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.

Venetian Bergamot is a sleeper in the private blend line, because it's almost an antithesis to the popular dark, heavy and sensual fragrances TF is well known for. However, VB shows that the line has range and is one of my favourite summery scents. It's light-hearted, fun, easy to wear and has instant appeal, making it an easy choice for a warmer day. Uplifting citrus in the opener melds with a sweet bouquet of rich florals (ylang, magnolia, tuberose), creating a outstanding sweet citrus accord. To me, the the opener is my favourite part of the fragrance and it never fails to lift my mood. However, the citrus only persists for first hour before transitioning into the sweeter floral heart. The florals retain its earlier freshness, but also reveal a richer, sweet allure. The ylang-ylang particularly blooms in heat making the scent a stunner for warm days. The slightly creamy undercurrent, together with the ylang, lends a rich texture to the scent and reminds me slightly of Soleil Blanc. Slight soapiness shows through 2 hours in but it never takes over from the florals. The scent projects well for the first 3 hours before becoming a long lasting skin scent. Its beautiful and definitely worth sampling!

In feel if not actual notes, Venetian Bergamot is very reminiscent of d'Orsay's Etiquette Bleue, though it is distinctly sweeter with a heavier floral component--EB relies on a heart of neroli whereas VB is based around much stronger magnolia and gardenia notes. There are those who have complained that bergamot is not enough of a star player here for this fragrance to bear it as its name, but I disagree. VB opens with a gorgeous bergamot note that is as prominent as one can reasonably expect, given the notorious short life span of that note. Instead the combined floral and spice notes, and eventual woods, emulate the feel, the essence of the bergamot, painting a scent portrait that lasts for several hours and is frankly intoxicating throughout. And make no mistake, VB is a real powerhouse--a true EdP with the longevity that that implies. It is also completely unisex, though of course individual skin chemistry will vary. On me it is perfectly masculine in spite of its strong floral presence. Finally, If EB is something like a neroli incense then VB is a creamy lemony dessert. It is amazing, it is my favorite Tom Ford by a mile, and it is among the very best compositions I have ever smelled.

I really miss these Tom Ford craft perfumes. Venetian Bergamot is the perfect everyday scent and can be worn for any occasion, day or night. It is probably the most versatile in my collection. The only time of year when it doesn’t feel appropriate to wear would be during the darkest winter months. I first spritzed this in Dubai at a mall when I had been sweating in the heat all day. The scent worked really well in that super hot weather. My favorite note in this perfume is the pink peppercorn which lingers for most of the wear time. The bergamot seems to support the spiciness and provide some depth, not to take center stage. I’m not sure why bergamot features in the title. This fragrance would be better named something in the spiced floral category, I think. It’s a very androgynous scent, although it leans slightly feminine due to the floral and slightly sweet and powdery notes. This is my signature for sure. It melds perfectly with my biochemistry, isn’t over- powering, yet still lingers. I will be super sad when my bottle runs out.

This scent is captivating on me from the first note until it fades. The citrus stays throughout it all but it's such a transformation from rich bergamot orchard over tart lime-like flavors in a ginger ale-rum cocktail to a lemon being cut on a woody cutting board. It's like a love letter of all things citrussy behind different backdrops and playgrounds. Rich, dark, flavourful. It opens with citrussy herb goodness. The pepper is sharp and alluring and such a great dancing partner for the bergamot notes. It's like being on a meadow between bergamtos trees on a cool summer's night. Ginger and wood enter the stage as the pepper fades out. This brings out an entirely new nuance of the citrus flavor. Letting it shine brighter and more playful. Like the lime tingle in a dark and stormy ginger rum cocktail. Then, suddenly there is someone in my kitchen cutting lemons on a very woody cutting board. And over time they start chopping vanilla and tonka and some creamy cashmeran on there as well. Comfortable and luxurious.

I honestly have no idea how many people consider this a freshie. Yes it has fresh elements in the bergamot, but that’s where it ends, and this is not a Bergamot dominant fragrance despite the name. The opening is where the burst of freshness actualises, and the spices are more mild than a peppery face-punch. The bergamot doesn’t stick around for very long. The heart of this blooms through in stages giving way to the smoothest, creamiest, velvetiest combination of white flowers and woods. It is so perfectly blended that the usual “pencil shaving” note of cedar wood is barely detectable (and I do love a good sniff of pencil shavings!). The white florals are wafty and quietly intoxicating without being super heady. This fragrance was my first introduction to ylang ylang, which has since sent me into a ylang-exploration spiral. The ylang in this does not dominate nor scream “tropical”. Perfection in a bottle. My signature scent.

Don't expect a citrusy fragrance in the full meaning of the name. The bergamot shines only the first minutes (around 15 min) then it fades away as the perfume developes and another players come through. Here i detect ylang-ylang, gardenia, and in the final stage tonka bean. VB evolves into a creamy aroma, very pleasant and interesting floral-woody goodness.That' s an original, modern take on a supposedly bergamot based perfume by Tom Ford and it is for a reason that VB won a prestigious prize as a best composed perfume nearly a decade ago. It's 100% unisex,..A woman could easily wear it..Especially designed for springtime, but not high heats. VB is one of my most worn fragrances for the warm part of the year and it always gives me a sense of lightness ,softness and care-free vibes. Can be office-safe. Not very popular amongst other TF fragrances and it Was a hidden gem in the private blend collection. Sadly discontinued.

I’m so glad I purchased this. I almost didn’t based on reviews 🙄 ugh. But it is so good. This is now my fave TF I have. I definitely smell the amber, cashmere and vanilla with an emphasis on the cashmere. I was blown away actually and that hasn’t happened in a while with fragrances The fragrance is a wonderful journey. The opening and mid are a beautiful dance. It starts with a blast of freshly, gushing sliced bergamot. Then the dance transitions entwining the other notes in the fragrance. The ginger, pepper and other notes play their smaller parts, they are not truly the stars of the show. The stars of the show are the bergamot, cashmere, and vanilla. It is like a slice of gushing bergamot that is soaked with the other notes. The bergamot fades away in it’s own juices leaving the other notes radiantly lasting through until the end. I love this. I am sad I didn’t get a bigger bottle.

Exquisite Creamy Bergamot with Sandalwood, Gardenia and Ginger. This is a powerhouse reminiscent of Tom Ford Perfumes of yesteryear. Fantastic sillage, noticeable trail and most importantly fresh and youthful. I'm assuming most reviewers here have not actually smelled this - since the descriptions don't seem to be in line At All. Fans of Tom Ford's Tobacco Vanille and Amber Absolue rejoice - there is another smooth long lasting fragrance to be had from his line. A springtime Floral - Light on citrus, but heavy on the creamy, earthy essences. The White floral notes here are more in the vein of sweetness, no resemblance whatsoever to Chanel #5 or any of the other powdery white floral bombs. There's almost a sweet honey note here that I can say would most likely be the sandalwood and amber. I enjoy this fragrance immensely and it's garnered quite the share of compliments.

Such a beautiful fragrance. The bergamot is really only present very early on, and even then, it shyly hides behind the florals. I find that after 30 minutes this is a nice floral scent dominated by the gardenia and ylang-ylang. The amber, tonka base gives it a little bit of weight and creaminess that rounds the whole thing off in a sophisticated way. The peppers and ginger are not overtly noticeable, but do add a subtle spice that prevents this from being just another floral perfume. "Intriguing" is the word I would use to describe this because a lot of the notes timidly peek out rather than assert themselves. Strength is good - but only if you are talking about the floral aspects. The citrus notes fade quickly, after only being slight to begin with. Sillage is good, I still get wafts of it at the end of an 8 hour day.

This is a tough one to judge. First: There is no citrusy Bergamot whatsoever in this juice. At least, i can't smell it. Or a Venetian Bergamot doesn't smell citrusy? There is a lot of sweet ylang-ylang, which is dominating this fragrance clearly. A lot of gardenia makes it a creamy juice and i get cedar wood, amber and a shy bit of tonka. Longevity is brilliant. It smells 20 hours easily exactly the same from the opening to the drydown. Sillage is an armlength. Imo this is unisex tending to the feminin side. It's kind of a boring linear fragrance. To my nose, this is the better Soleil Blanc, which is a disappointment. If you like Ylang-Ylang, you should give it a try. Overall: 8/10

Tom Ford’s Venetian Bergamot is one of those scents that completely transforms on your skin. It starts off very fresh and citrusy but becomes very floral and sweet. Zesty Bergamot, creamy gardenia, sweet ylang-ylang, and the powdery musk of cashmeran. I always look forward to smelling new Tom Fords because I like so many of his fragrances, but I usually have to force myself to narrow it down to my absolute favorites because they cost quite the pretty penny! I could not get Venetian bergamot out of my mind and I love the way it smells – I’m such a sucker for gardenias, so I knew it would have to be one I add to my collection!

Βergamot is known for it's unique fleshy bright and juicy accords and partically used in all perfumes. Here we have the best one, imagine how good it is.. The backbone of sandalwood and the other base notes make it so unique and something much more than "simple bergamot" yet the floral elements gives an exotic vibe and also the ginger makes it warm and energetic. Overall an unique , bright, fresh and creamy at the same time scent, with amazing balances and so enjoyable to wear. Criminaly underated and discontinued. If you ever find a bottle , don't even think about it . Move On..! 9,7 out 10

Totally unisex. Smells expensive, sophisticated and alluring. Call me crazy, but in a way this is more masculine than feminine. Imagine a really wealthy man, Venice, sunny outside, he's sitting at a cafe, dressed in a crisp, white expensive shirt, dark jeans and some nice, brown Gucci loafers. Thing I noticed with all TF scents, you have to be wealthy to really complete the look with such fragrances lol. You can't really be that guy that barely has any money in his pocket, cargo shorts with socks and sandals. So take Paris Hilton's advice and stop being poor lmao.

I had this fragrance when it first came out in 2015, two months ago my bottle was 3/4 full because I did not use it as much as I should have. I swapped with someone, it was a really good swap. Lately I found myself missing it because it was a great perfume in my collection. I ended up ordering a new bottle today. I hope it has not been reformulated. I have not heard that TF does this with his fragrances. I cannot wait to wear this baby in the spring!

I REALLY like this. I loved it the first time I tried it in London. It has a really sharp citrus burts which dies after about 30 mins leaving behind a very fresh, creamy mix of ylang ylang and bergamot. It lasts on my skin for about 5-6 hours and does sit very close to the skin. I have taken to spraying on my wrist as well as chest and feel like an adict sniffing myself all day. Very well crafted and worth it I feel despite the high price tag.