity because it lasts, but it could be a tad longer after the 6-8 hour mark becoming a skin scent. Highly recommend! Update: Tom Ford Lost Cherry best this one out for me. This still smells great, and between both it would make a great two fragrance collection.