I Tried Every Single Tom Ford Perfume—These Were the 12 Best
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Tom Ford is hands down one of my all-time favorite perfume brands. The scents are captivating, the bottles are ultra chic, the fragrance names are just too good (Fucking Fabulous, anyone?), and the feeling you get after spritizing one on is peak bougie. But I also completely understand that the best perfumes from my favorite brand are v expensive, and making it to a Sephora or Nordstrom to give them all a sniff before buying isn't easy for everyone. Hence why I did the very hard work of testing every single Tom Ford perfume on my skin, asking coworkers and friends for their thoughts, and then compiling a full list of my favorites. Here's a preview of my top picks:
Let's get into all of my favorite Tom Ford perfumes, from boozy nighttime scents to sweet cherry options and a whole lotta sexy, spicy leather notes. Plus, if you still aren't sure if a particular Tom Ford perfume is for you, I'm sharing my secrets on how to choose the right perfume for your collection.
Tobacco Vanille Eau de Parfum
For me, Tom Ford's Tobacco Vanille will forever and always be the best scent from the house. It consistently tops "best of" lists because it's so warm and cozy without being cloying or plastic-y at all. The spicy tobacco notes are very front and center, which gives this a smokey essence that evokes the vibes of sitting in a cigar-filled jazz club in the '80s. But the vanilla notes creep up as it dries on my skin that mute the scent a bit, making it a lot softer and sweeter.
Key notes: Tobacco leaf, vanilla, spicy notes, cacao, tonka bean
Size: 0.33, 1, 1.7, 3.4 oz
Glowing customer review: "Wow wow wow, I did not expect to love this scent so much. It carries elevated notes that feel mature with a youthful air to it. I’m obsessed and keep catching myself smile ever time I turn my head and it hits my nose."
Vanilla Sex Eau de Parfum
Tom Ford's newest perfume is a total winner for anyone who loves a creamy, smooth perfume. The day I wore this, five people came up to me as I walked into an event to immediately tell me I smelled amazing (even before a "how are you?"—rude!). Everyone loved how warm and sweet I smelled, which tracks considering this perfume is filled with three different types of vanilla (vanilla, vanilla absolute, and Ultravanil, a molecule only found in Vanilla Sex that intensifies the other vanilla notes in the perfume).
FWIW, I find this to be extremely similar to Ellis Brooklyn Vanilla Milk, which is one of my all-time favorite vanilla perfumes. It's just a bit more synthetic-smelling, less lactonic. But what I love about both of them is how great they are to layer with other perfumes to give them a more potent vanilla scent. My current fave combo is Vanilla Sex and Replica Coffee Break—I smell legit delectable.
Key notes: Vanilla, bitter almond, sandalwood, tonka bean, floral notes
Size: 1, 1.7 oz
Glowing customer review: "This perfume is luxurious! From the packaging down to the scent. The scent is warm yet hot. I love vanilla notes in perfumes, and this is the perfect balance of sweet and spice. I will be adding this to my date night fragrance rotation!"
Myrrhe Mystere Eau de Parfum
When I walked into the office wearing this perfume as I began this test, Cosmo's deputy editor Madeleine Frank Reeves told me how good I smelled and asked what I was wearing, immediately pushing Myrrhe Mystere to the top of my list. This spicy perfume is super enveloping, making me feel all warm and cozy the second I spritz it on. Myrrhe is front and center, but as it dries, I smell all the layers of warm vanilla and musk, sandalwood, and leather. Currently, every single one of my winter coats smells like this because I can't stop spraying it before I walk out the door.
Key notes: Myrrhe, sandalwood, vanilla, leather, musk
Size: 1, 1.7 oz
Glowing customer review: "I LOVE THIS SCENT. I was skeptical if I would like this fragrance mainly because I have such a particular palette, however, this one blew me away! It’s the perfect unisex scent and even my boyfriend loves it!"
Soleil Blanc Eau de Parfum
If I'm on a beach, I'm likely doused in Soleil Blanc. This is the quintessential summertime perfume, and it lasts legit all day once I spritz it on my skin (even a day full of dipping in the pool and sipping spicy margs). Immediately my nose picks up on the creamy coconut and citrus-y bergamot notes, but as it sits on my skin, I get the warm pistachio and amber and bright jasmine notes too. It's definitely very strong, but with freshness, not in a sickly sweet or cloying way.
FYI: I always bring the Mini Shimmering Body Oil in this scent with me on vacations. It lasts forever, gives my skin a glow, and works just as well as a perfume, IMO.
Key notes: Coconut, pink pepper, pistachio, amber, bergamot, jasmine
Size: 0.33, 1, 1.7, 3.4 oz
Glowing customer review: "THIS. IS. EVERYTHING. It really is the beach bottled! The fragrance is so very beautifully sunny and sultry! I truly cannot say enough incredible things about this!"
Soleil Neige Eau de Parfum
If I happened upon a chic Kendall Jenner-esque Aspen vacay, I'd immediately pack Soleil Neige in my suitcase. This wintery perfume is meant to evoke the crisp, coziness of a snow day, thanks to bubbly jasmine and sweet vanilla. But it's filled with white florals that add a fresh, chilliness to the scent that makes it feel even more wintery.
Key notes: Bergamot, carrot seed, white flowers, jasmine, orange blossom, vanilla
Size: 0.33, 1, 1.7, 3.4 oz
Glowing customer review: "This is one of my favorites from TF. There is something so soft and enveloping about Soleil Neige, that I often spray it on at bedtime or even when I want to wrap myself in a veil of luxurious beauty for my personal enjoyment. I'm sure it has its detractors, especially among younger people who associate white florals with older people, but luckily I'm old enough to recognize beauty when I smell it!"
Rose Prick Eau de Parfum
I will be the first to admit that I didn't expect to love this, as I generally hate rose perfumes (more on that below with Cafe Rose). But Rose Prick is the freshest, lightest rose scent I've ever found—period. It's very subtle, and I barely get any powderiness. Instead, I pick up on the spicy sichuan pepper and turmeric, plus the herbal
patchouli note. It veers more medicinal—like a rosewater skin mist—instead of my grandma's rose perfume (sry, grandma).
Key notes: Rose, sichuan pepper, turmeric, patchouli, tonka bean
Size: 0.33, 1, 1.7, 3.4 oz
Glowing customer review: "Every time I wear it, I get so many compliments, and I’ve had multiple people say that their room smells like me for days after I leave. Best purchases on this earth."
Lost Cherry Eau de Parfum
One of the biggest perfume trends of 2024 will be cherry perfumes, and we basically have Lost Cherry to thank for that. Released in 2018, this perfume immediately blew up, and has since become Tom Ford's most viral scent (just watch the thousands of TikToks about it). It's somehow light, thanks to the cherry notes, but also so decadent, thanks to the addition of vanilla, cinnamon, and plum. It gives the fragrance a nostalgic cherry/almond scent that reminds me of my mom's body lotions in the '90s, TBH.
However, I will say this perfume is known for not having the best lasting power, which is why I always spritz it on my clothes (in addition to my skin) for some extra longevity. I also will layer it with Tom Ford Electric Cherry, which seems to give it the oomph to last six hours or so.
Key notes: Black cherry, bitter almond, vanilla, cinnamon, plum, sandalwood
Size: 0.33, 1, 1.7, 3.4 oz
Glowing customer review: "I love it! We all know that Tom Ford is expensive, but I do not regret buying it. It's not too sweet, and the cherry note is beautiful. On my skin, the scent lasts for at least eight hours. I've tried a lot of cherry perfumes, and this one is the best."
Bitter Peach Eau De Parfum
Don't get it twisted: There is nothing "bitter" about this fruity, sweet perfume. It's a very fresh yet boozy take on a fruity perfume, thanks to a whole lotta peach and blood orange mixed with rum, cognac, vanilla, and sandalwood. It's prob the most unique of all of the Tom Ford perfumes I've tested. It feels like a more adult version of a peach body spray you'd have spritzed on your yoga pants and zip-up hoodie to go to the movies to see the new Hunger Games—just with a little more alcohol and woodsiness than straight-up fruit.
Key notes: Peach, blood orange, rum, vanilla, sandalwood
Size: 0.33, 1, 1.7, 3.4 oz
Glowing customer review: "I have found my favorite signature scent!! This perfume smells like a mature, spiced peach. It is not a sweet candy peach. This is definitely great for a night out, and it brings out a luxe statement. Only two sprays needed, and this lasts."
Fucking Fabulous Eau de Parfum
If "mob wife aesthetic" were a perfume, this would 100 percent be it. Sure, it's pricey, but this expensive perfume smells exactly like how it costs: like a very fancy rich person. It's for fans of Chanel No. 5 and Byredo 1996, who love patchouli-heavy scents. I love the intense leather notes in the mid and base, especially paired with the fresh lavender and warm tonka bean. It's like a brand-new leather bag filled with your chicest red lipstick.
Plus, this perfume is one of the longest-lasting I've tried. I sprayed it on a long-sleeve workout top before running out the door. Then the next day, obvi,I picked up that top from the floor forgetting it was dirty (classic) and could still smell the perfume on it. Laundry hack!
Key notes: Lavender, leather, clary sage, tonka bean, amber, patchouli
Size: 0.33, 1, 1.7, 3.4 oz
Glowing customer review: "This scent is not overpowering but it is distinctive in all the right ways. I love it for special moments and when I need an aroma induced lift. It hits all the right notes: floral, woodsy, hot, and spiritual. Chanel #5 may now be my second favourite scent."
Neroli Portofino Eau de Parfum
There is no better summer perfume than Neroli Portofino. This is exactly how I want to smell on a hot day: Bright, fresh, and fruity. It's loaded with citrus notes that make this smell so juicy, while neroli and jasmine give the scent a bit more brightness. If you love neroli scents (like Byredo Sundazed or Armani My Way), you will absolutely love this, because the neroli is super potent and discernable.
Key notes: Bergamot, neroli, amber, mandarin orange, lemon, lavender, jasmine
Size: 1, 1.7 oz
Glowing customer review: "Wow, can't express how great it this scent is, it's warm without being cloying. Woodsy notes tempered with a softness. This scent invites you to get closer to the wearer."
Ombré Leather Parfum
Wanna smell like a well-loved '70s leather couch? Try Ombré Leather. This scent is exactly what it says: A strong leather fragrance, with hints in the dry down of jasmine, cedar, and tobacco. It's very full-bodied and heavy, which I love spritzing on a bulky leather jacket or a vintage sweater. And it's got major staying power too—I still notice it days later on my clothes. Personally, it's a bit too intense for daily wear, but on occasion, it gives me major Once Upon A Time in Hollywood feels.
Key notes: Leather, violet leaf, cedar, jasmine sambac, tobacco
Size: 0.33, 1.7, 3.4 oz
Glowing customer review: "Holy moly! I am obsessed with this scent. I love leather, whiskey, woodsy, and vanilla scents, and when I saw this is the store, I had to sample it. I sprayed it on my arm and went on my way. literally, all day long, I couldn't stop smelling my arm. I had to purchase this because I could not live without it."
Cafe Rose Eau de Parfum
Every time my friend wears this perfume around me, I cannot stop smelling him. It's so warm and spicy, thanks to the coffee notes, but has a touch of powdery rose that makes it smell a lot more sophisticated. In the initial spray, it's very powdery, but features the soft coffee and coriander notes as it dries, which is prob why I love it on other people so much. Because on my skin, I find this to be a bit too strong (I generally find most rose perfumes and powdery perfumes to be really heavy and unnatural on me), but I look forward to having everyone around me smell like it instead.
Key notes: Rose, coffee, patchouli, coriander, frankincense
Size: 0.33, 1, 1.7, 3.4 oz
Glowing customer review: "When I first sprayed this, I immediately thought I made a mistake. But after it dried down, I was happy with the scent. The first spray gives obnoxious rich old lady, but the dry down is more like the sassy well-off aunt with no children that basically came to the function to be seen, lol."
How to choose the best Tom Ford perfume for you:
Consider your go-to scent family.
Before investing in an expensive Tom Ford perfume, make sure it's a scent that you'll enjoy. If you typically love the warm, fuzzy feelings you get smelling vanilla, try Vanilla Sex or Tobacco Vanille. However, if you're more of a powdery, floral kinda person, you'll prob prefer Rose Prick or Café Rose. Go through the notes above and make sure the scent features a note you usually go for, and then check out the notes in your other favorite perfumes. See which are the most similar, which can help you avoid repeats but also get a type of scent you know you'll like.
Opt for a smaller size.
Luckily, Tom Ford offers a variety of sizes for all of the brand's perfumes, giving you the option to save a little money by choosing a small 1.0 oz bottle or a 0.33 oz travel size. If you aren't totally sure you'll get a ton of use out of a perfume, go for a smaller size to save a lil bit of money. This will give you the chance to try a new scent without totally committing to a huge bottle.
However, if you already know you're obsessed with a perfume, then by all means, save yourself some money by splurging on the big bottle. In the long run, you'll actually save quite a bit of money when you won't have to reup the bottle as quickly.
Why trust ‘Cosmopolitan’?
Beth Gillette is the beauty editor at Cosmopolitan with five years of experience researching, writing, and editing perfume stories that range from Le Labo perfumes to cheap perfumes. She’s an authority in all fragrance categories, but considers herself an expert on all things Tom Ford perfumes. To write this story, she tested dozens of Tom Ford scents on her own skin and then compiled her favorites based on wearability, longevity, and how many compliments they incurred.
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