Tom Ford Neroli Portofino

I can see why Neroli Portofino is so popular, and if what I have been told is correct, one of the line's bestsellers. 

It simply smells lovely. That's all there is to it. The opening is one of the best takes on a citrus cologne that I know of. It is fresh, zingy and so uplifting.

The perfume, befitting of a cologne, is not long lasting, nor complex, but who needs those on a warm spring day when one simply wants to smell as nice as possible, even if only for a short while?

Tom Ford Neroli Portofino

Believe it or not, but the past two or three days have been rather hot here in the UK. Or more precisely, south east England - the poor north has had drizzle and 14 celsius. 

Yesterday felt perfect for spritzing on something uplifting and refreshing. Tom Ford's Neroli Portofino fit the bill perfectly. Yet I must say, £135 for 50ml of eau de parfum is steep indeed, particularly for a citrusy eau de cologne style perfume. Some say you get what you pay for, but I have smelled a lot of citrus/cologne/orange blossom perfumes and there are plenty of excellent ones for well under £135!

That said, Neroli Portofino does smell very decent.

Fenwick fumeheads

I've mentioned a few times on this blog that I regularly visit the two department stores in my hometown, Tunbridge Wells. 

Over the last few weeks I've got to know a little better three of the lovely ladies who work in the perfume section of Fenwick. It's always refreshing when I meet people who actually enjoy and appreciate the products they sell. I am not cut out to be in any retail business, but if I were, I think I would struggle if I could not be excited by my product. Not everyone is like that of course - walk through any department store in a big bustling city and you will encounter just as many people who couldn't give a monkeys about it. I'm not judging, but just saying...

Anyway, Fenwick has got in some interesting perfumes recently. I think it must be difficult sometimes to cater to varying tastes. Fenwick stock a lot of very mainstream perfumes and there is nothing wrong with that at all and they also try to get in some of the more interesting lines out there which I reckon must involve  a fair amount of judgement  in trying not to stock something that is so niche that it doesn't sell, particularly in a smallish town, albeit a fairly affluent one.

It is nice to see that they are stocking Tom Ford's Neroli Portofino, which I personally think smells great. It is a citrus cologne, but has good lasting power. Also new are two Creeds, Bois de Cedrat and Zeste Mandarine Pamplemousse, both perfect for spring weather, speaking of which, has deserted the UK, quite sadly. Also in is Boucheron Jaipur and Jaipur Homme, which I haven't seen a lot of in recent years. Jaipur Homme is an oriental, and used to be talked about quite a lot on the Basenotes boards a few years ago, but doesn't seem to garner as much attention these days. Another fairly recent addition is Uncle Serge's L'eau Froide, which I prefer to the original, with a more interesting twist of icy incense.

So, to my friends at Fenwick's perfume department - keep up the good work, and enjoy the samples!