Vanille Fatale.
One of the best vanilla Tom Ford fragrances.
Tom Ford Vanille Fatale was released in 2017. It is based on vanilla, spice, wood, and amber. It lasts nine hours on the skin with moderate projection. In this review, I will describe its smell and performance and if it’s worth it.
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Table of Contents
What Does Tom Ford Vanille Fatale Smell Like?
Vanilla is present right away; it’s creamy and smooth but never loud. Tart plum adds to the opening but only gives sour fruits a fleeting vibrance. After 10-15 minutes, the scent starts to get more interesting.
You’ll smell a unique combination of barley, rum, vanilla, and spices. This part is so intoxicating that you can’t stop turning your head or moving your wrist to your nose to smell yourself. Light vanilla and spice with rum nuances are retained for the rest of the wear.
After a few hours, the scent gains a smoky and resinous nature with spices in the background. It is not fleeting but doesn’t last for the rest of the wear. The base is dark, boozy vanilla with rich wood. The darkness is delightful, making the scent mysterious.
Tom Ford Vanille Fatale notes:
TOP NOTES
- Rum
- Myrrh
- Olibanum
- Saffron
- Coriander
- Orange
- Lime
MID NOTES
- Barley
- Coffee
- Plum
- Frangipani
- Narcissus
- Artemisia
- Rose
BASE NOTES
- Vanilla
- Suede
- Tobacco
- Mahogany
- Patchouli
- Oakmoss
- Violet
Performance
Vanille Fatale lasts nine hours on the skin with moderate and consistent projection. This is a gentleman’s fragrance. It pushes out a couple of feet the first few hours, then recedes to a mild ambiance. It is lighter, but it’s always present and never overwhelming.
The sillage is as good. When I walk around, it leaves a decent scent trail behind me. The dense notes in the fragrance help as they can stick into the air and hang for a while. This performance is with three sprays. I don’t do a full five-spray routine as this gets too intense.
This is exclusively fall and winter wear. The sweetness gets increasingly intense with warmer weather. From personal experience, I applied three sprays, and it was an oddly warm spring day; I ended up having to scrub it off, as it was making me nauseous. In short, be careful.
As for occasions, it is for formal events and dates. The gourmand notes in the fragrance are great attention-grabbers, leaving a lasting impression. Similar to its versatility, the scent profile is too much for all other situations.
You may be able to guess, but this has above-average mass appeal and likability. Vanille Fatale is more about its seductive and alluring nature than attention-grabbing and complimentable, hence, why it’s great for special occasions.
Final Words
Unfortunately or fortunately, depending on how you look at it, there aren’t any great Vanille Fatale dupes.
So, is Tom Ford Vanille Fatale worth it? Maybe. From the review above, you can tell the performance and smell are there. But… it is a slightly feminine fragrance. It’s marketed as unisex and can be worn by men without a problem, but if you solely like ultra-masculine fragrances, this will be off-putting for you.
In short, Vanille Fatale is worth the money, but ensure you’re okay with the unisex nature.
Vanille Fatale is an excellent cologne and one of the better Tom Ford scents. Yet, don’t just limit yourself to Vanille Fatale. Check out the best Tom Ford colognes. All are quality and bold; you might just find your signature scent.