Description
The water slips over him as if sliding down a marble rock, sinking into the grooves of his muscles, vanishing into his pores. This is fresh, pure water, with top notes of aldehydes and lemon, a water that washes away the sins of the night and leaves the skin luminous. Tom of Finland feels clean, like a shaving from a cake of soap. It is an ode to the beauty of the male body and to the radiance of the natural self. For this man, clothing becomes a jewel-case that serves to reveal the true erotic power of the flesh. Tom of Finland is a breath of fresh air, offering unrestricted access to the immense outdoors, the depths of the forest, with notes of birch leaves, cypress, galbanum and pine at its heart. Straight, gay… these words are irrelevant here. Tom of Finland is beyond sexuality – he is sex, in all its fullness and magnitude, open and erect. Fantasy clings to him like his leather jacket, with suede, musk, and gray amber in the base notes. His belt is fastened with an accord of pepper and spicy-fresh saffron, tangled with a blond suede sensuality on a vanilla bed of tonka bean and iris. This is a man who wants to play, to love, to die and be reborn, again and again. Tom of Finland is a tribute to tomorrow’s glorious possibilities.
Composition:
Top notes : aldehyde, lemon
Middle notes : birch leaves, pine, safraleine, pepper, cypress, galbanum, geranium
Base notes : vanilla, tonka bean, iris, vetyver, pyrogened styrax, suede, musk, gray amber
Nose for this fragrance is Antoine Lie. Edition 2007.
vasekd1 – :
Amazing concept!!
NastyKluv – :
What a odd and somehow pleasant combination.
I get a quality plastic smell, a tidal wave of ambroxan(artificial ambergris) and single clean almost aquatic note.
Overall this becomes a surprisingly likable and even sexy and musky second skin kind of scent.
In this kind of genre I have and will love my friode by serge lutens that has more of a whimsical and uplifting feel.
I just don’t love ambroxan heavy fragrances for some reason personally. It has poor projection, but pretty good sillage and lasts 6 hours or so on me. It lasts ages on clothes though.
For those who like sauvage and wanted something less loud and more mature this might be what you have always dreamed of.
Well done overall, but not my personal taste
Mercury-095 – :
I can smell the condom accord, but it is not one that jumps immediately.
yzs933speagoessenda – :
latex and sweet leather
vanilla
moderate sillage and long duration
polarizing scent
to me it’s a very interesting
leather chypre!
misteeg – :
Everyone says I smell like incense.
klop11 – :
Reminds me of midnight in paris. Leather/powdery combo. Its good.
amomitiamyjep – :
Starts off as a nice muted spicy and soapy floral concoction: Think the original JPG or Versace Versus Uomo. Then it turned all metallic smelling, like how a fist full of pennies would smell if they were balled up in your sweaty hand. I’m just getting into this house and I’m not sold on this particular offering, but this style of fragrance isn’t my taste. Kind of unusual but very wearable, its not bad. Maybe its just not weird or niche enough to catch my attention. I’m on the fence with this is one.
vfefelow – :
Delicious leathery amber with subtle floral and citrusy hints, this is a very unique and interesting composition from Antoine Lie. On my skin, the perfume starts with a slightly citrusy aldehyde burst quickly transitioning into a floral piney middle (birch, pine, pepper, cypress, galbanum, saffron, geranium) and finally settles into a powdery herbal amber base (vanilla, tonka bean, iris, vetiver, styrax, leather, musk, amber). A nice evocation of Tom of Finland men, ultra masculine muscled gay sailor types with soft hearts, this is a superb avant garde offering from Etat Libre D’Orange. Unisex (slightly masculine leaning), with tremendous sillage and projection, this is strictly for those who are ready for some offbeat kinks in the perdumes they wear. Enjoy!
Shurikson – :
Carpet shop, hospital,spilled 80’s perfume and very very feint lemon is what i get with this.
This is what i would call true art in perfumery.
If JPG Le male had a fragrance dad this would be the scent.
last 8-10 hours
projects heavy for the first 3 hours than stays around an arms length.
fyfcnfcbzz – :
@Fadly
Right under the picture of the bottle on this page it literally lists 4 different places to buy this online
sergstrelok – :
Can you tell me please were can buy this perfuem. By online
Pyracetam – :
Begins with a punch of lemon, lavender, condom, with hints of leather. I smell booze though there shouldn’t be any around… The middle rounds off into a very strong leather scent combined with a little latex, which appears alongside violet/lavender. It finishes into a “simple” leather note that has a rubber-like quality. The floral/leather combo is delightful and I can see the appeal of the perfume for someone who really wants to smell like leather jacket, pockets bursting with flowers. Though a positive experience over all, I have yet to be totally wow-ed by Etat Libre.
Psycho333 – :
I carried out the experiment to find out if Tom of Finland does in fact smell like a condom…
The predominant note in Durex is lemon with some balminess. Tom of Finland has that condom balminess. The condom doesn’t project and the scent is so faint I’m shocked someone made the connection. Durex smells fresher but Tom is more pleasant. Waste of a condom but it’s not like I was going to use it any time soon. If a potential partner saw me sniffing a condom and my hand back and forth, it would have ended there anyway.
anatoliu63 – :
Tom of Finland is another quality fragrance from ELdO that seems too elaborate. Too much skills, not enough heart. It leaves me emotionless. And emotion is an aspect that i rate very very high on the fragrance scale, and art in general.
Beautiful aldehydic start with a spicy-woody saffron. Excellent though i prefer L’Artisan take on saffron in ST. The one in ToF is great too, but smells a bit sterile. Maybe i am entering a dangerous topic here but this is most probably deliberate if you think what the title of this fragrance is and what it refers to. If i am right than i admire this minuteness.
But the title and image in my opinion would also require the leather effect volume to be a lot more pumped up than it is in ToF. It could have been wild and animalic, dangerous and brutal even, instead it seems …safe. Which again could actually be a great message. Enjoy life, but stay safe.
A great fragrance that asks me to read through the lines. Maybe it’s just my interpretation. And i don’t even want to start talking about the clean steamy bath allusion in the final stages.
I don’t love Tom of Finland, but i am happy i own it as an excellent example of perfume being far more than just a smell.
****(*)
sancheskis – :
The first perfume on my sample journey that, IMO, smells clean and dirty at the same time.
I got leather which makes this perfume dirty. All the arts by Tom of Finland instantly appear in my head. A little bit frightening as well as tempting (because of that oversize… oh I know you get it!). while strong iris, vanilla and aldehydes create fresh and clean scent.
and as you can see from the charts above, longevity and sillage are very satisfying.
This perfume force me to think of a hot guy just got out of a bath and for unknown reason he is already sweating. Then, he lean in to hug me.
YEAH.. I will stop here.
I had never encounter a perfume that is unique and manly erotic like this.
I’m sure this one will draw attention from any sex to the wearer.
You will be more than attractive if you are muscular, have dark hair and got pretty face. oh wait, that is the guy in this perfume ad.
Yes, some might say they don’t like the scent, but believe me, this will be their guilty pleasure.
PS. I̶ ̶d̶o̶n̶’̶t̶ ̶g̶e̶t̶ ̶a̶r̶o̶u̶s̶e̶ ̶b̶y̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶s̶c̶e̶n̶t̶ ̶o̶f̶ ̶t̶h̶i̶s̶ ̶p̶e̶r̶f̶u̶m̶e̶ ̶a̶t̶ ̶a̶l̶l̶.
hjhj – :
Wow. Since i’ve always loved everything made in Tom of Finland-style (wops! Haha) i was superexited for this. And actually a bit worried that it would be to masculine. But it was Very inviting.
Pretty “unisexual” scent for such a leathery thug-cat like Tom but i dont mind, quite the opposite!
The suede is superstrong in the first 10 minutes. After 1 hour mostly tonka bean & vetiver.
Not the best or the worst, but i have smelled this before.
I thouhgt this would be a masculine version of mix between Kelly Caleche & Vivianne’s Budoir, and i was righ ;)t haha.
egr004speagoessenda – :
This cologne surprised me.It is leathery ,powdery and woody product.It’s scent is rich,depth and very nice.
Bravo Antoine Lie.
8/10
NumpNuniori – :
“Tom of Finland is beyond sexuality – he is sex, in all its fullness and magnitude, open and erect.”
Oh, puleese.
Not a bad scent. I seem to almost automatically like scents that contain iris. And I’m no fan of the “clean/fresh” genre, but this one is tolerable.
Too soft and clean to be much of a leather scent to me.
Dmitry.Guk – :
Not sure about the bravado sex sells marketing, but, it’s a nice complex fragrance. Soapy, woody, slightly spicy, slightly leathery, slightly citrusy, slightly airy. It has a small element of so many scent categories it’s a mesh of styles. I don’t think it’s particularly masculine, a woman can easily pull it off. Put it in a pretty bottle and you wouldn’t know the difference, I think because the musky notes are very subtle. Lasts well and turns more leathery with time.
I have 100+ niche samples for swap within Europe – get in touch! Updated spreadsheet of samples on my profile.
trubo4ist – :
Wow…when I first reviewed this fragrance in 2012, it was orange in color, more ambery, stronger, spicier, and longer lasting. What the heck happened?! Once EDP strength, it’s become something between EDC and EDT. It’s like, okay, once upon a time, there was a daring artist who depicted hyper-masculine men in coy, compromising poses but then today, they’ve become stick figures.
This fragrance had some soul at one time, guts, and was daring! Now it’s become Etat Libre de Prada. It’s as though the original was a little too much, so it had to be censored. Here’s the thing: it probably wasn’t the most outrageous thing in 2012, yet it wasn’t reduced to this powdery travesty of its former self. Well, maybe that just shows, there’s something to vintage perfume as well as art.
Shennyknoge – :
A beautiful discovery! Unfortunately the sillage and the longevity are not good enough on my skin.
dycleweerve – :
Ive sampled enough fragrances over the years to automatically have a sense of what this would smell like so I am going to pass. I like my leathers to smell like a wallet or belt with some sweet undertones and incense…
Absommaalonse – :
Nope, smells like an overworked stripper dancing on blacktop in a 100 degree blackout. Smell you later tom!
rudroidikrudroid – :
Put your nose on a black leather jacket, there you have it, Tom of Finland. A sensual power of body odors mixed with a rich plasticky leather smell. Top quality ingredients involved. It drydown into a smooth vanilla base. Beautiful juice.
unenryenets – :
There is one thing I do not understand this fragrance, it’s a joke? Tom lost the muscles because this fragrance is very weak, it vanishes in a puff; Leather does not exist (perhaps you thought the little ass of a baby’s skin?). This perfume is so gourmand, sweet and mild soap which is fine to deodorize the sofa. Then there is an error in the picture, I get it! What it is not Tom, but the famous muscular man appears on the popular soap called “Mastrolindo”!
So if it is a joke, do not steal 80 euro for this Arbre Magic Vanilla !!!!!
yberyuly – :
Wow, this opens with hot tar, freshly poured on a road. Suede comes behind, sexily, he promises a wild time to come. Then a sweetness mixed with bitterness is there, erotic with a cruel edge.
I totally ‘get’ this fragrance, and the name. If I was a man, I would wear it. It is strong, erotic, utterly masculine, I want to keep smelling it…
woolf – :
This was a huge disappointment. The scent was ok, I guess, but it definitely didn’t smell like a perfume named after Tom of Finland should smell. I was excepting a deep, earthy and extremely masculine leather scent. Tom of Finland should smell like men’s butt cracks, worn leather, tobacco, earthy coniferous forests, tar and dirt, but this scent was boring and not dirty enough.
sindbad22 – :
I bought a tester for my ex boyfriend years ago. I remember I was disappointed. Didn’t smell gay to me, it was just plain boring. I don’t think Tom of Finland should smell like citrus, it should smell like dark rooms, woods & strong leather. Definitely not vanilla, yuck!!!
shagivaleev – :
This one may say “novelty” all over it, however, the fragrance itself is a quite successful leather and vetiver number. Wearable and sensual and fun. A rich fragrance with a lot of body.
fstar2 – :
This is what every gay man should smell like. It’s everything you can imagine. Just think David Bowie 70’s, Lou Reed, Freddie Mercury and all the fine young canibals dressed and ready to rock and roll baby. This is a macho man’s scent that’s ready for action and adventure on the high seas. When I wear this I feel like a real man ready to dominate my darling wife down and dirty. Take it like a man!!!
Miheileg35 – :
This is one of those scents where the note pyramid cannot give you a good idea of what’s going on here – you just have to try it!
I get a sort of soft suede sweetness at front and center. The texture of its smell is odd though, somewhere between rubbery and fuzzy. It’s hard to describe, but it’s fun and quirky. Some have mentioned condoms, but this is just a touch of the raw balsam of latex, if at all. It has a bit the kind of gooey smell of balsam that I think I recognize from Vamp a NY and Slumberhouse’s Ore, but with fuzzy vanilla edges rather than sticky ones.
Also after wearing it and doing ‘the shirt test’ (smelling my shirt the day after gives me a clearer first whiff impression of scents after being surrounded by them for an entire day) I get one major impression: Playdoh! And now that I’ve thought it I can’t shake it when I smell it, lol!
Asked my bf what he thought and described it as ‘milky.’ Don’t know about that but alright. Not for me as I don’t like the playdoh-ish thing I’m picking up, but it’s definitely different.
vitasik – :
I had just received samples of a few ELdO scents. I liked Antiheros and loved Fat Electrician. However, Tom of Finland was one I almost have to scrub off.
On me the scent is fairly linear – I get the suede, vanilla and tonka. However to me, they combine to an overwhelming scent of Play-Doh. I’ve even let it sit for a couple hours – still Play-Doh.
jtfan – :
At least the best thing associated with Finland along with pony-trekking or camping or just watching T.V. Finland Finland Finland, Tom of Finland is for me.
vladvlad – :
Love this one. Very strong but smooth. What I like about this perfume most – the smell doesn’t change all day long. And it smells itself like a new leather jacket and a trace of some expensive classical perfume. That one is my favorite now. Beautiful!
Longevity 9/10
sillage 10/10
Smell 10/10
KviSW – :
Rubbery, creamy, piney, sex-scent. I love this and when I’m in the mood for it nothing else satisfies the craving. Opens up with a strange but pleasant latex accord. Maybe the theming of the scent is influencing my perception but it makes me think of a freshly opened latex condom filled with liquid aldehydes, pine wood cleaner,a squeeze of lemon juice, and some high quality, creamy, vanilla. Often when looking at my bottles I cant help but smell the sprayer! The dry down is balmy and complex, the latex accord smoothens out and becomes a rubbery, leathery suede perfectly accentuated by sweet tonka, and something bitter that I just cannot put my finger on. Definitely a winter scent (wore this in 90 degree weather. One of the biggest mistakes of my fragrance career…). The longevity here falls into the “commitment” category. as in I only spray this on if I’m committed to smelling it for the next 24+ hours. Sillage could fill an aircraft hangar. One of my favorites from this house and highly recommended.
Derlunia – :
A wonderful, proudly synthetic modern mens EDP, stony, grey and rubbery with just enough pepper and plush, saffron suede to keep it from being too industrial. Really original in my opinion.
I can understand how some might read the lemon and pine, “bracing and outdoorsy” allusion in this scent as “fake outdoorsy”, a la air fresheners and cleaning products, but to dismiss any fragrance with a citrus and pine accord just because of that would be a shame.
Durable, innocent, wholesome and smooth, Tom of Finland is an example of a difficult, abstract concept executed perfectly by E.L.D.O.
incawTiva – :
When I smell this I think of perfume. Duh, I know it’s a perfume and it’s hard to explain the feeling, but it’s so generic, synthetic, safe and unisex that the only image projecting into my head is of a mannequin splashed with powder. Note breakdown…what? It’s just a perfume! :))
5/10
frolov1978 – :
العطر للاسف لم يتوفر. لدى الوكيل. بيضون في الكويت وتم شراءه خارج الكويت يغلب عليه رائحة المر والفانيليا والجاوي هكذا تبين لي. ثبات وفوحان مصيران
Royaceobete – :
Oriental ventage woody leather fragrance.
boareeporgo – :
It starts out rather synthetic rubbery/leather but after some time it turns sweet, vanilla and coconut. Musk in the back. My girlfriend called it “fancy sun tan lotion” smell. Unisex in my opinion.
kaply – :
Sensual, sexual, sensory. Leather like human skin, like the smell of a mechanic after a shower. Original and enjoyable.
ruleeezzz – :
The gay community has a new scent: Tom of Finland.
Smells like a freshly disposed jock-strap from a “god of a man” like Tyson Beckford who just came out of the shower, applied half of a bottle of body lotion all over his beautiful body and wore this jock-strap until he had his next shooting at the Delano, Miami Beach, for a bathing suit range.
He disposed of his jock strap that he wore for only 2 hours caught in traffic on the I-95 (he lives in Boca Raton). So sniff that jock strap that barely clung onto his crotch for 2 hours of swearing in dense traffic on the I-95 and you’ll get that.
Any questions?
Colour code: Black / White cotton. Barely worn.
This is the NEW KOUROS for the 21st century.
10/10 for sex appeal.
skydog – :
this one starts with a splash lemon and citrus, and a tiny little bit of metallic smell, and this note is quite a drawback actually cause it seems too artificial. then it develops to a soft vanilla with a bit of leather, i thought it’s going to be that much of shout out loud or dirty as the picture & how is the art of Tom, but it turns to be soft and calmly with the essence of an expensive soft light gray, Paige, light shades of red, and light brown fabrics with the background of calmly delicate Indian brown coconut. the type of a middle aged coconut (not the youngly fresh out loud coconut that you can sense in Gucci Rush white).
i guess this is the 3rd perfume that i liked for ELdO right after je suis un homme, & dangerous complicity. but this one is kind of common to me & at the same time a hard to find, i might get a bottle soon.
you won’t like it from the first time as i was about to leave the sample for good as not wanted, but after 4 or maybe even 5th try i liked it and i kinda get attached to it. so give it more time before you make your opinion.
update (7th Sept 2014) !!!… the smell is way different than my sample! now i can feel the connection between Tom Of Finland comics and this perfume, i feel that tender happy-naughty clean leather, something simi-dark and very sexy within this bottle. now i can really relate this perfume to the art of Tom Of Finland, they fit perfectly.
Man… This is one damn sexy juice!!!
notice: there is no nudity in this perfume at least the one i got, all you can see inside is a face of a guy looking at you and next to him a leather boot, and you have to rip the box to see it clear cause it’s on the walls of the box and not in a separate pic.
*Use this if you want to lure someone to your bed :p
sylon74 – :
A bit of pine and lemon in the opening but quickly settles into suede suede suede, with some nice aromatic greens like birch and cypress. Very woodsman, I really like it though, there’s something comforting and familiar about it,and it has an almost nutty feeling. But my goodness would I love to smell this on a man! I would probably melt into a puddle lol(though the press piece is hilariously ridiculous).
That being said, I think it is unisex, especially for other lovers of suede and also for women who like their leathers. I can see how some people could get a slight synthetic feeling from it, but I think that that is just the suede note – it kind of smells like a leather jacket in the opening stages, which of course, isn’t really a natural smell. Depends on your taste I guess. Geranium smooths things out more in the middle and I notice a hint of sweetening styrax as it dries down and gets a touch softer and sweeter. Versatile regarding weather and occasions I think, but definitely not a ‘pretty’ or ‘feminine’ scent. It’s warm and put-together but relaxed. Big thumbs up.
isellex – :
I’ve once sampled Fat Electrician.
Today I received ToF, it smells the same to me.
Sweet opoponax.
Mislabelled?
Clauss – :
I don’t know about this one. As usual ELDO annoys me – Tom of Finland starts with piney terpenes that immediately become very flat and rubbery, like the inside of a Halloween mask. Seems there’s quite a bit of tonka in there, but why they would ug it up with all those superfluous synthetics is beyond me.
ioi575Negeltzex – :
Definitely the best suede I’ve tried. Far more noticeable than SL Daim Blonde which left me scratching my head in an apricot haze. I wish the suede and light latex opening hung around longer but it quickly turns into a load of vanilla and inevitably disappoints for me. I do not detect any of the other notes.
gegtyrj – :
Classy and floral leather opening, classy and intriguing…one of the most sophisticated and delicate of the leathers!
азеф2112 – :
“Tom of Finland” is one unique odd-ball of a fragrance, which doesn’t quite reflect the concept (and in this instance that’s perfectly OK with me!)
It’s not animalic, or carnal, but rather sanatized, virginal and slightly synthetic. There’s no denying it has character though, and I can’t help liking it.
The opening is bursting with piney lemon freshness, but the drydown doesn’t quite stomp through in sweaty chaps and chains. Rather it smells more like stage smoke and sweet hints of Gaultier’s ‘Le Male’ inhaled off a squeaky plastic leather jacket.
So forget the hairy bears in fishnet vests. “Tom of Finland” is very much a fresh-faced, bubble gum-chewing twink who probably just came out to his parents. Cute and totally doable -I mean- wearable.
duttope – :
Tom of Finland opens quite intense and fresh and bright but quickly turns to a safraleine-suede combo. I think it smells very “new”, because I associate it with the scent of shoe stores and new shoes.
The suede is thick and heavy, you can almost taste it. There’s a sweet note, formed by the vanilla and tonka bean I believe, that both clashes and harmonizes with the suede. This stage is rather difficult for me, while it’s never revolting, it does become rather nauseating, unfortunately.
But then, when the sweet note goes away, the suede becomes more leathery, more butch, and I like it better. It becomes a wonderful comforting, warm scent, as if I’m surrounded by plush, soft leather. Gorgeous!
I think I might let my boyfriend test it, see what he thinks and see whether there’s a nauseating stage on him as well.
lviuerblvblkshvks – :
I just realized that ELd’O Tom of Finland smells just like Escada Magnetism for men with a lot of leather and incense added to it. I used to love Escada Magnetism for men when I was younger, but I would not wear it again today because it has a very linear and simple smell which is way too sweet. To me they smell too much alike and that’s a disappointment.
PASTESAKE – :
When I imagined how Tom of Finland would smell it was very close to the way Rien by ELd’O smells like. Full of leather, incense, blended with sweetness.
But ToF is a surprise. To me it smells like a one night stand, after coming out of a gay nightclub. A combination of the smells of condoms, leather jackets, cheap perfumes, an energy drink and a chewing gum. It’s not manly or full of testosterone, it’s more like the smell of people who desire the Tom of Finland men, not the actual gay macho man.
It’s a bit sad that the smell of a condom is representing sex, since condoms have such a repulsive smell that really turns me off. I should however try this perfume on a night out to a club, after dancing and sweating to find out how good it is.
This perfume is perhaps not about the act of sex, but rather the protection we wear and the games we play to get it, and the facades that cover the real bodies and passion.
P.S: In fact, the only people who can really pull this perfume and still be sexy need to look like they came out of a ToF drawing. A combination of their masculinity and this smell might be very intriguing.
Barbie-girl – :
It’s the first ELDO bottle i bought and i should say Tom of Finland is not weird or challenging that much. Yes the branding is a bit exraordinary but the scent is not. Really.
For me it starts with masculine, bright citrus notes and then fresh peppery pine. But you get rubber-like leather even in this part.
Then it’s getting more leathery showing you the real character. At first it’s a bit more plastic and rubber-like leather but turns into more calm one. You can pick vanilla-like sweetness and suede here. And a warm feeling with soft spices, maybe saffron. You may also get iris but it’s still masculine. I would never say vetiver if i haven’t read the ingredients, but yes it make sense! This part is great, mature and sexy but not really hardcore.
Then it quickly goes into base notes. Soft sweet notes (musk, vanilla, tonka together) and suede-like feeling till the end. This part is the most feminen part of the fragrance.
I didn’t get condom-like plastic smell and fetish feelings from Tom of Finland. And no one around told me “What a strange perfume is that”. It was too normal for my expectations after reading the comments. But it’s great anyway.
Longevity is mid-high. Sillage is moderate first, then stays close.
Really good one.
KalinqA – :
A exotic mix of suede with sweet notes, aldehydes, make me think in a smelling sexy leather, appears that has some oud together.
The iris appears in the right give a powdery light intriguing and perhaps exaggerating,it refers to the aroma of a latex outfit a beautiful dominatrix lol!
A must have for me!
Rating: 9/10
VEF – :
This is to me everything I would expect from a fragrance called Tom of Finland. Sexy aldehydes creating a clean skin feeling, a rubber note to mimic the smell of vinyl clothes and sex toys, sweaty skin post coitus.
But at the same time it doesn’t fell raunchy, dirty and cheap like you would expect a dark room to smell. It exudes a romantic sexuality, like if you are just playing SM games with your lover and maybe a friend or two. LOL
To me this is one of the best outings from Etat Libre D’Orange and a great modern leather.
Rate 8 out of 10
tulalan – :
Highly original fragrance here. At once fresh and likeable, and original and complex.
It opens with a very fresh aldehydic and citrus blend drying down to a slightly sweet latex rubber scent I have never come across before.
To be honest I was expecting something a little more daring and adventurous, but a highly original and fresh niche fragrance, and an interesting experiment in perfume.
rafisenok – :
Severly disappointed. I bought this blind because of the reviews here claiming it is like Dolce & Gabanna By cologne.
Well, I have a half full bottle of By and just received the ToF today. The ONLY way they smell alike is within the first minute of spraying ToF. During this short time frame, they smell alike.
However, the great scent you smell when you first spray ToF goes away quickly (incensy orange vanilla) and you are left with this disgusting rubber-leather smell. It actually made me nauseous, and I’m so disappointed that after the first few minutes it really doesn’t smell anything like By. It smells more like a condom in a leather jacket’s pocket.
2Pac Shakur – :
Tom of Finland smells more like Jethro of Nebraska. I see that pine-sol has finally entered the arena of the fragrance world. In all seriousness, I blind bought this because of the reviews. This was disappointing to say the least. I want to wear this but can’t figure out when to wear especially because I have other bottles that are clearly better.
Havikoro – :
As someone who doesn’t really care for the scent of leather, I will say that this is one of the pleasanter leather scents I’ve encountered. I don’t like it enough to wear it myself, but I like the way the leather is tempered by the pretty notes. It strikes me as more rounded out than other leather fragrances I’ve smelled. The weird thing about it is after a while the leather scent seems to dissipate and what’s left reminds me of breakfast cereal.
JMustafayev – :
Good smell overall, I feel this is for a more mature man 40+. This could be a solid work cent for winter if you wear a suit. No exactly something you would rock to go work on cars.
7/10
master126 – :
Can a fragrance have a sense of humor? I think it’s kind of an inside joke. First, the balls to make a fragrance out of something that is so taboo, so iconic in gay, leather subculture, and to put it all out there for the public to whiff, experience, judge, love, or hate. It’s deliciously outrageous.
Sure, there’s always some kind of marketing stunt as there usually will be, but personally, I think this fragrance has something to offer. If you’re familiar with Tom of Finland art, it’s hyper-masculine, often exaggerated, but there’s still a “pretty” side to it. It’s both hard and soft at the same time; together the muscle, leather, and boots are juxtaposed often with a knowing embrace, a mischievous smirk, or a flirtatious wink.
I find that’s exactly what the fragrance accomplishes as well. A balance of naughty and nice, but you won’t get this from the first try. Maybe the second or third. Perhaps a shocking synthetic burst at first, but commit to it and you’ll appreciate the masculine warmth that evolves. And lasts.
ZEELAVILbuyZZ – :
No, dai, è uno scherzo…It’s a joke. Vediamo: ci sono sostanze di sintesi che sembrano naturali e sostanze di sintesi che paiono….di sintesi!! Qui non ci troviamo nel primo caso….
mainiadug – :
This is a super frag: VERY feminine!
Monster sillage, long, long lasting and affordable price!
I cannot find any transgression……
никола5555 – :
One of the most ‘honestly tricky’ Maison de Parf. E.L.d’O., that’s clear! They love paradox and their anti-pubblicity campaign is in the end another form of propaganda: history teaches us that many successful products have become famous thanks to word-of-mouth advertising…….. Avoiding the tremendous descriptions they do of their fragrances (probably ‘bad writing’ can be part of the game too!) and going ahead to the juice (without any prejudices, if possible) can reveal the real essence of the essence! I do believe also, that when we’re looking for a frag we’d choose it blind eyed: persuasion can be a bad prompter!, perfumes shops should change some rules, but I must admit that this is just an utopia….
I love almost the majority of their frags and Tom is one, among them, that I like best. Since the very opening till the soft, tender (yes, of course!) vanilla – and NOT vanilic, dry down I do believe it’s an above-the-gender-frag. Unless my skin supports him (I know that perfume is always a ‘she’, but being Italian for me it’s only a ‘he’!) shamelessly! I love it and I’m also loved back. Gorgeous ; )
Wonderfully looooooooong lasting!
EthanP8 – :
The opening of Tom of Finland can admittedly be slightly overwhelming. There really is a lot going on here: boozy notes, rubber, smoke, leather, aldehydes, and more. But after half an hour ToF settles into a delightful vanilla/suede note on a dark background of smoky vetiver with a slight hint of rubber. Very subtle and just enough to keep the scent from becoming too sweet. This phase goes on forever and it just gets even better as the drydown sets in.
Forget all the hype about gay/straight, naughty marketing, condom smell, Village People and all the other stuff that leads the attention away from the scent itself. Tom of Finland is utterly wonderful and it stands a good chance of becoming my new signature scent. For the cold season at least.
A bit expensive, but worth every penny. Strongly recommended!
Kolliderzz – :
Absolutely LOVE this collection of scents in a bottle. The powder makes it sparkle, but the leathery tones make it warm. I have to confess that I really like unusual fragrances (I don’t want to smell like everyone else), and this is not like anything else I have worn. And the compliments are constant –even strangers come up and ask what it is. Great fragrance(s) for someone who wants to stand out.
advadiaType – :
The first time I tested this I thought it