Hello Ford Fans,

Tom Ford is an icon in his own right nowadays and still is doing amazing stuff in so many directions. When you look at some of the designers fragrance division it is so obviously a money grab whereas the Tom Ford fragrance line, produced with Estee Lauder, mostly sails so far above the rest that they feel like they deserve to be this expensive. Though to be fair if they were a third less the price I would probably own FBs of them all instead of just one. Are you reading Tom? So midway through 2013 the Tom Ford crew released a set of four new frags under the Atelier d’Orient subcategory

Rive d’Ambre (Atelier d’Orient) by Tom Ford 2013

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords in one line:
Citruses, amber, bergamot, bitter orange, tolu balsam, lemon, cognac, cardamom, tarragon, mint

Boy! There has been some terrible reviews for Rive d’Amber. If you adore Tom Ford’s fragrances for their enormousness then Rive d’Amber will leave you howling for more. To be as honest as I can I too am a little disappointed. The open is so lavish and citrus-y, it’s flirty, fun, fizzy and day-glo brightness is enough to chase the blues away, seriously. What a stunning opening. As the initial heat burns off there is a lovely green-ness that works beautifully with the citrus to bring some light and shade. So good, I enjoy it immensely.

Photo Stolen DeviantArt

Sydney is in 30+C heat today and Rive d’Amber fits the bill exactly for about 30 minutes when it becomes a very soft amber with just a hint of citrus memory floating through, so soft a skin scent that lets my skins fragrance shine through, like they are working in tandem. After two hours I’m basically left with a very soft wash of nothing, I think Mona di Orio did the same idea but much better carriede out in her Vanille. Rive d’Amber is not a bad fragrance but it’s also not the way I want my scent to live. I’m going to give the rest of my decant to one of Jin’s friends, I know she will love it for exactly what it is. For me, please pass the Neroli Portifino.

Photo Stolen Jennifer McCready… Flickr

Further reading: Kafkaesque and Notable Scents
Tom Ford is available in some Department Stores next to the Estee Lauder counter
Surrender To Chance starts at $4/.5ml

Thanks for dropping by,

See you tomorrow,
Portia xx

Beyonce Heat by Claude Dir and Olivier Gillotin 2010

Beyonce Heat features the following notes according to Fragrantica:
Top: Red vanilla orchid, magnolia, neroli and peach
Heart: Honeysuckle, almond and musky cream
Base: Sequoia wood, tonka and amber

Heat opens with a burst of sweet peach. The peach is strong and sweet. As the sweetness of the peach softens the floral notes and a soft creamy musk get stronger. Beyonce Heat becomes warm and earthy as it lingers on my skin. I prefer wearing Heat on hot days when the gorgeous base notes really open up. In cooler weather I don’t get much more than peach from the fragrance and it lacks the warm, sultry feel which is what this perfume is all about. During summer the peach is complemented with vanilla and amber and it smells rich, warm and sultry.

The original Heat in the red bottle was one of the first celebrity perfumes in my collection. The advertising for the original Beyonce Heat shows Beyonce looking very hot indeed.

FragranceNet has 100ml for $25.19

If you haven’t seen it before you must check out Cinderonce – the story of Cinderella told through Beyonce song but the Fairy Drag Mother really steals the show. Enjoy!

Katrina xx
The Making Of “Beyonce Heat” Commercial. VERY COOL!