Black Orchid

This is the All Over Body Spray version of Black Orchid, and Tom Ford is explicit about what it is for: a lightly scented, refreshingly cool way to wear the same fragrance, layered over the Eau de Parfum or worn on its own. The key notes the brand publishes for the can are black truffle, ylang ylang, black orchid, black plum, rum absolute and patchouli, which is the Eau de Parfum's spine with the flourishes trimmed away. What survives the reformulation is the character rather than the density. The opening still has that odd savoury-sweet truffle note doing its dirty work under the fruit, black plum keeps it juicy, and ylang ylang carries the creamy floral weight into a heart where the orchid theme is more suggestion than statement. Rum absolute and patchouli hold the base, and this is where the mist reads closest to the original, though the earthy, boozy drydown that the Eau de Parfum sustains for hours here fades inside a couple. That is the trade. An aerosol at this concentration is designed for skin coverage, not for sillage, so it is best used straight out of the shower, under the Eau de Parfum, or as an afternoon reset. The 360 valve sprays at any angle, which is genuinely useful across the back and legs. Autumn and winter, and evening more than daytime, in keeping with the original.