TOM FORD’s Jasmin Rouge: Jasmine, Leather & Spices (Review)

For as long as I can remember, I have avoided most fragrances with heavy floral notes.  It isn’t that I don’t like flowers – I do… especially orchids.  I love orchids with a passion!  But for some reason many of the floral notes used in perfumes end up giving me a headache.  There have been exceptions to that rule, of course, but any floral scent I do enjoy usually has a spicy/woody side as well.

When I first heard about Jasmin Rouge and Santal Blush – the new Private Blend Fragrances by TOM FORD – I could have cared less about Jasmin Rouge.  The bottle looked gorgeous in the advertisements, but, on paper, it didn’t seem appealing to me.   The smell of jasmine has never been one of my favorite things, and a fragrance that is built around that note didn’t hold any interest for me.  Santal Blush, in all its sandalwood glory, was the one I was looking forward to trying.  Thanks to the generosity of TOM FORD Beauty, I was able to experiment with both!

After some deliberation, I decided to wait on Santal Blush and try Jasmin Rouge first.

The official description states that “TOM FORD JASMIN ROUGE is a voluptuous, saturated, spiced floral presented in a deep-red bottle. Two bespoke ingredients, Sambac Jasmine Sepals Absolute and Clary Sage Essence, are brought into unexpected union: Together, they create a scent that is hedonistic and erotic. This composition is enhanced with unusual, exotic spices such as Indian ginger, cardamom and cinnamon, and lively florals such as Ylang Ylang, Italian Broom Flower and Neroli. Finally, an accord of Labdanum Resin, Amber and Abstract Woods is wrapped in Vanilla Bean Infusion and Leather to create a sensuous texture. Jasmin Rouge is as audacious as lacquered red lips and dark, smoky eyes.” 

Being the non-expert that I am, my description is this:  Jasmin Rouge is a very complex, rich, sensual scent.  The top notes are heavy on the jasmine, as expected, but yet less floral than I anticipated.  It’s actually quite lovely. I think someone that is a big fan of jasmine would love it.  The drydown is spicy, sexy and powerful.  The best way I can describe it is jasmine wrapped in creamy leather.

Plus, it lasts for. ever.

The bottle itself is a gorgeous red color that I couldn’t quite capture in the photos.  There really is no purple tint to it as appears in the advertising image; it truly is a gorgeous scarlet color.

Many thanks to TOM FORD Beauty for sending this my way.  Even though it isn’t my fragrance soulmate, like Violet Blonde, its definitely earned a spot in my perfume rotation.  It’s a great scent for the days that you want to be extra feminine, but still show a little edge! 

What do you think of jasmine?  Are you going to try this one out?

 

Jasmin Rouge is available at your closest TOM FORD Beauty counter and online at Bergdorf Goodman, Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, Nordstrom and other fine retailers.

 

Image credits: all taken by me except for Jasmin Rouge Ad via tomford.com
TOM FORD Jasmin Rouge: courtesy of TOM FORD Beauty

3 comments… add one

  • GRIT & GLAMOUR Oct 10, 2011

    B, I appreciate your honest review of this scent, especially since like you, I’m not into florals, and definitely not a big fan of jasmine. But I love several Tom Ford fragrances so I believe you when you say that even jasmine is appealing in this mix.

    Can’t wait to read about Santal Blush!
    GRIT & GLAMOUR recently posted…WVW: Paisley for Pumpkins*My Profile

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      Oct 24, 2011

      Thanks, V. I try to be as honest as possible! I think one common factor amongst all 3 scents is that the initial notes are VERY strong in each, but as soon as they settle I started to fall in love. It was most noticeable in Santal Blush, but it’s definitely true of all the new scents!

  • Abby Nov 5, 2011

    Oh I am DEFinitely going to try this out! Thank you!!!
    Abby recently posted…Day Date AdventureMy Profile

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