Looking for the best Tom Ford cologne for men? Then you’re in luck — because we’ve considered all of the designer’s fragrances, and brought you this list of the best choices for every man’s budget and style.
Fashion designer and film director Tom Ford decided to add another career to his resume in 2006: Fragrance designer. Black Orchid was released that year to immediate fanfare, paving the way for dozens of other perfumes and colognes to make lasting impressions on anyone lucky enough to wear them.
Through hours of research and scrutiny, we’ve narrowed down all of Tom Ford’s colognes into this list: A guide to the finest fragrances on offer, complete with aromatic notes and suggestions for when and where to wear each scent.
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5 Best Tom Ford Cologne For Men In 2022
Deciding on just five colognes that best represent the Tom Ford brand was quite the task — but we’re convinced that the five fragrances that follow represent the finest expressions of the perfumer’s craft.
Tom Ford Noir Extreme (Our Top Pick)
The name of Tom Ford’s Noir Extreme gives direct evidence to what you can expect from it: A dark and unabashedly masculine fragrance. Classified as an oriental woody style cologne, it’s a more intense take on the original Noir from 2012.
Even from the first application, Noir Extreme will help you stand out from the crowd with top notes of cardamom, saffron, and mandarin orange. Transitioning slowly but surely into a bouquet of floral scents paired with piney and resinous mastic, this entire cologne is given massive staying power thanks to a well-rounded base of vanilla , amber, and sandalwood.
Long lasting and intense, Noir Extreme is perfect for the man who wants to make a strong first impression. This makes it a wonderful cologne for date nights and parties, and our favorite example of Tom Ford’s perfuming style.
Notes:
- Top notes of cardamom, nutmeg, saffron, mandarin orange, and neroli
- Middle notes of kulfi, rose, jasmine, mastic, and orange blossom
- Base notes of vanilla, amber, wood resin, and sandalwood
Best For:
- Men who want to stand out in a crowd
- Wearing on a first date
- Making a strong impression
Tom Ford Noir For Men
The original in a long line of successful colognes that emphasize dark and sumptuous aromas, Noir for men is our choice for the best Tom Ford cologne for winter. Debuted in 2012, it is the first aromatic spicy style cologne in Tom Ford’s catalog, and has inspired numerous spinoffs.
Violet and caraway form an oddly enticing couple for Noir’s top notes, accented with small touches of bergamot and lemon verbena for greater roundedness. Taking its time to get to the heart notes, Noir is filled with floral aromas cut by spice — with iris, rose, and black pepper taking center stage. Not to be outdone, a wildly complex base of animal, confectionary, resinous, and woody aromatics gives memorable intensity to this cologne.
Long-lasting but with only a moderate dispersion into the room, Noir for Men is a complex beast of a cologne that can take a long time to fully explore. We think it shows its complexity best in the wintertime, where the full range of base notes can be given plenty of room to play with the season.
Notes:
- Top notes of violet, pink peppercorn, caraway, bergamot, and verbena
- Middle notes of iris, rose, black pepper, nutmeg, geranium, and clary sage
- Base notes of patchouli, amber, vanilla, civet, leather, opoponax, benzoin, vetiver, and styrax
Best For:
- Fall and winter wear
- Men who enjoy a complex cologne
Tom Ford Grey Vetiver
Modeled after a classic vetiver-forward style of cologne, Tom Ford Grey Vetiver is a lovely combination of dry grassy tones with sun, salt, and wood. It’s easily the best Tom Ford cologne for summer, and a fine example of the woody spicy style most popular in the early 1900s.
Grapefruit and orange blossom are joined by sage in Grey Vetiver’s rich top notes, which move smoothly into heart notes of spicy nutmeg and pimento complimented by heady orris root. Unsurprisingly, the base is filled with huge amounts of vetiver and only mildly accented by oakmoss and amber.
Displaying excellent duration and a moderate intensity, Grey Vetiver is a surprisingly versatile cologne that shows its best side during warm months and sunny days. Consider wearing it to the office through the spring and summer, or splashing some on after a trip to the gym any time of year.
Notes:
- Top notes of grapefruit, orange blossom, and sage
- Middle notes of nutmeg, orris root, and pimento
- Base notes of vetiver, wood resin, oakmoss, and amber
Best For:
- Spring and summer wear
- Daytime wear
Tom Ford Tobacco Vanille
One of our favorite unisex fragrances, Tom Ford Tobacco Vanille takes a unique approach to creating a scent that appeals to men and women alike. An oriental spicy style fragrance, it’s uncommonly rich and enticing for a unisex product.
Tobacco leaf and baking spices make a powerful introduction in Tobacco Vanille’s top notes, before moving into an even richer heart of vanilla, cacao, and tonka bean. Supported by a rather light base of dried fruits and wood resins, it’s a heart-heavy composition that develops beautifully over its long wear time.
Incredibly long lasting and possessed of a powerful intensity, Tobacco Vanille is a much more aggressive and pungent fragrance than is usually expected from unisex offerings. It’s suitable for year round wear, and ideal for a man who wants a sweeter scent.
Notes:
- Top notes of tobacco leaf and baking spices
- Middle notes of vanilla, cacao, tonka bean, and tobacco blossom
- Base notes of dried fruits and wood resin
Best For:
- Year round wear
- Men who want a sweeter scent
Tom Ford Ombre Leather
A unisex fragrance based on leather? Absolutely. Going against tradition, Tom Ford created Ombre Leather in 2016 as a scent that truly defies expectations. Loved by adventurous men and women alike, it brings up strong sensations of going against the grain and living life to the fullest.
Violet leaf is paired with green cardamom pods in Ombre Leather’s top notes, giving a comparatively mild introduction into a strong heart of leather and jasmine. Delving further into the base, you’ll find more oily and animalic leather alongside oakmoss and patchouli, giving a strong and lasting impression of time spent in the great outdoors.
Extremely long lasting and with a pronounced intensity, Ombre Leather is certainly not a fragrance for the faint of heart. If you love the smell of freshly oiled leather and its call to adventure, give this cologne a try.
Notes:
- Top notes of violet leaf and green cardamom
- Middle notes of leather and jasmine
- Base notes of leather, oakmoss, and patchouli
Best For:
- Year round wear
- Sharing with your significant other
Are Tom Ford Colognes Worth It?
Given their often complex and rich compositions, we’re inclined to think that Tom Ford colognes are quite a bargain in today’s fragrance world. Perhaps because he does not have wide ranging name recognition yet, many of Tom Ford’s colognes go under the radar; but a closer examination of the noses behind these compositions reveals their true value.
Tom Ford Fragrances have been made in collaboration with dozens of famous perfumers, including Givaudan (known for their Dolce and Gabbana colognes), Olivier Gillotin (of Dior cologne fame), and Calice Becker (responsible for many Hugo Boss colognes). With so many talented perfumers at their disposal, it seems that Tom Ford colognes are destined for success.
Which Tom Ford Cologne Is The Best?
A powerful and fascinating enhancement of the original Noir, Tom Ford’s Noir Extreme is our choice for the best all-round example of what a Tom Ford cologne can do. It’s a complex and long-lasting cologne that’s destined for first dates, special occasions, and any time where you want to make a lasting first impression.
Like its offspring, Tom Ford Noir is an excellent example of a complex and long-lasting cologne. With its deeper and sweeter tones, however, we think it’s destined to be a near perfect wintertime cologne. Contrast this with the lighter and brighter tones of Grey Vetiver, and you’ll have nearly completed a year-round selection of amazing colognes.
Are Tom Ford Fragrances Unisex?
While not all Tom Ford fragrances are unisex, the perfumer has a product line dedicated to exploring novel expressions of unisex scents. Called Tom Ford’s “Private Blends”, each of these limited edition fragrances takes a different tack to fragrance creation that breaks many of the traditional rules for unisex scents.
We’re particularly fond of the Tobacco Vanille and Ombre Leather offerings, featured above. Both are long lasting and intense, without a particular leaning towards more masculine or more feminine influences. This makes for a fascinating bottling that defies expectations and invigorates the senses each time you wear one.
Brian Adee
Brian has been fascinated with fragrances since his 8th birthday, when his Dad gifted him a bottle of Acqua di Gio. Since then, he has become a men's grooming & style aficionado who teaches men how to look sharp. Backed by personal experience, Brian's articles are known for his no-holds-barred style where he holds nothing back. You will get his real opinions on the latest men's grooming products and best practices where he reveals the best (and worst) style advice every man should know.
