Rose D’Amalfi – Tom Ford

Tom Ford

Release Date – 2022

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Rose D’Amalfi is a delicate rose fragrance, brushed with pink pepper and softened by almond, brought to us by the ever-revered nose of Mr Tom Ford. In fragrance circles, his name carries a certain weight and expectation, promising a perfume of character and quality.

I first came across Rose D’Amalfi on one of my usual side quests to find a perfume that might smell, however vaguely, like My Pearls by The Merchant of Venice – my all-time favourite, and the fragrance to which I owe much of my love of perfume. That, however, is a story deserving of its own post… all in due course, reader!

After seeing a handful of shared notes between the two, I decided I had to get my hands on a 1ml sample of D’Amalfi, if only to see whether the resemblance promised anything worthwhile.

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First Impressions

From the very first spray, it was clear that Rose D’Amalfi had a character all its own. It opened with a pronounced burst of powder, immediately conjuring the image of vintage makeup scattered across a dust-laden dresser.

It’s what I’d imagine the powder puff of a La Garçonne dancer to smell like, its tufted surface still thick and heavy with rosy, lipstick-tinged talc.

I found the opening intensely chalky, with a slight plasticky facet peaking through beneath the powder. For some, that kind of texture in a fragrance feels claustrophobic; for others, it comes across as too mature.

For example, my mother once described Fleur de Peau by Diptyque, one of my beloved “dusty” favourites and a perfume I will continue to repurchase, as smelling like the inside of an old person’s long-neglected chest of drawers.

To be fair, I understood what she meant. But I also adored the smell of my grandparents’ home (drawers and all) when I was growing up.

When a fragrance captures something of that same atmosphere, it ceases to feel simply dusty or dated to me; instead, it becomes intimate and comforting, like being wrapped in the familiar scent of a childhood blanket.

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Coming Up Roses

If D’Amalfi falls short of My Pearls in certain respects, it redeems itself through its deeply comforting nature. Its rose is neither dewy and green nor rich and jammy; instead, it is muted, tamed into submission beneath the almond-weighted base.

It feels like a rose picked from the far end of your grandparents’ garden, then slipped into an old drawer and forgotten there, where it lingers as a pressed and treasured keepsake.

In fragrance, however, a rose is not just “a rose is a rose is a rose”. There are so many different rose materials, each bringing its own distinct effect to the final composition.

D’Amalfi boasts three rose notes in its listing: Rosyfolia Rose, Exclusive Rose On Rose Extract and Rose Neoabsolute. I would be lying if I claimed to know the full intricacies of each one, but they are clearly working in concert, building Rose D’Amalfi into a rich and multifaceted floral whole.

Rosyfolia Rose, as a note for example, is known to lend “a light, clean character to perfumery”, which it certainly has done in this case.

So while I may not know exactly who is responsible for what, I am confident all three are earning their keep.

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Powder, Pepper, and Plastic Dolls

For all its dusty, powdery character, Rose D’Amalfi also carries a lick of sweetness. At times, that sweetness leans faintly synthetic, bringing to mind the familiar “plastic doll’s head” comparison so often invoked on fragrance forums.

There is one comparison I feel compelled to make, though it will likely scandalise a fair number of perfume lovers: Melanie Martinez’s Cry Baby. I know, not the sort of thing one admits without first locking the doors.

They belong to entirely different worlds in terms of concept, composition, and house, yet that same chalky, sugary quality somehow connects them in my mind.

Forgive me, Tom.

Amalfi by Name, Pink Pepper by Nature

The “Amalfi” in the name is surely a nod to the town on Italy’s southwestern coast, celebrated for its rich citrus harvests. And yet, despite the bergamot listed here, I detect very little citrus in D’Amalfi.

The sparkle comes predominantly from the pink pepper, which remains noticeable throughout, cutting through the powder with a dry and spicy brightness.

To Full Bottle or Not To Full Bottle?

Overall, I’m very fond of it. I just cannot quite see myself paying full retail. I’m sure Mr Tom Not-So-Affordable will be devastated by the loss.

6 out of 10 sniffs!

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