Holy Familiar Fragrances, Batman! It’s Tom Ford’s Sahara Noir Eau de Parfum

Another one it took me a while to figure out! I couldn’t place where I’d sniffed Tom Ford’s new Sahara Noir Eau de Parfum before, but then my Basset hound-ian sense of smell kicked in…

Catholic midnight mass on Christmas Eve. (The first time I wore it, El Hub said, “You smell like church.”)

Fo’ reals!

Frankincense (hello, of three gifts fame), a desert resin, dominates the scent, and during midnight mass, there’s a part of the service where they burn an incense with the exact. same. note.

I was curious about the fragrance from the start, but I wasn’t sure I liked it. It’s quite heavy and spicy (I also detect strong notes of clove). In fact, although it’s billed as a women’s fragrance, I think it could easily be worn by a dude.

But the more time I’ve spent with it, the deeper I’ve fallen in love. It’s kind of warm and comforting, and I can’t recall ever wearing anything quite like it before.

“Tom Ford presents his new fragrance inspired by the mystery and luxury of the Middle East. Evoking the untamed beauty of the land, Sahara Noir is Tom Ford’s ode to the enchanting power of one of that land’s most treasured ingredients: frankincense, a precious desert resin.”

— neimanmarcus.com

Best of all, it doesn’t give me a headache, which happens sometimes with other heavy, spicy scents.

If you swear by light, feminine, floral fragrances, this probably isn’t going to light your fire (but it’s worth a sniff to satisfy your curiosity). Of course, if you like a lot of deep, rich unisex scents with heavy resin and spice notes, check it out.

A 1.7-ounce bottle of Sahara Noir costs a whopping $150. It’s available now at Neiman Marcus stores and neimanmarcus.com.