Wearing This Cult-Loved Perfume Brand Practically Guarantees Compliments
While some designer labels boast one (okay, maybe two) iconic fragrances, Tom Ford arguably has at least five times that number. Black Orchid, Fucking Fabulous, Oud Wood, Tobacco Wood… The brand has debuted one timeless and covetable fragrance after another, and each was welcomed with a steeper and steeper upward slope of appreciation.
As beauty editors, we've always held a special appreciation for the fashion designer's well-versed selection of collectible beauty items, but our appreciation doesn't stop at Ford's cult-loved bronzers or lash-extending mascaras. Tom Ford perfumes are some of the most highly sought-after and beloved fragrances in the industry, and if you own one (or more), you likely already know the enchanting spell they cast on those around you. If you wear one of Tom Ford's bewitching scents, you will get compliments and questions—it just comes with the territory.
There's no such thing as one "best" perfume. We're all unique human beings with entirely different tastes and preferences when it comes to scent. But we'd be remiss not to pay our respects to the most popular, fastest-selling perfumes from Ford. Below, we're sharing the 10 best Tom Ford perfumes to try in the order in which they appear on the brand's best-sellers page. Looking for your new fragrance infatuation? Keep scrolling—you've come to the right place.
#10: Tom Ford Eau de Soleil Blanc
Fragrance family: Fresh
Key notes: vert de bergamot, orange bitter, petitgrain bigarde, ylang-ylang, pistachio accord, coco de mer accord
This best-selling perfume is described by the designer as being "crisp, radiant, and addictive." It has hints of floral but is vibrant enough to feel fresh, juicy, citrusy, and far from the grandma stereotype of most floral fragrances.
Customer review: "It smelled great in the bottle, but it came to life when I put it on. People always ask what I'm wearing when I have this on. Such a beautiful scent."
#9: Tom Ford Tobacco Vanille
Fragrance family: Warm and spicy
Key notes: tobacco leaf, ginger, cocoa, tonka bean, vanilla, sweet wood sap
"Tobacco Vanille is opulent, warm, and iconic," Tom Ford says of this warm and sultry scent. "Reminiscent of an English Gentleman's Club and blended with rich spices, vanilla, and tobacco flower, it leaves a powerful impression." Amazing for both men and women, it's enveloping, memorable, and gets better and better the longer it melds into your body's unique chemistry.
Customer review: "This is the best vanilla smell you can get. I have gotten so many complaints about this perfume. Smells like a fancy hotel."
#8: Tom Ford Métallique
Fragrance family: Floral
Key notes: vanilla, sandalwood, pink peppercorn, heliotrope, balsam
Meet Métallique, one of Tom Ford's newest fragrances, which is quickly gaining ground as one of the brand's best-ever scents. Highly sought-after, Métallique is designed to smell like a "second skin" thanks to featherlight layers of creamy vanilla and sandalwood, which collide with white flowers and pink peppercorn for a hit of vim and vigor. (Fun fact: Supermodel Joan Smalls is the face of the fragrance.)
Customer review: "This is the most beautiful smelling perfume! It's soft and powdery with a light woodsy vanilla finish. Perfectly balanced."
#7: Tom Ford Tuscan Leather
Fragrance family: Warm and spicy
Key notes: saffron, thyme, olibanum, leather, black suede, amber wood thyme, jasmine
Tom Ford describes this warm, nocturnal scent as "deep and animalistic," and honestly, we couldn't agree more. The intoxicating juxtaposition between leather and black suede and sparkling notes of jasmine, saffron, and thyme lends this perfume a completely original scent people will comment on and ask you about. (You've been warned.)
Customer review: "This is truly a high-end smell, and I feel luxurious anytime I wear this. It's definitely worth the splurge."
#6: Tom Ford Lost Cherry
Fragrance family: Warm and spicy
Key notes: black cherry accord, bitter almond, Griotte Sirup Scenttrek, rose absolute orpur, Peru balsam, roasted tonka orpur, jasmine, sandalwood, vetiver, cedar
Lost Cherry just might be one of Tom Ford's most controversial best-selling perfumes. It was initially met with mixed reviews. Just being honest—you'll either love it or hate it. That said, it's an entirely unique perfume that's definitely spectacular in its own right and has definite steal-your-heart potential.
"Lost Cherry is a full-bodied journey into the once-forbidden; a tempting dichotomy of playful, candy-like gleam on the outside and luscious flesh on the inside," notes Tom Ford.
Customer review: "Sweet, strong cherry scent. The fragrance is fruity mixed with black cherry and bitter almond. One spray comes a long way and lasts all night long! Perfect for spring or summer."
#5: Tom Ford Rose Prick
Fragrance family: Floral
Key notes: Bulgarian rose, Indonesian patchouli, Tolu balsam
Think of this blooming floral perfume as the ultimate bouquet of roses featuring three different breeds of the stunning flower—Rose de Mai, Turkish, and Bulgarian. It's pure, decadent, and surprisingly edgy despite its rosy disposition.
Customer review: "Every time I wear it, I get so many compliments, and I've had multiple people say that their room smells like me for days after I leave. Best purchase on this earth."
#4 Tom Ford Ombré Leather
Fragrance family: Warm and spicy
Key notes: black leather, cardamom, patchouli
Ombré leather is not only one of Tom Ford's best-ever perfumes, but it's also one of the most complex and interesting. (If you're the type of person who doesn't want to smell like anyone else in the room, this will be a favorite.) I don't believe in categorizing fragrance as either for men or for women, but this is definitely on the stronger side of the perfume spectrum, housing a bold dichotomy of floral leather with the addition of complementary potent spices.
In Ford's words, "Ombré Leather is a deeply textural scent that imprints you with a tactile sensuality. It makes one feel different, beautiful, and desired."
Customer review: "This scent is absolutely delicious. It smells like expensive leather with a hint of jasmine."
#3: Tom Ford Black Orchid
Fragrance family: Floral
Key notes: black truffle, bergamot, black orchid, black plum, noir gourmand accord, patchouli
Many people would probably argue this iconic perfume is THE best Tom Ford scent of all time. Luxurious, timeless, and complex, it almost gets more mysterious and magical as it develops.
"Black Orchid is a rich blend of spice and darkness to revolve around you, to be closer, and closer to you. Unleash its perfect power—both rare and extraordinary," says Ford.
Customer review: "I never review products, but I have to tell everyone how wonderful this perfume is. It's a heavy, seductive scent, but it's never overbearing."
#2: Tom Ford Oud Wood
Fragrance family: Earthy and woody
Key notes: exotic rosewood, cardamom, oud wood, sandalwood, vetiver, tonka bean, and amber
Oud Wood is the ultimate perfume for anyone who doesn't like a scent that feels too precious or contrived. It features an expert strategy of foresty-scented woods that smell classic and comforting yet rare and enticing. According to Ford, Oud Wood envelops the wearer (or sniffer) in rare oud, exotic spices, and cardamom before unfolding into a rich blend of smells that are rich, dark, and sensual all at once.
Customer review: "After getting my dad this for Father's Day a year ago, he has loved it. Smells amazing, and the packaging is actually really cute. [I] love it, and [it has] a very classy and rich smell!"
#1 Tom Ford Fucking Fabulous
Fragrance family: Warm and spicy
Key notes: fresh lavender, bitter almond, vanilla, orris root, iris flower, leather
What other Tom Ford perfume could possibly come in at number one? An icon in and of itself, Fucking Fabulous is absolutely legendary within the perfume industry and a signature Tom Ford fragrance. Although the fragrance is warm and spicy, lavender and leather lend it an edgy woodiness.
"Fucking Fabulous is a decadent, oriental leather with an intoxicating grip," describes Ford. "It evokes the private exchanges where fantasies come true. It's undeniably the most straightforward name for such a beautiful scent."
Customer review: "The smell is sweet and sexy all at the same time. It has hints of citrus and woodsy."
4 More Tom Ford Beauty Products to Have on Your Radar
This foundation from Tom Ford is very expensive. But it houses cutting-edge ingredients and technology that essentially act like a blur tool for your face. It delivers medium to full coverage, and the finish is touted by the brand as a "soft-focus matte."
This iconic contour-and-highlight compact is known by editors, makeup artists, and celebrities as THE best tool for creating a believably sculpted complexion. (It's all about that dreamy, creamy consistency!)
This quad (which comes in more than 15 different color combos!) is the industry's best-kept secret for subtle yet smoldering eye looks.
If you're more into creamy and liquid eye shadows, this dark-horse pot has earned untouchable favoritism among beauty editors. It's my go-to when I have three minutes to get ready but still want to look put together.
This article was originally published at an earlier date and has been updated. Up Next: From Gucci to Dior, Designer Perfumes Are Making a Comeback—Here's Our Guide
Erin has been writing a mix of beauty and wellness content for Who What Wear for over four years. Prior to that, she spent two and half years writing for Byrdie. She now calls Santa Monica home but grew up in Minnetonka, Minnesota, and studied writing, rhetoric, and communication at University of Wisconsin, La Crosse. She studied abroad in Galway, Ireland, and spent a summer in L.A. interning with the Byrdie and Who What Wear family. After graduating from UW, she spent one year in San Francisco, where she worked as a writer for Pottery Barn Kids and PBteen before moving down to L.A. to begin her career as a beauty editor. She considers her day-to-day beauty aesthetic very low-maintenance and relies on staples like clear brow serum (from Kimiko!), Lawless's Lip Plumping Mask in Cherry Vanilla, and an eyelash curler. For special occasions or days when she's taking more meetings or has an event, she'll wear anything and everything from Charlotte Tilbury (the foundations are game-changing), some shimmer on her lids (Stila and Róen do it best), and a few coats of the best mascara-type product on earth, Surratt's Noir Lash Tint.
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