You would think by this time that I would have learned that when wearing a Tom Ford fragrance that less is more.  In other words, a little Tom Ford goes a long way.  So now that we established that I overspritzed, that set the tone for the rest of my experience with Sahara Noir.

WHAT I SMELL:  Hay. It smells hay like that has been sitting in a barn for some time.  The smoke from a nearby fire has been absorbed by the hay.  There’s incense and what may be a hint of bergamot, but mostly smoky hay.  Nothing really happens much after this except that the hay becomes a bit dryer and woody and maybe just a tad sweeter; but I think that’s just wishful thinking and my mind playing tricks on me.

From Fragrantica:

Sahara Noir is an oriental-woody scent based on incense. Bitter orange, Levantine cypress (known as one of the plants growing in the gardens of the 1001 Arabian Nights) and cistus essence Orpur® (Orpur® are high-quality natural ingredients of extraordinary purity, developed by Givaudan) open the composition. The heart blends frankincence essence Orpur®, cinnamon, cool papyrus extract, rose absolute from Morocco and Egyptian jasmin with honeyed and animalic shades of beeswax from Burma.The base centers around warm amber notes – made of labdanum absolute and ambreinol (an intense natural labdanum fraction), cedar, frankincense resin, benzoin, vanilla, oud and balsams.

OK, I am seriously missing something here because Sahara Noir is incredibly linear and I am missing what I wish I could smell, like the rose absolute, jasmine and other notes that could brighten this a bit.

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME:  Of course, I can only say…smoky hay.

THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE SAHARA NOIR: boring, dull, there (I know, there is not an adjective, but Sahara Noir is just “there”)

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT SAHARA NOIR: Adventures of Barberella, Scents of Self, Notable Scents

BOTTOM LINE:  When I first put on Sahara Noir I found it promising.  I thought that it would develop and morph into something interesting.  Unfortunately, it ended up sitting on me like a log.  By the end of the work day I was incredibly tired and worn out from wearing this fragrance so much so that I just couldn’t wait to get home and put something else on.  Uggggh.

• Bone Rating: 2.5 out of 5 possible bones
• Scent: Oriental Woody
• Classification: Unisex
• Expense:  $150 for 50ml EdP