Private Blend Tom Ford Lost Cherry (Louise Turner) Review+ Innocence and Experience Draw

Tom Ford Lost Cherry courtesy of Bergdorf Goodman and Stock photo

It’s been over a year since Creative Director Tom Ford has blown me away, but his latest release from the  Private Blend collection, Tom Ford Lost Cherry (composed by Givaudan’s English perfumer Louise Turner) makes up for lost time despite its unfortunate moniker. We could bandy about any number of reasons why I felt predisposed to vehement dislike Tom Ford Lost Cherry: the hefty price tag for 50 mls ($320.00), lamentable nomenclature which is patently perverse and tasteless (not to mention gauche); the whole overblown enfant maudit aura about it. What I wasn’t prepared for was how thoroughly smitten I would become, beholden to the bad boy who dreamed it up. In thrall to a perfume whose name struck anguish in the pit of my stomach redolent of childhood trauma (to put it mildly).

Maureen O'Hara

Ah, dear reader – then I smelt Tom Ford Lost Cherry. Heaven help me, I was hooked and reeled in, pronto. To make matters worse, once I’d gingerly applied it to the flesh folk stopped me on the street, in stores, on buses, trains. My own family, my colleagues, those in my care exclaimed as one Greek chorus: “You are delicious! Divine! What ARE you wearing???” I FELT delicious, and sophisticated, knowing, erudite, marvelously chic. I began scheming up potential circumstances through which I could acquire some bon marché (the only decent way a working stiff can!). Pride goeth before a fall, as does hubris. I felt a fool indeed.

Detail of Gail Gross' cherry  decorated pottery©

Cherries are cheerful: “Life is just a bowl of cherries”, sings the old adage. A “cherry on top” is thought to complete the picture, a pinnacle of perfection. To cherry-pick is to selectively choose only the best available. They are symbolic of fecundity, viewed as one’s first taste of love’s kiss: deeply red, ripe, juicy – intensely colored and flavored. When bitten, the juice dribbling down one’s chin resembles blood; a lover’s lips are compared to them. How exquisitely vampiric.

Michelyn's Lip print  (Tom Ford  Cherry Lush lipstick)

The cherry ripens upon the tree; once plucked it represents the loss of innocence and virtue – thus the equation with maidenhead/virginity. Cherries tasted are pierced by appetite and virgin no longer. Cherries flambéed imply unquenchable desire and lustful intention. 

Paolo Roversi© Roxanne Mesquida

Plenty of eroticism is packed into such small succulent fruit.

Louise Turner of Givaudan

All this is well and good. Perfumer Louise Turner bestows many fragrant blessings – one of which is griotte syrup, traditionally created from the tart Morello cherry, mouthwateringly toothsome and not as candied as you might suppose. Her black cherry accord is fleshy, married to its cousin bitter almond. Marzipan? NO. We’re not swimming upstream against a current of heliotropin, baby-powder-soft-all-sweetness-and-light. We wrest that morsel of innocence and press it against a palpitant bosom of rose Orpur nestled in jasmine sambac – the most joyful and companionable of jasmines. How it glows! Rose, cherry and almond form the Three Graces. Roasted tonka lends a spicy balsamic leatheriness laced with tobacco, mirrored by Peru balsam’s cinnamony vanillic disposition. 

Digital collage Michelyn

Here’s where Tom Ford Lost Cherry becomes even more interesting: let’s give smokily balsamic vetiver its head. Cradle all of it in a woody swoon of cedar and fine sandalwood, contrasting creaminess with aridity, sylvan whispers amidst the conifers. How captivatingly complex Tom Ford Lost Cherry is as it evolves (imagine that! A contemporary perfume which isn’t linear!) – and evolve it does. It takes us from youthful nascent fruit to the tart jamminess of adolescent discovery, love’s first kiss and the fullness of urbane maturity – of carnal knowledge and the sweetness which that brings. Lingering throughout the perfume’s development is cherry in all its glory, burnished by autumnal woods burrowed in the comely poitrine of lissome rose. It is a deep sigh of aromatic revelation, a living breathing entity. 

Karlie Kloss for Vogue Netherlands 2014©

Tom Ford Lost Cherry feels like a gourmand chypre full of charm, elegance and enticement. It’s an extraordinary scent and a satisfying one. Many rose/almond and cherry/almond perfumes have been composed; more often than not, they are extremely sweet. Some resemble cough syrup and others teeter on the edge of plastic. Tom Ford Lost Cherry is none of these; it is worldly-wise, not world-weary. Innocence exists and is never completely lost – it evolves and develops other attributes, tempered by knowledge and experience. Notes: black cherry accord, bitter almond, griotte syrup, rose absolute Orpur, jasmine sambac, Peru balsam, roasted tonka, vetiver, sandalwood, cedar

Perfume sample of Tom Ford Lost Cherry provided by Boston’s Neiman Marcus – bless you! I love it! My nose is my own

~ Ida Meister, Senior Editor and Natural Perfumery Editor

~ Art Direction: Michelyn Camen, Editor-in-Chief

We have 2 x 2m ml sprayers of Tom Ford Lost Cherry (courtesy of Bergdorf Goodman) for one registered ÇaFleureBon reader anywhere in the world. If you are not sure if you are registered click here (you must register on our site or your entry will be invalid). To be eligible, please leave a comment with what you enjoyed about Ida’s review, where you live and what is the first thought you have when you hear "cherry".. Draw closes 11/21/2018

We announce the winners only on site and on our Facebook page, so Like ÇaFleureBon and use our Blog feed…or your dream prize will be just spilled perfume.

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47 comments

  • Annatar says:

    Ida, I never really wanted to try Lost Cherry before I read your review! The “world-wise, not world-weary” bit speaks to me: with more than five years into this hobby, nay, obsession I’ve started feeling a bit disappointed by many newest offerings. I’d be happy to give LC a try.

    Thank you for the draw. Russia

  • doowtnehpets says:

    I like that everyone kept stopping Ida to ask what she’s wearing. It sounds really good. When I first heard Tom Ford was releasing a cherry fragrance I kept think the cherry would be overly sweet. The more I hear about it, though, the better it sounds.

  • Nellie says:

    I didn’t want to try this because I thought it would smell sickening. Ida meister i May just put this on my Christmas list for husband to buy.
    I think of cherry pie when I hear cherry
    USA
    Great photos as usual I like the lipstick too

  • MrsPress says:

    I like that Ida began this the way I frlt about this fragrance before reading the article; now I must try it! If Lost Cherry can take her on this journey, it could do the same for me I live in Tennessee. In general my first thought when I hear cherry is “yum, I love cherrys”. When it comes to fragrance though, my first thought is “I hope it doesn’t come off like candy, or cough syrup.” Thanks for the giveaway!

  • AdrianR says:

    My first thought when I heard cherry was that it would have more of a pie or baked pastry scent. I had the pleasure of testing this at Neiman Marcus and my first thoughts were completely different than the actual scent of Lost, Cherry. It is a delicious Cherry Crush/amaretto scent that I would love to own.

  • Alen says:

    Great review as always. I’ve heard a lot of good things about it from some of my friends, also youtube reviewers kinda like it. I would love to test it, thanks for the chance. I am in the EU.

  • Jackie b says:

    This review really piqued my interest because of the total turnaround from Not to Must Try! Loved the description of juicy cherries and I always think of biting into one when I think of them.
    I live in Australia and would love to sample this scent!

  • INYA says:

    Thanks Ida, for another great review. I think of RED, when I think of cherry. I’m going to Neiman Marcus soon to test this new fragrance! USA

  • Onyinye says:

    Thanks to this review I enjoyed reading all the sayings about a cherry. I also loved this about the perfume “it is worldly-wise, not world-weary”. When I think of cherry, the first thing that comes to mind is sweetness.
    I live in California.

  • Joanna Ravlin says:

    “It takes us from youthful nascent fruit to the tart jamminess of adolescent discovery, love’s first kiss and the fullness of urbane maturity – of carnal knowledge and the sweetness which that brings.”

    I simply wish the scent to be as enjoyable as reading this.

  • Richard Potter says:

    Grab the smelling salts. Ida has swooned. I sampled this in Saks last week, but would love to be able to get it a proper wearing. USA

  • Monica Beaton says:

    Great review Ida – and love the art work Michelyn. I too felt a bit “ick” when this was released, but then we know to expect the unexpected from Mr Ford. What I didn’t expect was for this to be something worth trying. I hear Cherry and always think Cherry Cola – sweet and summery. I live in Australia.

  • Lori Laws says:

    Excellent review Ida! If folks are going to stop me the way they did you over this Lost Cherry, I need a vat STAT! I love the part where you said ” I FELT delicious, and sophisticated, knowing, erudite, marvelously chic.” After hearing about it’s release, I was like I can wait on this one and after reading your review you have completely changed my thoughts. I also loved that you said “It takes us from youthful nascent fruit to the tart jamminess of adolescent discovery, love’s first kiss and the fullness of urbane maturity – of carnal knowledge and the sweetness which that brings.” This is a must for my collection. Thanks Ida! Thanks for the draw and I live in the US! 🙂

  • NiceVULady says:

    Ida’s review made me actually want to try this fragrance. Like her, I was prepared to really dislike it as my initial reaction is to think of cough syrup. Hopefully, I’ll get to sample this as the price tag is too hefty for me. Thanks for a wonderful review and a lovely draw. I’m in the USA

  • middleagedandmixed says:

    I loved learning that this particular cherry fragrance is not as sweet as I imagined. There’s vetiver, sandalwood, rose and bitter almond, not marzipan or a dragée version. Ida’s review has piqued my interest. Usually when I think of cherry, I think either a fresh or candied sweetness. I live in the U.S.

  • taskphorce says:

    The first thing I think of is the word “tart” when I think of a cherry. I have always wanted to try this because of that almond note, which I adore in fragrances. I loved Idas review although I could barely understand it with all those big words LOL! Great Job Ida. You have serious wit when writing these articles. I would love to try this !
    From Niagara Falls, NY
    THANK YOU
    KEN

  • Yana_Tommelise says:

    Wow, what a review! So surprised by this incredibly positive feedback because I did not expect it to be THAT special. Since we don’t have Lost Cherry available in the region where I live I would be delighted to win a sample. The price is extrem and to be honest I am not the BIGEST fan of TF but I love how cherry and almond seem to smell in this composition and I’d love to fall in love with Lost Cherry. Thanks for the chance! I am from Germany.

  • Phyllis Iervello says:

    I would love to try this one! At one time I had lots of Tom Ford perfumes but they have gotten so expensive I haveb’t Even sampled the most recent ones.

  • Daisy says:

    I was all set to ignore this release….Tom Ford hasn’t done much for me lately. But then Ida starts using phrases like “sylvan whispers” , and now, darn it, I want to try this so badly! You’re a silver tongued devil, Ida! I live in the USA…frozen Michigan to be specific. 🙂

  • olleriksson says:

    I have tried so many cherry scents and nothing has stuck with me, which is sad, because I love cherry. I always think of the cherry drink my father used to make from the cherry trees in our garden when I was a kid. It had such a fresh and sweet taste, something I’ve never had again. I love this review and the way it’s written. The fact that Ida feels quite skeptical to it at first only makes the end result more intriguing. I hope I’ll like it just as much! Commenting from Sweden, thanks for the opportunity!

  • theminx says:

    Ida’s review, as always is very evocative and I feel like I can smell the scent in my mind’s nose. When I hear “cherry” I first drool, then remember that I cannot eat them (allergies). I’m commenting from Baltimore, MD.

  • VerbenaLuvvr says:

    I’ve never been that enamored of chypre fragrances, they comprise a very small portion of my collection, but an ‘adult’ gourmand chypre? Given Ida’s vivid description, I envision Eve taking a bite of cherry rather than apple as the path to her enlightenment. Interested! I live in the US and thank you for this chance.

  • Jo Delaney says:

    I was hooked from the heartfelt ‘heaven help me’! So many perfumes have me saying the same. When I think of cherries, I think of cherry blossom and Spring. I am in the UK.

  • Greg Sh says:

    I smelled this a few days ago at a retailer and OMG is this something unique and unexpected. I love the sweet and seductive vibe it gives off, and dries to a warm, yummy scent. It’s a definite love for me!

    I’m in Canada

  • Valentine Girl says:

    I was drawn to the cherry evolving into “spicy balsamic leatheriness laced with tobacco” and immediately The Runaways song started playing in my head
    “Hello, daddy. Hello, mom. I’m your ch-ch-ch-cherry bomb!” While I always think of fireworks when I hear cherry bomb, this review makes the fragrance smell absolutely explosive! Can’t wait to try it. USA resident.

  • Barbara Fox says:

    I wasn’t excited about this release. I even like the name, not cherry has done nothing for me in the past. Why should it start now? But Idas words have made me eager to try it. U.S. resident. Thanks for this opportunity!

  • Barbara Fox says:

    I’m probably the only one who likes the name, ‘Lost Cherry,’ but I was lost on the cherry note until I read Idas review. Now I’m fascinated. Thanks for this opportunity. I’m in the U.S.

  • Diana D says:

    This fragrance sounds amazing and I’ve watched so many YouTube video reviews on it. I gotta have it!!!

    I live in the USA

  • amirpasha says:

    I would love to win it!! I love how she describes her creation, I live in CA , USA and the first thing which comes on my mind when I hear cherry is classy sweet taste!!

  • arspytma says:

    Nice, descriptive review. I always worry about cherry as a fragrance note. Sure it sounds good, fresh cherries smell wonderful, but in practice it often comes across as synthetic, medicinal or powdery so I’m glad to hear Lost Cherry is none of those things

  • JoeFrank9 says:

    I loved when she mentioned it doesn’t get syrupy and that it has some vetiver in the drydown as it is one of my all time favorite notes. Thumbs up for a woman creating this awesome smell. Thumbs down for Tom Ford in giving it this out of this world price tag but oh well…
    Thanks for the giveaway! USA here.

  • doveskylark says:

    Yeah, that’s what Tom Ford seems to be about–kind of sleazy packaging and a sex-sells strategy, and, yet, a high-quality and pleasing product. I know that I am excited to try Lost Cherry. I remember loving the taste of Luden’s cherry cough drops. Even when I was a kid, I always wondered if they were really medicine or just candy.
    I live in the USA.

  • RinB says:

    I had the same reaction as Ida when I heard the name of this new scent – and I suspect I would have the same reaction when I smell it! Honestly, Ida’s review makes it sound right up my alley. When I hear the word ‘cherry’ I think of juicy tartness, but it sounds like this fragrance is more gourmand – delicious! Thanks for the draw (I’m in the US)

  • Tamra says:

    I enjoyed Ida’s review and beautiful description of the notes. This sounds very impressive. My first thought when I hear cherry takes me back to childhood memories of delicious cherry pies that both of my grandmas baked for us. Cherry coffee cake with almond was another fave. I live in the USA.

  • Zibbyz says:

    I love cherries, and I think of red candy that is “cherry” flavored, cherry soda, and Bing cherries, but is really love to try this scent, with Tonka ms tobacco. Thanks for the review and for the generous draw. In the us

  • LauraC says:

    It is almost amusing what outstanding reviews this perfume gets. I am almost suspicious that they may be part of an elaborate prank! 😀 It is not something I would ever have thought to try even if I passed by a tester, but reading these glowing reviews made me really curious.

  • bumbuliuki says:

    I’ve always had a difficult relationship with cherry in perfumes. It’s too syrupy and overly sweet in most perfumes and doesn’t really represent the real smell of freshly picked cherries.
    A gourmand chypre sounds intriquing and I’m curious to see how the cherry has been used in this composition. Not being syrupy or plasticky is great.
    Thank you Ida for sparking my attention with this wonderful review.
    I’m in Romania, EU.

  • sowa says:

    What I like most about the review is how predisposition to dislike the fragrance turned into delight. Sometimes we love the most the things we did not expect to like. When I hear about cherries I think first of stealing them from my neighbour’s garden and my belly aching from surfeit. I live in the EU.

  • Jamboy says:

    “One’s first taste of love’s kiss”- wonderful.
    As were the dark red/black bing cherries I used to pick from my grandparent’s trees and eat by the bowlful.
    I’d love to try this.
    US.

  • farawayspices says:

    Oh my this was written in a way that has me obsessed with trying “Lost Cherry”. I live in the US. When I think of the word “cherry”, I think of the Maraschino cherry atop an ice cream sundae.