Perfume Review: Tom Ford Black Orchid Voile De Fleur

Tom Ford Black Orchid Voile de Fleur is the Eau de Toilette version of the original signature fragrance Black Orchid which was initially launched in the Eau de Parfum concentration. The difference between the two is not just the formulation; as it turns out, Voile de Fleur has very little in common with the original Black Orchid.

Voile de Fleur has been out on the market for quite some time now, but I'm going to go ahead and review it anyway, especially because I still get asked many question about it, like how is it different from the original and why does the bottle look different?

Voile de Fleur was marketed as a lighter take on the original Black Orchid and, of the two, it is the one easier to wear, probably for many people. What exactly is Voile de Fleur? Well, it's pretty much what the name says. A veil of flowers. A sparkling infusion of white florals, but there's nothing aldehydic or artificial about this. It does have a bit of a dark edge to it, as this is not for the shy people (but then again Tom Ford fragrances are not really for the shy) and it has very good lasting power (one of Ford’s strongest points when it comes to fragrance). It smells classy and well-balanced. If I were to describe it in just one sentence, I would say it's a white floral with a distinct tropical vibe, a hint of citrus in the opening and a woody base plus a barely-there vanilla note.

Yes, it is a strong perfume, as most Tom Fords are, but it's not as heady as others; I have seen smelled much louder beasts than this one, in terms of floral perfumes. The black truffle note that is very prominent in the opening notes of the original Black Orchid is no longer present here, so if you had problems with that note, fear no more. The chocolate-y/coconut-y note is also absent, as Voile de Fleur is not as dense, lush and syrupy as the original Black Orchid.

Here's a complete list of notes (don't let the "abundance" of notes scare you, it is actually not as heavy as it may sound and it's a really well-blended perfume): Light Florals, Truffe, Ylang, Bergamot, Blackcurrant Honeysuckle, Gardenia, Lily, Black Orchid, Plum, Pepper, Lotus Wood Fruity Notes, Milk, Cinnamon, Vanilla, Patchouli, Balsam, Sandalwood. When it comes to the world of floral scents, this is one of the best out there and it's probably the most floral scent I own. It's really pretty, even though not as unique as the original.

It makes perfect sense to me that it took Tom Ford to get me to wear such a floral fragrance. The people who know me really well were surprised that I can actually wear an infusion of florals. It’s usually not my type of thing. I mean, don't get me wrong, I don't hate floral scents, I just don’t like overly floral, at least on my skin. They don’t work very well with my chemistry but smell amazing on other people, so it’s just a matter of personal preference. I think the reason why I am able to wear Voile de Fleur is because it still maintains some of that oriental woody base from the original Black Orchid, even if barely noticeable. It keeps it from going overboard with the floral notes. I didn't feel this was one of those "I am being smothered by white florals" type of scent. It also settles quite beautifully on my skin, especially as it dries down. You may feel it's too strong upon first spritz, but give it some time.

The Voile de Fleur fragrance comes in the same Black Orchid signature bottle, except that it is packaged in a white box (as opposed to the golden box of the original) and it doesn't have the gold plate on the front of the bottle (like the original one has), the VdF bottle is entirely black.

Bad news: Voile de Fleur is being discontinued, so if you want it, make sure you grab a bottle now, as it won't be available in the stores anymore. Good news: you can still find it at online discounters in 50 and 100 ml Eau de Toilette.