Tom Ford - Noir Anthracite EDP

In Tom Ford’s 2017 launch advertising of Noir Anthracite the brand described the fragrance as “light in the dark” and the "dynamic tension between contrasts”.  This chypre is a modern take on the classic fragrance genre.

The fragrance opens with a contrast.  There is a bright and beautiful bergamot juxtaposed over a rich and spicy Sichuan pepper.  Immediately after the first sniff, I begin to get a sense of an underlying cedar woodiness.  The cedar is rich and comes forward as if you’re inhaling deeply into an old cedar chest. 

About an hour into wear, the spice becomes more complex with subtle hints of ginger-spiced florals.  The florals are not individually identifiable to me and yet you know they’re there.  There is a dark, intense, smoky, earthiness that begins to come through.  The woods begin to deepen.  The moodiness of the notes and their contrast with each other are tempered with a delicate hand.  Where another fragrance might simply project intensity, Noir projects a gentle intensity.  It is an erotic gaze softened by flickering candlelight. 

Noir Anthracite wears on me with moderate projection for roughly 10 – 11 hours.

Notes: bergamot, sichuan pepper, ginger, spices, floral notes, sandalwood, cedar, ebony