Our take
What does White Patchouli smell like?
Tom Ford launched White Patchouli in 2008. The idea was to make patchouli luminous, almost powdery. Peony opens alongside bergamot and coriander. It feels fresh and a bit spicy, with a night-blooming jasmine that hints at what follows. The heart is rose absolute, round and serious, not what you expect from a scent with this name. Patchouli only really shows up in the base. It is clean and earthy, without the damp or musty side of raw patchouli. Incense, blond woods and ambrette seed lighten it and give it a powdery texture. The result reads as a modern floral chypre more than a patchouli scent. Black Orchid came from Tom Ford two years earlier and is loud and dark. White Patchouli seems sober and almost classical by comparison. It is also far less known, which is unfair.
When to wear it
An office or dinner scent, best in autumn and spring. Two sprays are enough since the patchouli base lasts all day.
It belongs to the Floral, Woody, Musky family. White Patchouli is one of 33 creations by Tom Ford in our encyclopedia.
