Tom Ford Private Blend Jardin Noir Collection

Everything Tom Ford touches turns to gold. He had an idea to take an iconic family of floral fragrances - the heart and soul of perfumery - and bring out their dark, hidden sides. The New York Times quoted Ford as saying, “When you showcase their darker and less innocent aspects, flowers can become so thrilling and beautiful, they could almost ruin you. That was the sensation I was after.”

His efforts resulted in the new Tom Ford Private Blend Jardin Noir Collection, with four fragrances ($195-$475). He ruined me - I had to have most of them. Three are gorgeous. The Jardin Noir Collection has arrived at the stores that carry Tom Ford, and they are attracting their fair share of attention from perfume aficionados everywhere.

Here's the lineup...

Jonquille de Nuit, a white floral-narcissus blend. A "high-definition portrait of female self-obsession." Huh? That's an odd description coming from a designer who is as self-obsessed as any I've seen. Jonquille de Nuit is a gorgeous fragrance, characterized by its key notes of narcissus, violet absolute, mimosa, and orris. I purchased it. I love it. I can smell real jonquilles on first spray. It's spring - it's not dark.

Café Rose is the dark one. It's a woody rose. "an unexpected twist on classic elegance." The key notes are rose oil, coffee essence, incense resin, and patchouli oil fraction. One of the Tom Ford counter reps told me it also has oud (agarwood) in it. From the moment I smelled it, I disliked it. I am dead-sure it did not share the same perfumer with the other three (now, really, you don't think Tom Ford designs these fragrances himself, do you?). To my sensitive nose, the patchouli, a note I can't tolerate if I can smell it, takes over and strangles the rose in Café Rose. If you like patchouli and that woody base in your fragrances, you may like it. I found it the odd one out in this series.

Lys Fume is my favorite among beauties. It is a white floral with just a hint of spice. "A narcotic twist on the innocent lily flower." It had been code named Me!Me!Me!, and I was sure the code name sent me a signal that it was indeed all about me (sorry, Tom). The key notes are pink peppercorn (for the pleasant and subtle spice), lily, ylang ylang (for zip), and vanilla absolute. Ravishing! It's like cuddling with a bouquet of Stargazers.

Ombre de Hyacinth is a green floral with a reminder of spring's delicate, fragrant hyacinths. "A fragrant portrait of distant and bewitching beauty." The key notes are hyacinth, violet leaf, jasmin absolute, and Persian galbanum resinoid. This is a very green, effervescent fragrance. I love it, but you must love greens to get comfy with it. Some find them "bracing." I find them fresh.

The dark bottles are beautiful and will adorn your dresser or vanity with typical Tom Ford cachet. Despite his racy ads (some of which border on distasteful in my opinion), he has launched a collection to appeal to those of us who love the traditional, floral side of life. It's not dark. To me, it's about light and love.

Although Tom Ford's publicity said these four new fragrances would be available in October, you can find them now at Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman. Have you seen then? Tried them? Bought one?

Photos courtesy of Tom Ford, funguerilla.com, aquarelle-bota-clairefelloni.com, flashcoo.com, and whiteflowerfarm.com