Black Lacquer

If you haven’t tried Black Lacquer by Tom Ford, do yourself a favor and try it NOW. Don't listen to the notes on Fragrantica, because then you’ll think it’s gonna smell awful, and you’ll think I’m crazy. No, it’s a beautiful scent that doesn’t smell like a designer fragrance (still doesn’t justify the abysmal price tag) and I’m sure you’ll be wowed by it. This is up there for me when it comes to the best Tom Ford fragrances

@Pupster it's not discontinued. Check TomFord.com

So I went to my local Dillard's to try this guy out again along with other new releases, turns out this guy is discontinued, welp I guess Imma just get a dupe.

LICORICE/BURNT LEATHER. Not for a female like me. It's not something I would want on my man. Extremely headache-inducing.

skeins of incense smoke rising from burning granules of resin, on an altar of unyielding, almost petrified wood. the thick smoke falls back to reveal more complexities; a peppery note comes out, then a progressively sweeter but still resinous base. it doesn't strike me as a particularly inky composition, and i don't think it evokes the gloss of lacquer either, i don't get much of that chemical edge to it. it is dark and elegant, though, if not something i would usually go for myself. wear it if you want to smell like a priest with a secret.

It evokes glossy black lacquer, fine woods, smoke, and a touch of dark ink. Modern, mysterious, and possessing a sharp elegance. The magic emerges at the heart... The fragrance reveals an accord of ebony and rosewood, intertwined with a rare black peony note. This is no sweet or romantic peony, but a mysterious "flower of shadow" that lends a deep, velvety texture to the dark wood. It embodies an alchemical, nocturnal elegance. It gives you the sensation of wearing armor made of polished, mirror-like black glass. It is a scent that shields you, insulating you from the chaos outside; it conveys strength, a centered calm, and an incredible sense of impenetrability. A fantastic fragrance! Sillage: 7.5/10 Longevity: 8/10 Scent: 10/10 Overall: 10/10

Still loving this, when I first bought it I fell in Love with it reminding me of DK Black Cashmere, which I also own, but it's impossible to find now. Yesterday I was at the mall for other reasons, & stopped to smell Myrrhe Mystere. WOW, I bought the 100 ML bottle 30 minutes after first testing. They have different notes, but those 2 are very very similar to my nose. I have seen people complain about the Longevity of TFBL, I have NOT had that problem. Same is true with MM the card I sprayed yesterday is on my kitchen counter & is still filling the air. picked the shirt I was wearing up out of the hamper to put in the wash this morning & could smell it w/o even putting my nose to it. Both are winners!

Very special dry fragrance, not sweet, more stone and dust. Really special. 100% male. A bit surprise that for some is a unisex. A bit of old book, old library as well

To me, this smells like Licorice. Or like the moment you step into a Lush store. I tested it alongside some other TF fragrances, so to draw comparisons I do find it more wearable than Noir Extreme. It's not woody to me, even though that's how it's described. I also didn't detect the ink or vinyl notes, which I'd been excited by. Ultimately, the conclusion I came to is that it smells like a Lush bath bomb. I said what I said. It also made me think of the children's movie A Bug's Life. I have no idea why.

It has a coniferous scent. Notes of cypress and black pepper. Occasionally, there’s a hint of something plastic-like or vinyl-like. I think it’s similar to Aesop’s Hywl. It’s very smoky and made me picture a moss-covered forest. 9/10

Black Lacquer is one of the most accomplished fragrances I have ever smelled. From the opening to the drydown, the artistic direction feels crystal clear and perfectly executed. It opens with a dark, spicy, smoky tension before evolving into an incredible sweet, woody, almost hypnotic drydown. I love the opening as much as the drydown! The fragrance creates vivid imagery in my mind: dark psychedelic mandalas, peacock-blue reflections, mystery, meditation, and a slow kaleidoscopic movement. It feels less like a perfume and more like a state of mind. Unlike many niche fragrances that invite exploration and interpretation, Black Lacquer feels fully realized, as if nothing could be added or removed to improve it. It is memorable, elegant, mysterious, and surprisingly wearable. Love at every sniff for me!

I love this fragrance. It is the best in my collection. Dark, spicy, somewhat synthetic, but not animalic. A masterpiece!

The best TF release for years in my opinion. Haven't even bothered with the house for a while but the second I smelt this I had to own it regardless of the price. Could have been in the OG lineup back in the day. Smells TF, expensive and everything that made them great and put them in the map in the first place.

This is what Darth Vader smells like.

I was intrigued by the name. But when I tried it for the first time I knew instantly why they named it black lacquer. The ebony wood is extremely tough. And at first smell it’s like you’ve just walked into a dusty old record shop and picked up a vinyl record and took a deep breath. The dry down is really dark and woody. Perfect if you want to be mysterious. Would be perfect with an all black outfit and a cigar in hand.

I love it. It's a reminder of anything deep and worthwhile that exists now. It's a small dark, cool hidden wooden church in a pine forest to hide from a bad day and reflect. I wouldn't expect this from TF.

Wow, I had the pleasure of smelling this while I was browsing fragrances the other day. I left the store and could not stop thinking about how lovely this fragrances is, so I went back I bought this immediately. I am not typically drawn to Tom Ford fragrances but this one is a stunning number. I love a deep, dark, creamy incense fragrance and this one hits all the notes for me. When a fragrance is described as “incense-y” this is what I hope the scent will be. So fantastic on its own but I cannot wait to layer this with my mazzolari vaniglia, karnain sucre addict 🤤🤤🤤not that it matters, but I’m female and find this fragrance extremely easy to wear.

Very unique. Smells like nail polish to me (in a good way). Nice, formal scent. Definitely good for nighttime. Or a date night. A little bit polarizing based off of friend reactions but it’s definitely well blended and has good quality. If you collect records - this one is a no brainer.

Opens with a bizarre and powerful inky plastic , has a hint of Cypriol similar to many oud accords, a bit tarry/smokey. Dries down more woody smokey and incense forward but the opening accords persist nicely in a balanced way Longevity is better than most Fords and it manages to project reasonably for the first few hours. This is a surprisingly solid and unexpected entry.

I got Hafez’ Alexandria Fragrance clone of this, Black Book, based on the intriguing scent tree for TF BL. The dupe is very nice indeed - the only somewhat similar vibe in my collection is from Armani’s churchy Bois Encense, but I like Black Book more. I’ll have to sample the OG since this composition really appeals to me.

A better more wearable CDG Black. The first half is where the resemblance is most present. Most black pepper forward fragrances can smell culinary in a bad way, that is a having a faint smell of peppered celi meat. Thankfully that isn't the case here. Last half is all incense with a very demure apricot.

There is nothing like this fragrance to my nose. The opening notes are very much correctly stated in inky, dark vinyl and tend to take you into a black hole that I thought I’d not come out of for some time. However, after an hour or so, the sweetness kicks in which is a total 180 degree change from the start and you’re left with something that is bloody fantastic that I struggle to explain. It’s still dark, but the sugar that exudes from the fruit in the dry down warms you up immensely, and from the midnight woods and incense at the start, it soon grows to become the star of the night. Best to be worn in black with black. Without doubt, a long awaited win for a new TF fragrance since EL took over, but it really works for me.

For context: I’m a very feminine cis woman in my late 40s who is thoroughly exhausted by the endless parade of generic “sweet bombs” the fragrance industry keeps pushing… those cheap-smelling, juvenile gourmands that have taken over the designer market for the past 15 years. I grew up with the powerhouses of the 80s and 90s: fragrances with personality, longevity, and unapologetic sillage. Perfumes that actually showed up. Tom Ford Black Lacquer scratches that itch for me. I couldn’t care less that it’s labeled “for men.” It’s complex, elegant, and long-lasting; like perfumes used to be. If you’re a woman who also misses when perfume had a backbone, try this one.

Fantastic scent. Very surprising. A man's man perfume. Love it!!!

Church incense and myrrh and a tad of furniture varnish, nothing else, nothing special, nothing groundbreaking. Dry, smoky, incensy. Reminds me more of Armani Bois d'Encens. I would never consider a FB of this, especially with the ridiculously high price tag. I prefer Ébène Fumé but on the same line as this. A bit disappointed at this release considering TF is one of my favorite houses.

Reading the notes, I had absolutely no clue what to expect before sampling this—but I was genuinely blown away. While my collection is full of incense and smoky scents, most of them lack a certain finesse; they tend to be one-note. This fragrance, however, is incredibly nuanced. It hits that "Goldilocks" zone of smokiness thanks to a sophisticated blend of olibanum, ebony wood, elemi, and black pepper. What really saves it from becoming an overwhelming "smoke bomb" or leaning too traditionally masculine is the clever inclusion of Ink & Vinyl which add a modern, edgy character. The apricot provides just enough fruity sweetness to balance the heat. I truly hope this stays in the permanent lineup. If Tom Ford is looking to discontinue something, I’d much rather see the unnecessary releases—like Vanilla Sex—hit the chopping block instead of this masterpiece.

So, so good. It fills a slot in my fragrance wardrobe that were previously unoccupied; where A city on fire was too avant-garde and 24 rue de l’Universitet was too cold and sharp. This is a bold scent profile with authority, that also sits quite intimate to the skin. This is a good thing, any huge sillage with this potent and dark profile would be too much. They really blended this well, I wore it on warm skin on a sunny spring day and it worked beautifully. Opening is heavy on the smoke, laquer and wood. The smoke reminds me of welding. 6 hours later it’s warm dark wood, the smoke only lingering, and there’s a softness almost that reminds me of modern high-quality makeup (not the old-school iris kind). Truly, if the color black had a smell to it, this would be it. I’m wearing my Black Laquer with a structured wool coat and knee-high combat boots.

I can't gatekeep this gem anymore. Let me tell you something (like the meme) Brothers, this is one of the the best, if not THE BEST release since Mr. Ford ran away (retired) with 3.2 billions. Now, this concotion is for people with character in all situations except gym and sports. It is... deliciously unique. Not as a goourmand, vanilla fluff boy... but as a man. A man who knows how many cards are in a pack and that a dice has total 7 adding opposing sides, ... from ghetto to opera, this delivers! Kudos to the parfumeur, I hope that Guillaume will come up with other well polished formulas such as this one. A true 10/10 in perfumery. More niche than the usual but definitely wearable and well executed. I will repurchase gladly!

I think this is the best release from TF since Fn Fab… It takes the best if Ebene Fume and Myrrh Mystere (which I also own) and takes them darker and into a more niche/interesting area Unlike other recent releases, this feels complete. Sexy incense, fun inky vinyl notes, dark woods to round the base. Really enjoying it and glad I have a 30ml now.

I saw the Vinyl and Ink notes in this and was intrigued by it so i decided to smell it. started off alcoholic and odd so I immediately decided that it was bad, but after it dried down on my hand I smelt it again and I was blown away. Class, Elegance. Black Suit Fragrance. Pure John Wick. I’m glad to say i'm a proud owner of Black Lacquer. The longevity is fantastic on my skin. doesn’t project farther than an arms length in my opinion. Definitely my signature piece.