Best Tom Ford Colognes: What to Wear, and When to Wear It

Was there really any other choice here? The name says it all, with incredibly fresh, woody top notes balanced out by the warmth of the oud (a fragrant oil derived from tree resin, just in case you were worried there wasn’t enough wood in this). “It’s an earthy and woody scent inspired by smoky, incense-filled temples and rare, precious oud,” remarks stylist and celebrity business strategist Nina Vargas. Lepore also has this as her top pick, describing it as, “Very dense and woody, with a little hint of spice.”

Described by Vargas as, “spicy, with hints of amber, honey and orange,” this is a complex scent that blends its top notes of pink pepper, orange, and bergamot with a sweet middle layer of honey and orange blossom, all resting on top of a rich, earthy base layer of resin, amber, leather, and vetiver. It tends to be a bit of a “you love it or hate it” scent, but that’s what makes it interesting.

If you’re heading into the holiday season, it’s tough to argue with a scent that brings to mind festive evenings by the fireplace, sharing sweet treats, with a hint of some distant uncle’s pipe smoke lingering in the air (look, maybe we didn’t all get to live in a Norman Rockwell fantasy, but we can pretend, can’t we?) Described by Vargas as, “A warm and spicy eau de parfum that reinvents classic tobacco,” this is one of Ford’s most notoriously long-lasting efforts, so be prepared to live with the scent for a while.

Vargas recommends this as the perfect fresh accompaniment to delightful, if unreliable, spring weather. Sunny yet subtle, it features citrusy top notes with a touch of pistachio on top of a highly floral middle layer, while the base notes are comprised of a richer, tropical blend of coconut, vanilla, and amber. You’ll be happy wearing this no matter how many surprise rainstorms you get caught in.

Summer scents can be hit or miss, often straying too far into sweet or tropical territory, with the end result that you either smell like sunscreen or a discarded popsicle. That’s why Lepore likes Costa Azzurra, “A great summer scent that smells like fresh air with hints of salty amber.” With top notes of seaweed and driftwood layered over citrusy, floral heart notes and sweet, earthy bass notes, it’s pure, distilled vacation in a bottle.

Vargas and Lepore agree on Tuscan Leather as the ideal fall scent, describing it as, “earthy and woody,” and, “a lovely, warm, and spicy fragrance with hints of saffron,” respectively. As an accompaniment to traipsing through crunchy, fallen leaves, it’s hard to beat, with its deep base notes of leather and suede offset by the brightness of its herbal top notes.

It should be noted first that, really, all fragrances are unisex: The idea that some scents are for women and others are for men is wildly outdated. So whether you’re a lady who loves leather or a fella who loves floral, just go for it! All of that said, Lepore’s pick for the best unisex Tom Ford fragrance, Cherry Smoke, hits the sweet spot between the two traditional camps, pairing fruity cherry and apricot with more savory olive and saffron, with a smoky, woody base layer to finish it off.

If you’re going to go bold, you may as well own it, right? That’s what Ford has done with Fucking Fabulous, Lepore’s preferred bold scent from the line, which she admires for being, “seductive and rich, with a long-lasting effect.” Its blend of lavender, sage, leather, almond, and caramel-y tonka bean doesn’t sound like it should work on paper, but it does—fabulously.

Going by the sheer number of customer reviews that say this scent makes them feel like they’re sitting by the pool, this had to be our pick for the best aquatic scent. Lepore agrees, adding that it’s, “Very fresh and fruity–it smells like a beach breeze!” With citrusy, herbal top notes that turn beautifully musky in the dry-down, it adds a gentle kick of black pepper and coriander, just to stop you drifting off.

A more accessible scent than the aforementioned Tuscan Leather, this is a more straightforward, leather-heavy affair, with a little cardamon, patchouli, and amber rounding out its more traditionally masculine profile. “It smells like rich leather, with hints of floral tones and the desert,” according to Lepore, but it softens over time and becomes somewhat sweeter, thanks to the inclusion of jasmine in the heart notes.