Sahara Noir Tom Ford for women

Perhaps my nose is particularly unrefined, but all I got with this one was pencil shavings... and a wisp of incense if I concentrated. Even the shop lady who gave me the sample said it smelt of her woodworking class at school!
A nice smell, but not one I'd want to wear. Can't see the comparisons with CDG's Avignon myself!

The exact replica of Ambre Sultan by Serge Lutens but not as good.

Greed, greed of money makes you do anything, makes you sell your identity your personality and make a clown of yourself! What TF is doing is demolishing what he's done perfectly in YSL M7 and Gucci pour homme and TF Private Collection, reformulating the ex-launches and doing what low level indie companies do. Look at 212 series for instance.
The only way I regard this perfume or any other reformulated one is that they are much better than the original one and cover the faults and weaknesses in the original one. Unfortunately most of them are not.

Sounds very interesting, like all the TF scents! Cant wait to sniff it & review it! :)

First of all this is most certainly not exclusive to women, I didn't even consider it not to be masculine when I tried (and imidiately bought!) it. It does indeed focus around frankincense but not IMHO in an austere or churchy way, not at all, unlike Gucci por Homme which certainly does have a liturgical whiff to it, this is more of a Levantine or Saharan Hojari frankincense with lovely citrus nuances, which far from stuffy gothic stone churches smells redolent of golden desert sands. This is honeyed and balmy and bloody lovely. I feel that it has more complexity as a composition than the private blend collection (which is designed to be layered with other examples from the same collection whereas this is made to be worn alone). The animalic je ne sais quoi is from the delicious honey, there is a smokey element too but not in the least bit is it oppressive, it is subtle and an afterthought. I have always longed to find a scent that smells like my bengal cat's fur and this has a similar smooth golden quality that makes me very happy. Highly recommended. It has been compared to Absolute Pour Le Soir which to me smells like piss and old women; they share a honey facet but that is where the similarities between these perfumes end. This is substantially nicer and less questionable or offensive. Less sexual yes, but no less sensual. This bottle will finish quickly as its only 50mls and I need to wear a lot of it to get the fragrant bubble effect I like. If you are more modest than I am when it comes to silage you will be very satisfied with it. I want to write something illustrative and abstract about the sandy desert landscapes I picture, the shapes the incense smoke makes as it carries pious blessings skywards, the syrupy honey that begs to be licked off caramel skin, but I don't want to spoil the delights that await you.

I like Caist's review that starts with 'If you were raised a Catholic you know this smell'! Well, I was raised Orthodox Christian and this reminds me 100% of being at the church, of incence being burnt and filling the air. The smell is identical! This is a strong reason for me not to be able to wear it... By the way I found the name very misleading and not relevant to the perfume

Sahara Noir reminded me of being around a campfire made with wet wood. It stayed that way on me from top to base.

At drydown, I got the incense, which I guess is the burning fire wood, but for some reason I found it more pleasant and incensy.

I wanted to like this, but I don't want to wear it. It's too one-dimensional on me. I don't hate it either, I feel neutral about it and will probably swap my decant at some point. I do enjoy sniffing that campfire smell though. Reminds me of going to sleep away camp and campfires.

Let me start by saying I think this fragrance is lovely. I like it. Smells like quality juice and does not remind me of any other frag I've smelled. However, Tom Ford packaging just sucks. Private Blend or otherwise they all look cheap. Who says this is for women? I don't find anything feminine about it at all. Too heavy for a woman

I loved the whole name and concept behind this one, but when I tried it today after work I was struck by a sudden desire to bless myself! This smells EXACTLY like a catholic church on Palm Sunday. It's all there, the musty pews, the cold marble, the blend of rosemary and frankincense. I wonder if anyone at Lauder is quietly having a good laugh about this. Maybe it's the same person who managed to pass off 4711 as Neroli Portifino ...

The other thing I have to mention is the bottle. It looks amazing in adverts and even from a distance in real life. But up close it's really crap and lightweight, with a stupid gold plastic cap. C'mon guys, if you're going to charge money like this at least make some effort.

If you were raised Catholic.. you KNOW what this smells like.

Now lean over to mom in the pew and pass me a Werther's.

Smells beautiful on a woman who can pull off the warmer spice fragrances, VERY exotic, but there's something suspicious about it.. first it was called "Golden Tears" but then we all laughed at that one.

I've actually sold the first bottle we got to a man who loved it as soon as I had him try it on. Unisex? Doesn't say Pour Homme, have at it fellas!

Tom Ford counter girl gave me a sample vial today, i love it.
I will buy a bottle. Similar to Kyoto Comme de Garcon.

A straight up spicy incense in the unisex mould which is no different from my husbands old Gucci pour Homme,or a million other incenses. £110?? don't think so! I was disappointed as the name suggested a female scent with maybe oudh or north African influence which is exciting, this didn't excite me though although it is perfectly pleasant and seems to be a bit of an advertising exercise, the 'Noir' in the name being particularly nonsensical.

I took a whiff of this on a paper strip and was immediately transported back to junior high school WOODSHOP. (This is a good thing.) It's for women? Really? I'm not too sure about that. Could be unisex. I got a sample. I shall try wearing it. Stand by.

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Now wearing it: Tom Ford's triple deception. There's nothing "sahara" about it, it isn't "noir" and it's not just for women - it's a masculine scent.

What this is, is nothing more nor less than pine board - specifically, eighth grade wood shop at Luther Burbank Junior High School in Burbank, California. The first time I smelled this - POW! - that's what I got transported back to. See, it's Tom Ford's little joke: the bottle even resembles a pine plank somewhat.

Don't misunderstand me: this is a wonderful, happy scent (more happy than Clinique Happy), since I like working with wood! I like this stuff.

As others state, it is very linear, long-lasting and it projects. I'm now sitting at my office at work. I half expect some guy to stroll in and ask, "Did some work in the garage, did you?"

Feminine scent my foot - this is as much a guy scent as it gets!

Tom Ford ought to re-launch this as a celebrity scent for Tim "the Tool Man" Taylor.

well done Mr ford for trying to rip us off .this is just a remix of amber Absolute from the private blend.
very clever Tom Ford

At first - it was interesting. Then it hit me what it reminded me of and I just had to scrub it off. The basil note was very prominent on my skin.

The name is extremely misleading. There was NOTHING sahara about this scent. No sahara, no oasis and certainly _NO_ middle eastern influence as the name suggests.

This to me smells like something you marinate a steak with. To my nose, it smells like a mixture of sweet pineapple BBQ sauce and Jamaican jerk spice.

If you like this scent, you will be happy to know that it is extremely long lasting ! Sprayed my wrists around 8 hours ago and it still lingers. (why is it that scents you dislike are the ones that seemingly last the longest !?)

I had such high hopes for a perfume with this name !

To my nose, this is incredibly similar to the discontinued Gucci Pour Homme. Quite churchy and incensey, but pleasantly warm and slightly sweet too. Excellent lasting power, especially on clothing. It's lovely, if you're into this kind of thing. I'm not sure I'd ever want to smell like this though.

ArmaniBoys's assessment is perfect. I also agree that it's insanely overpriced. Such a shame.

To me this smells like Serge Lutens Jeux de Peau - I just get a ton of spice mostly ginger. I am very disappointed that I do not get the incense that lots of others seems to find in it.

aki777 ,I so much agree with you,i even remember going to someone's funeral and it smelled all like Sahara Noir,bljak ,sooo disappointed :(

Nothing but pure church incense smell..biggest disappointment of the year so far :(

I am a huge Tom Ford fan, and so it pains me to admit that I wasn't particularly impressed. Not because it wasn't a nice fragrance, it's just that to me, this is almost a reworking of Amber Absolute, from his Private Blend line, with perhaps a less sweet and instead more smokey base note. Also, considering the price, I was left disappointed by the silage and longevity. This retails for £100 for 50ml in the U.K. and I would strongly suggest paying an extra £35 and choosing something from the Private Blend collection instead.

In true TF fashion, this is a fragrance that is highly articulate, precise, and polished to astounding standard of perfection. It takes a number of other fragrances already in circulation, extracts their most striking qualities, and attenuates them into one easy-to-wear scent. On one hand, this is good for those who perhaps find CdG's incense a little too dramatic or sharp, but on the other, it renders the scent a tad dull. For the most part, it's frankincense through and through, but it's not specifically churchy. It's certainly dry, but not as dry as others as there's a faint floral/citrus component lurking around behind the smoke.

It's very linear; and, like others from the line, the notes are clearly identifiable. For a TF, it sits surprisingly close to the skin, and doesn't project anywhere near as much as his other scents. I'd assume this was a tactical choice as, once more, this seems to be incense marketed for those who want a more accessible rendition than other incense fragrances. Furthermore, it doesn't last nearly as long as some of his others -- I got 4 to 5 hours, which is about what I get from Avignon.

So, if you're an incense nut and have already tried some of the best of what's out there, don't expect anything revolutionary from this. It's very nice, beautifully rendered, and quite tasteful -- but it's not pushing any envelopes as they clearly went for "accessible." If you've ever found yourself wanting to enjoy something like CdG or Cardinals, but the sharpness bothered you, then this might be ticket.

My husband just brought me a bottle of this back from his trip to Kuwait. I have to tell u it is spellbinding! Would be equally bewitching on a man or woman. I get incense (frankincense and amber) smoke and wood, with hints of green spice like basil or rosemary (but only a hint) and a very sophisticated, soft citrus. But make no mistake- this is not a bright citrus or green scent- it is dark, warm, sultry, a little furry/dirty and extremely sexy.

I ll start my review the other way around.This perfume reminds me of a lighter and way less complex version of Absolue pour le soir and Armani bois d encens.It is linear-frankincense,stays close to the skin and has a nice longevity.On my skin I get a sexy ,very elegant ,soapy,incense base which I love.BUT once again the price is holding me back.There is only one size 50ml and its sold at 100GBP.This is for the incense lovers and I believe this is even more masculine than Noir for men.The only thing leaning on the feminine side is the bottle.As for the juice inside its a very nice one which I would love to own.

Pepita, there is a bit of basil in the top notes but Sahara Noir is mainly Frankincense. Infact the whole fragrance is centered around it. A great addition for any incense lover! Not as wearable as Black Orchid, or White patchouli.

Sahara noir was a blind buy!I'm sniffing it for about four hours now.I'm not good at reading notes as some of my favourite reviewers are, but I'm going to try because I'm writing for the first time ;)
The opening is very strong basil,somehow it's sour, it reminded me of church smell.For four hours I only could smell basil,no amber or violets nothing sweet at all.
After four hours it becomes softer maybe little bit sweet,but still the basil is the strongest note here.
It was a blind buy while Black Orchid and Violet Blonde and Santal Blush are the best perfumes,so was hoping this one is going to be even better,but so far I'm not sure.Maybe you have to learn to like it,or you have to try it couple times and try to understand it,cos I'm confused with the smell.
I'm not sure if I'm going to wear it, and it was expensive,if anybody is interested for a swap please mail me.I have sprayed it only ones.
P.S
I think this a man fragrance

Absolute ripp-off of Francis Kurkdijan's Absolue pour le soir.....for the seeker of a cheaper alternative..

Has been released (or at least is in shops) here in Dubai, can't review as only did a back of hand spritz) came of as a bit of an acrid jumble, but will give it a fair trial before forming an opinion.

I don't know if it is an imitation,however l saw this in a perfume shop wherein designer perfumes are sold in Nigeria.Reading through reviews,l discovered that it is yet to be released.Can any one give better clarification.Is there a different release date in Africa & Dubai from what obtains in Europe and America.

CDGfan, thank you so much for yor expansive writing about notes.
That's much better!!The composition sounds really gorgeous and I can't wait to test it.

Those notes are somewhat incorrect, this fragrance is built around frankincense. The composition is built around frankincense, which can be found at all three main stages of the development of the fragrance.

Top notes include frankincense, a pristine quality of cistus essence graded Orpur®, bitter orange, Jordanian oasis calamus, Levantine cypress - a reference to the 1001 Arabian Nights.

In the heart we have frankincense essence Orpur® , cinnamon, cool papyrus extract, Egyptian jasmine templar and rose absolute from Morocco. "A beeswax extraction from Burma lends body and a supple, honeyed-animalic richness."

Base notes are ambery, featuring labdanum (labdanum absolute & fractioned ambreinol) – benzoin, vanilla, cedar, frankincense resin, agarwood and balsam.

I'm beyond excited for this! I read an article that said it is to be released in May 2013. I can't wait! I'm a HUGE fan of Tom Ford; clothing and fragrance. Tobacco Vanille and Violet Blonde are among my favorites!

What kind of weird people vote for notes before a fragrance is even released?!

TF creates one of the most memorable, elegant and well made fragrances. I can't wait to try this one!

sounds interesting i love desert/oriental/arabic inspired perfumes hope it lives up to its name and list of ingredients!

Thanks for sharing that Blimunda. I wonder when we'll be able to get hold of some samples of this .

This is what I have found regarding notes:

Top: bergamot, mandarin, basil, violet, ginger

Heart: orange blossom, black pepper, tobacco leaves & grapefruit blossom

Base: amber, cedar wood, patchouli, oak moss & leather

A highlight on the notes would be highly appreciated .