The Morning After: Tom Ford's Cafe Rose

*Current Fragrance: Tobacco Vanille from Tom Ford Private Blends
*Currently Listen: Keep Your Shoes On by Scissor Sisters

Le Jardin Noir Collection

When trying to describe things that are abstract in nature I give it a sort of "it's like that, but when this happens to it." Tom Ford's Cafe Rose is going to get that type of treatment. I tend to wax a bit on the lyric side about the TF's; I give you my review of Tuscan Leather as an example.

I enjoyed the entire Le Jardin Noir Collection, I think they're all really nice and fit nicely in with all the other Private Blends. Two of the four really stuck out to me: Cafe Rose and Lys Fume. (More on Lys Fume later.)

For me to talk about Cafe Rose, I have to talk a bit about Andy Tauer's Une Rose Vermeille. I love, Love, LOVE URV! Une Rose Vermeille is an alluring rose jam. She's rose jam in some red soled Louboutins & red lipstick. Quite honestly, URV's a bit of a trollop. Don't get me wrong though, she OWNS her trollop-ness. It's not sad or riddled with Daddy issues; it's confident, in charge, and with a good deal of sexy swagger.

Cafe Rose is Une Rose Vermeille the morning after...well...you know! ;-) Her heels are kicked off somewhere in her apartment (because she goes to HER place), her red lipstick has come off and is smeared somehow in a few unexpected places, she's wrapped herself in either a silk vintage bathrobe or his button down that somehow got left behind - oh, there's some of that lipstick - , and she's sitting curled up on the couch enjoying a strong cup of coffee as she replays the events of the prior evening with a wry smile on her face.

Cafe Rose is a foody rose, but not in a jammy sort of way. To carry the story further, it's as if all the jam has been ummm.... worked out, shall we say... The saffron up front makes it slightly sweet and exotic when mixed with the rose. The coffee makes it (for me anyway) familiar, comforting, and accessible while the incense and patchouli on the bottom provide both a bit of mystery and deep freshness.

*Currently Listening: Box of Secrets by Zarif
**Photo Credits: my own