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lundi 15 août 2016

Tom Ford Orchid Soleil: Poison gardenia



Though Tom Ford’s press material aligns fantasy notes such as black orchid, red lily and crème de marron, this summer’s Frenglish-named Orchid Soleil (clearly, “Sun Orchid” lacked that certain je-ne-sais-quoi) smells neither black, nor red, nor marron glacé. Rather delightfully, it’s as though his late, regretted Velvet Gardenia --easily the most decadent interpretation of the flower -- had been watered with Estée Lauder’s Bronze Goddess, the petals dipped in white chocolate filled with coconut cream. The distinctive green-mushroomy facets of Ford’s take on gardenia lend an intriguing naturality – almost perverse in the context – to this tropical-hothouse mutant. It also keeps the gourmandise in check, so that you’d stop short of licking an Orchid Soleil-sprayed skin, for fear of getting the kiss of death from a venomous flower. It’s a gutsy move for a mainstream product, but might come close enough to the coconutty codes of American sun products to infiltrate bathroom shelves. This is Tom Ford in top, over-the-top form. 

Illustration: Deborah Harry photographed by Chris Stein

4 commentaires:

  1. Now I am curious if you tried the IFF Secret Smelling gardenia by Dominique Ropion this year. If so, what did you think, and how did it compare to this one? I love the Ropion! I have not tried the Tom Ford.

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    1. I do have it, but frankly, they've got so little in common it never even crossed my mind to compare them. In the Tom Ford it's all about creaminess whereas the Ropion is green with a metallic tinge -- like putting your tongue on a silver spoon.

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  2. Ah, I'll have to seek out the Tom Ford. I love the Ropion because it's one of the more realistic gardenias I've tried, spoken as a tropical gardener. Thanks!

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    1. Yes, I agree about the Ropion, it's incredibly realistic, which of course was the whole point of the exercise!

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