Baby, I’m Fucking Fabulous!
Tom Ford has always been known for his irreverence towards societal norms and overt sexuality. And in a stroke of marketing brilliance, Mr. Ford has decided to call his latest Private Blend fragrance exactly as it is – Fucking Fabulous.
There is not a single fragrance or beauty item that has elicited this much controversy since its launch. Tom Ford Fucking Fabulous is a statement piece to own and covet, just by its sheer audacity. Indeed, for the first few months since it was launched during the SS18 fashion show last September, it was available exclusively on TomFord.com and soldout right away. The wait list stretched on for months, which made it all the more desirable.
The matte black bottle sets it apart from all the other Private Blend fragrances, and it even comes in a unique matte black box. The name itself created untold furore and is testament to how mainstream advertising has become obsolete. Of course, there was no way to run campaign ads in print, and in some markets the brand has had to sell the bottles with the first name struck through with permanent marker. I was skeptical if it would ever make it through Singapore’s prudish regulations, and when the rest of Asia started selling it with a thick red line in place of the word “Fucking”, I lost all hopes. But in a surprising turn of events, Tom Ford managed to clear the regulatory hoops and Singapore is the only market in Asia selling the bottle in all its glory!
Tom Ford Fucking Fabulous is one of those fragrances that sets out to please, male and female alike. It opens slightly sweet, not in any flowery or fruity way of course, rather from almonds, and with a bitter edge thanks to orris. There is an aromatic quality, one which I am very partial to, tonka bean. Paired with clary sage, for a slightly dry herbaceous quality… divine! Leather emerges after about 15 minutes, a crisp and fresh leather that feels clean, devoid of any animalistic quality. I find this a much easier leather to wear, especially in Summer, than the traditional leathers. The entirety turns smokier as time passes, with a slightly sweet-creaminess quality to it.
I personally find Tom Ford Fucking Fabulous very wearable, and the initial whiff made me open my eyes wide and fall in love. On the other hand, now that I have accumulated quite a reasonable collection of Tom Ford Private Blends, I find Fucking Fabulous to be much more commercial than some of the others, which I suppose makes sense since it was launched to accompany Tom Ford’s fashion show. It almost reminds me of Neroli Portofino Forte [reviewed here], but no citrus is in sight here. The wear time and throw of Fucking Fabulous is slightly weaker than the other Private Blends I own, but it continues to linger close to my skin well into the night.
Tom Ford Fucking Fabulous is out in Tom Ford counters and boutiques in Singapore now. Do yourself a favour, and go sniff around that everyone is talking about!
This post featured a product that was generously provided for my consideration. Regardless, all opinions expressed here are my own honest, unbiased views.
